It's not music I listen to very often, but when an office colleague gave
me a free ticket to the a Best of Gilbert and Sullivan revue, I just had to
go.  So my wife and I went to the Smithsonian Institution on Friday night
to see five members of the D'Oyly Carte company romp their way through some
very engaging pieces.

There was no Modern Major General, but they did get to Love, Unrequited,
which is my favorite G&S piece.  Trivia question for all listmembers except
Tim Dickinson, with whom I've already discussed this: Name the pop music
personality who covered this tune in a 1973 eponymous album.

I decided to make Friday an Arthur Sullivan day of remembrance by commuting
to work to the sounds of a recent BBC Music Magazine cover disc devoted
to his music.  On this disc is the Macbeth Overture; the Cello Concerto,
reconstructed by Sir Charles Mackerras; and the world premiere recording
of Te Deum, an English language oratorio.  None of this may be the
greatest music in the world, but this is a disc that I've listened to
more than once.  The Macbeth has some good tunes and a typically Romantic
introduction, three c minor chords announcing the start.  The Cello
Concerto is quite a story: Mackerras had played it (or maybe conducted it)
some years before.  Evidently there was a fire and only the cello part
survived.  Mackerras reconstructed the rest from what he remembered of
the performance.  Then, part of the rest of it was found somewhere, and
Mackerras's version was seen to be remarkably accurate.  Where did I read
that? Was it perhaps on this list? BTW, the cellist on this disc, Paul
Watkins, plays the concerto on Sullivan's own cello.  And the Te Deum, with
its conclusion of "O Lord Save the Queen" roared out in English, is loads
of fun.

But the real story of the day was the G&S revue.  They went for two
hours and could have gone for two hours more, those tunes are so great.
Nicely characterized too, by a tenor, soprano, mezzo, bass, and pianist.
All in all, a delightful time with some very clever music.  Sullivan seems
to have been very versatile.  I'm not familiar at all with the rest of his
"serious" music, but what's on the BBCMM disc is very nice.  And he sure
could knock out some catchy tunes.  Do listmembers have examples of other
composers who could excel in such different styles? Korngold? Who else?

Mitch Friedfeld