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