Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Sorcerer: Overture
2. The Sorcerer, Act One: Ring forth, ye bells
3. The Sorcerer, Act One: Constance, my daughter, why this strange depression?
4. The Sorcerer, Act One: Oh, mother, do not ask!
5. The Sorcerer, Act One: When he is here
6. The Sorcerer, Act One: The air is charged with amatory numbers
7. The Sorcerer, Act One: Time was when love and I were well aquainted
8. The Sorcerer, Act One: Sir Marmaduke - My dear young friend, Alexis
9. The Sorcerer, Act One: (Minuet)
10. The Sorcerer, Act One: With heart and with voice
11. The Sorcerer, Act One: My kindly friends, I thank you for this greeting
12. The Sorcerer, Act One: Oh, happy young heart!
13. The Sorcerer, Act One: My child, I join in these congratulations
14. The Sorcerer, Act One: With heart and with voice
15. The Sorcerer, Act One: Welcome joy, adieu to sadness!
16. The Sorcerer, Act One: All is prepared for sealing and for signing
17. The Sorcerer, Act One: With heart and with voice
18. The Sorcerer, Act One: Love feeds on many kinds of food, I know
19. The Sorcerer, Act One: My name is John Wellington Wells
20. The Sorcerer, Act One: Sprites of earth and air
21. The Sorcerer, Act One: Now shrivelled hags, with poison bags
22. The Sorcerer, Act One: Now to the banquet we press
23. The Sorcerer, Act One: Be happy all - the feast is spread before ye
24. The Sorcerer, Act One: Eat, drink and be gay
25. The Sorcerer, Act One: Oh love, true love, look down on our sadness
26. The Sorcerer, Act One: Oh marvellous illusion
27. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Introduction
28. The Sorcerer, Act Two: 'Tis twelve, I think
29. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oi, where be oi, and what be oi a-doin?
30. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Dear friends, take pity on my lot
31. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oh joy! Oh joy!
32. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Thou hast the power thy vaunted love to sanctify
33. The Sorcerer, Act Two: I rejoice that it's decided
34. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oh, I have wrought much evil with my spells!
35. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Hate me! I drop my Hs - have through life!
36. The Sorcerer, Act Two: At what I'm going to say be not enraged
37. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oh agony, rage, despair!
38. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Alexis, doubt me not, my loved one!
39. The Sorcerer, Act Two: The fearful deed is done

Disc 2:

1. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oh my voice is sad and low
2. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oh, joyous boon! Oh, mad delight!
3. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Alas! That lovers thus should meet
4. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Prepare for sad surprises
5. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Or he or I must die!
6. The Sorcerer, Act Two: So be it! I submit! My fate is sealed
7. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Oh, my adored one!
8. The Sorcerer, Act Two: Now to the banquet we press
9. Martyn Green: I am the very model of a modern Major-General
10. Martyn Green: When I was a lad I served a term
11. Martyn Green: I've jive and joke
12. Martyn Green: The flowers that bloom in the Spring
13. Martyn Green: There is beauty in the bellow of the blast
14. Martyn Green: As some day it may happen
15. Martyn Green: On a tree by a river a little tom-tit (Willow, Tit-Willow)
16. Martyn Green: If you give me your attention
17. Martyn Green: Whene'er I spoke
18. Martyn Green: I have a song to sing, O!
19. Martyn Green: Am I alone and unobserved?...If you're anxious for to shine
20. Martyn Green: When I went to the bar as a very young man
21. Martyn Green: The law is the true embodiment
22. Martyn Green: When I, good friends, was called to the bar (The Judge's Song)
23. Martyn Green: Oh! a private buffoon is a light-hearted loon
24. Martyn Green: Love, unrequited, robs me of my rest...When you're lying awake with a dismal headache(The Nightmare Song)
25. Danny Kaye: In enterprise of martial kind (The Duke of Plaza-Toro)
26. Danny Kaye: When a felon's not engaged in his employment (The Policeman's Song)
27. Danny Kaye: When first my old, old love I knew
28. Danny Kaye: The sun, whose rays are all ablaze (The moon and I)
29. Danny Kaye: My name is John Wellington Wells
30. Danny Kaye: When I was a lad I served a term
31. Danny Kaye: When you're lying awake with a dismal headache (The Nightmare Song)
32. Danny Kaye: If you're anxious for to shine
33. Danny Kaye: When I, good friends, was called to the bar (The Judge's Song)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115279 in Music
• Released on: 2004-10-12
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Gilbert & Sullivan and DANNY KAYE!
The most attractive reason to purchase this collection is to acquire the Danny Kaye pieces. These recordings were made in the late 1940's before the Operas feel into public domain and were greeted with horror by many diehard Savoyards. In light of what was to follow once the copyrights expired it's hard to fathom the outrage they once inspired. They are a great deal of fun and no more sacrilegious than Joseph Papp's synthesized score for "Pirates of Penzance" or any one of the souped-up versions of "The Mikado" one is likely to see these days. For Danny Kaye aficionados as well as the dedicated Savoyard they are indispensable. The technicians have done an amazing job of mastering and they certainly sound better than the 78's and scratchy 10" LP they were originally issued on!

It's also nice to have Martyn Green's 1950's Columbia collection of patter songs on CD. Most selections duplicate what he accomplished on the Decca series of D'Oyly Carte recordings that were made following the war; but the inclusion of The Judges Song from "Trial by Jury" and the two songs for King Gama from "Princess Ida" give us a glimpse into roles he never recorded. The only drawback is the very American sounding chorus that accompanies Mr. Green on many of the songs.

As for the star attraction of this set, the first complete recording of "The Sorcerer" by The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, it's nice to have it on CD as well. Many will prefer the sonics of the later D'Oyly Carte stereo recording, but Muriel Harding does make a fetching Aline and Peter Pratt is awfully good as John Wellington Wells. Point by point I've always felt the two D'Oyly Carte recordings were really neck-and-neck, but the addition of the Danny Kaye and Martyn Green supplements really push this into the CD to buy if you're only looking to collect a single recording of this work.