Summary of Recording Histories
By Howard S. Friedman
The table below is a summary of the major issues of all the 78 rpm recordings of the "complete" and "abridged" sets of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas from 1906 through 1951. It includes only the first form of issue for each recording, and not repressings in other formats or on other labels.
The format nn//nn indicates matrix numbers between the first and the last numbers. The abbreviations "SS" and "DS" refer to single-sided and double-sided discs respectively. Each listing is linked to its web page, where more detailed descriptions of the Issue Histories will be found, including additional 78rpm, LP, CD, and tape reissues where available.
This table is a companion to the article, Matrix and Catalog Numbers in G&S Discography.
| Recording Date | Opera | Label | Format | Matrix Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug – 18 Sep 1906 | Mikado | G&T | 1 12" & 16 10" SS discs | 730c, 3583e, 4791h, 8679b//95b |
| 5 & 18 Feb 1907 | Gondoliers | G&T | 7 10" SS discs | 9935b//10039b |
| 1907 | Yeomen | Pathé | 18 10-3/4" SS discs | 76070/87 |
| Feb 1907 | Yeomen | G&T | 19 10" SS discs | 9875b//10187b |
| Sep–Oct 1907 | Pinafore | Russell Hunting | 11 'Sterling' Gold-Moulded Cylinders | 940-51 |
| Autumn 1907 | Pinafore | Odeon | 20 10-3/4" SS discs | Lx2152//2276, TDLx2193 |
| Autumn 1907 | Mikado | Odeon | 24 10-3/4" SS discs | Lx2221//2176 |
| Early 1908 | Pinafore | G&T | 8 10" SS discs | 6545e//6744e |
| Sep 1908 | Pinafore | G&T | 14 10"& 4 12" SS discs | 6744e, 8777e//95e, 2520f//2543f |
| Feb-Mar 1912 | Mikado | Edison Bell | 6 10" DS discs | Unknown |
| 30 Jul – 3 Aug 1917 | Mikado | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | HO2766af//HO2915af |
| 13 Jun 1919 – 4 Oct 1920; 12 Mar 1923 | Gondoliers | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | HO3767af//HO4550af, Cc2690III |
| 4 Mar – 2 Oct 1920 | Yeomen | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | HO4282//HO4549 |
| 2 July – 1 Oct 1920 | Pirates | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | HO4450/7, 4474/89, 4516/22, 4548 |
| 26 Jan – 10 Jun 1921 | Patience | HMV | 9 12" DS discs | HO4708/26, Cc233/41 |
| 9 Dec 1921 – 7 Apr 1922 | Iolanthe | HMV | 10 12" DS discs | Cc766, 71/6, 863/4, 897/901, 1196/1201 |
| 31 May 1922 – 15 Mar 1923 | Pinafore | HMV | 8 12" DS discs | Cc1405/9, 16/9, 1601/4, 1745/7 |
| 22 May – 30 Jun 1924 | Ruddigore | HMV | 10 12" DS discs | Cc4624/9, 94/98, 4745/9 |
| 10 Oct 1924 – 23 Feb 1925 | Princess Ida | HMV | 10 12" DS discs | Cc5201/10, 13/7, 26/30 |
| 29 Sep – 6 Dec 1926 | Mikado | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | Cc9408/10, 9462//9495 |
| 30 Aug – 29 Sep 1927 | Gondoliers | HMV | 12 12" DS discs | Cc11323/8, 49/51, 60/8, 92/7 |
| 20, 29 Sep 1927 | Trial by Jury | HMV | 4 12" DS discs | Cc11602/6, 44/6 |
| 29 Oct – 4 Dec 1928 | Yeomen | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | Cc14688/93, 700/13, 25/6 |
| 19 Feb – 15 May 1928 | Pirates | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | Cc15906/21, 42/3, 48/9, 62/3 |
| 25 Sep 1929 – 6 Feb 1930 | Iolanthe | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | Cc17377/81, 18036/40, 52/7, 91/3, 111/3, 493 |
| 4 Feb – 4 Jun 1930 | Pinafore | HMV | 9 12" DS discs | Cc18636/49, 98, 704/5, 13 |
| 24 Sep – 11 Nov 1930 | Patience | HMV | 10 12" DS discs | Cc19758/63, 73/7, 9/83, 8, 96/8 |
| 6–10 Nov 1930 | Mikado | COL | 6 10" DS discs | WA10840/51 |
| 14–17 Jan 1931 | Gondoliers | COL | 6 10" DS discs | WA11049/51, 61/6, 77/9 |
| 3–5 Mar 1931 | Yeomen | COL | 6 10" DS discs | WA11284/95 |
| 5, 9 Mar 1931 | Yeomen | HMV | 6 10" DS discs | 0B612/8, 23/5, 7, 30 |
| 9 Mar – 2 May 1931 | Gondoliers | HMV | 6 10" DS discs | 0B626, 8/9, 51/4, 73/7 |
| 13 Apr – 2 May 1931 | Pirates | HMV | 6 10" DS discs | 0B726/37 |
| 8-10 Jun 1931 | Iolanthe | COL | 6 10" DS discs | CA11696/707 |
| 9 Sep – 9 Nov 1931 | Ruddigore | HMV | 9 12" DS discs | 2B1396, 1453/7, 60/71 |
| 26 Feb 1932 | Mikado | VIC | 2 10" DS long-playing discs | No matrix numbers given |
| 20 Apr 1932 | Pirates | VIC | 2 10" DS long-playing discs | No matrix numbers given |
| 26 Sep – 27 Oct 1932 | Princess Ida | HMV | 9 12" DS discs | 2B4218/20, 23/39 |
| 12–13 Sep 1933 | Sorcerer | HMV | 6 10" DS discs | 0B5068/79 |
| 3–22 Jun 1936 | Mikado | HMV | 11 12" DS discs | 2EA2946/65, 95/6 |
| May 1942 | Pinafore | VIC | 4 12" DS discs | No matrix numbers given |
| 19, 21 Jul 1949 | Trial by Jury | Decca | 4 12" DS discs | AR13854/61 |
| 28 Jul 1949 | Pinafore | Decca | 8 12" DS discs | AR13880-1A/95-1A |
| 29 Jul, 24 Aug 1949 | Pirates | Decca | 11 12" DS discs | AR13914/35 |
| 8 Mar 1950 | Mikado | Decca | 11 12" DS discs | AR14677/98 |
| 11 Mar 1950 | Gondoliers | Decca | 12 12" DS discs | AR14699/722 |
| 18 Jul 1950 | Yeomen | Decca | 11 12" DS discs | AR15067/88 |
| 21 Jul, 24 Aug 1950 | Ruddigore | Decca | 9 12" DS discs | AR15089/106 |
