The 1906 G&T Mikado

Cast
The MikadoPeter Dawson
Nanki-PooJohn Harrison
Ernest Pike
Ko-KoStanley Kirkby
Peter Dawson
Pooh-BahStanley Kirkby
Peter Dawson
Pish-TushStanley Kirkby
Yum-YumDenise Orme
Eleanor Jones-Hudson
Pitti-SingAmy Augarde
Peep-BoEleanor Jones-Hudson
KatishaAmy Augarde

Sullivan Operatic Party with Orchestra
Conductor Unknown

Recorded in London
16 August – 18 September 1906

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from a 1907 Savoy Programme

Although recordings of individual G&S excerpts were made as early as 1898, this 1906 Mikado is the first compilation that qualifies as something like a complete opera. The occasion for this milestone was a new repertory season at the Savoy directed by W. S. Gilbert himself, in the Company's first London appearance in several years. Naturally, interest in the operas was at a peak, and G&T meant to capitalize on it.

One look at the cast list, however, shows that there is much to be desired in this early effort. The singers, dubbed the "Sullivan Operatic Party" (S.O.P.) or "Sullivan Quartette" (S.Q.) for marketing purposes, were studio artists chosen because their voices "recorded well," not because they had any association with the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. Numbers from the opera were recorded on an ad-hoc basis with whoever happened to be available for a particular recording session, hence the overlapping role assignments. The singers may not even have known their parts in advance.

Notwithstanding these reservations, G&T clearly was concerned about quality. Denise Orme was given no fewer than four chances to record "The sun whose rays," on two separate occasions. Evidently none of them was satisfactory, and a final session was scheduled for Eleanor Jones-Hudson, and it was her recording of the song that was issued. Similarly, two takes of "Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted" featuring Orme and Ernest Pike were rejected, and the duet re-recorded with Jones-Hudson and Pike.

The one Savoyard in the cast was Amy Augarde (1868–1959), who joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a chorister in 1884, played Mad Margaret for a time in the original production of Ruddigore when Jessie Bond was ill, and understudied Hebe in the 1888 revival of Pinafore. While her stage appearances were in soubrette roles, her G&S recordings were in contralto parts.

Wolfson and Francis disagree somewhat on the casting. The names given above are from Wolfson. Francis doesn't name a Pooh-Bah, and he says that:

  1. Pike sings all of Nanki-Poo
  2. Jones-Hudson sings all of Yum-Yum
  3. Denise Orme sings Peep-Bo

The opera was recorded on one 12-inch and sixteen 10-inch single-sided discs, which were designed to be purchased individually. (The 12-inch side was "A wandering minstrel.") In December, 1906, the full set was then issued with a descriptive booklet. It cost 65 shillings. Later, the complete set was re-issued by HMV on double-sided discs. The has not been re-issued on LP or CD.

Issue History
DateLabelFormatNumberComments
1906 G&T 1 12" & 16 10" single-sided discs See #1 below  
ca. 1912 HMV 1 12" single-sided & 8 10" double-sided discs See #2 below  
1985 Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Cassette unnumbered Part of the issue titled Mikado Miscellany
Recording Details
Side
Nbr
Matrix
Number
Single-
Sided
(#1)
Double-
Sided
(#2)
SelectionArtist(s) Recording
Date
18792b4406B427 s.1 If you want to know who we areS.O.P. 28 Aug 06
2733c02073D242 A wandering minstrel IHarrison & S.O.P. ?? Aug 06
38793b3-2491B429 s.1 Our Great MikadoKirkby & S.O.P. 28 Aug 06
43583e4403B433 s.1 Behold the Lord High ExecutionerS.Q. 19 Feb 06
58682b4407B431 s.1 Three little maids [sung through twice]Orme, Augarde & Jones-Hudson 16 Aug 06
68683b4411B428 s.1 So please you sir [2nd verse repeated]S.O.P. 16 Aug 06
78974b4414B430 s.1 Were you not to Ko-Ko plightedPike & Jones-Hudson 18 Sep 06
88979b3663B434 s.1 The sun whose raysJones-Hudson 18 Sep 06
98679b4605B431 s.2 Brightly dawns our wedding dayS.O.P. 16 Aug 06
108714b4408B432 s.1 Here's a how-de-do [sung through twice]S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
118716b4412B427 s.2 Mi-ya sa-maAugarde, Dawson & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
128721b3-2476B434 s.2 A more humane Mikado [2nd verse only]Dawson & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
138718b4409B432 s.2 The criminal criedAugarde, Dawson & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
148797b4607B428 s.2 See how the fatesS.O.P. 28 Aug 06
158720b4410B433 s.2 The flowers that bloom [sung through twice]Pike, Kirkby & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
168955½b3-2493B429 s.2 On a tree by a river [refrain whistled]Kirkby 13 Sep 06
178724b4413B430 s.2 There is beauty in the bellow [sung through twice]Augarde & Dawson 21 Aug 06

Notes:

  1. Rees and Wolfson both disagree with Francis on the number of sides, with Francis listing five fewer than the others do. Francis omits sides 1, 2, 4 9, and 14.
  2. Francis also misstates the matrix number of s. 16 (misprinting 8955½b as 89551/2b).
  3. Bennett lists John Harrison on s. 2 (agreeing with Rees and Wolfson), but he gives the recording date as November 1906.
  4. Wolfson lists two sides, presumably of "Alone and Yet Alive," recorded on 28 August 1906 by Amy Augarde but never issued. These bear the matrix numbers 8789b and 8790b, which would fit them into this set. See the Recording Sessions, below.
Recording Sessions
Side
Nbr
Matrix
Number
SelectionArtist(s) Recording
Date
43583e Behold the Lord High ExecutionerS.Q. 19 Feb 06
n/a8608
8608½
The sun whose raysOrme 31 Jul 06
98679b
8680b
Brightly dawns our wedding dayS.O.P. 16 Aug 06
58681b
8682b
Three little maidsOrme, Augarde, Jones-Hudson & S.O.P. 16 Aug 06
68683b
8684b
So please you sirAugarde, Kirkby, Orme & S.O.P. 16 Aug 06
n/a8685b
8686b
Were you not to Ko-Ko plightedOrme & Pike 16 Aug 06
n/a8687b On a tree by a riverKirkby 16 Aug 06
108713b
8714b
Here's a how-de-doS.O.P. 21 Aug 06
118715b
8716b
Mi-ya sa-maAugarde, Dawson & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
138717b
8718b
The criminal criedAugarde, Dawson & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
158719b
8720b
The flowers that bloomPike, Kirkby & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
128721b
8722b
A more humane MikadoDawson & S.O.P. 21 Aug 06
178723b
8724b
There is beauty in the bellowAugarde & Dawson 21 Aug 06
n/a8789b
8790b
Alone and yet aliveAugarde 28 Aug 06
18791b
8792b
If you want to know who we areS.O.P. 28 Aug 06
38793b
8794b
Our Great MikadoKirkby & S.O.P. 28 Aug 06
148795b
8796b
8797b
See how the fatesS.O.P. 28 Aug 06
2733c A wandering minstrel IHarrison & S.O.P. ? Aug 06
n/a8869b
8870b
The sun whose raysOrme 3 Sep 06
168955
8955½b
On a tree by a riverKirkby 13 Sep 06
78974b
8975b
Were you not to Ko-Ko plightedPike & Jones-Hudson 15 Sep 06
88979b
8980b
The sun whose raysJones-Hudson 16 Sep 06

Notes:

  1. In the table above, matrix numbers in italics indicate unissued takes. Where the entire row is in italics, it indicates multiple takes on the same recording date, none of which were issued. Sources are Rees, Wolfson, and Alan Kelly’s magnificent presentation of all matrix numbers having the b- suffix between 1901 and 1919 as transcribed by Howard Friedman.
  2. Per Friedman, matrices 8979–80 were recorded on 16 September. Per Rees, they were recorded on 18 September.
  3. Per Friedman, unissued matrix 733c was recorded on 29 or 30 August.