Five Recordings of The Pirates of Penzance

A Comparison of Timings

By Riley Pritchett
Movement

1957 D'OC

1961 Sarg.

1968 D'OC

1990 D'OC

1993 Mack.

Overture

8:10

7:36

7:58

7:05

Omitted

ACT I

No. 1 "Pour, oh pour the pirate sherry"

1:43

1:39

1:34

1:34

1:30

Dialogue

   

0:58

   

No. 2 "When Frederic was a little lad"

2:32

2:45

2:27

2:28

2:34

Dialogue

   

4:33

   

No. 3 "Oh, better far to live and die"

2:38

2:46

2:27

2:28

2:16

Dialogue

   

2:00

   

No. 4 "Oh, false one"

3:02

3:19

3:16

3:08

2:52

No. 5 "Climbing over rocky mountain"

3:53

3:45

3:46

3:35

3:27

Dialogue

   

0:55

   

No. 6 "Stop, ladies, pray!"

1:27

1:28

1:27

1:26

1:28

No. 7 "Oh, is there not one maiden"

4:27

4:39

4:18

4:03

4:19

No. 8 "Poor wand'ring one"

2:55

2:52

2:55

2:43

2:37

No. 9 "What ought we to do"

0:44

0:40

0:44

0:39

0:44

No. 10 "How beautifully blue the sky"

2:03

1:58

2:01

1:58

1:54

No. 11 "Stay, we must not lose our senses "

1:28

1:45

1:30

1:23

1:23

No.12 "Hold, monsters!"

0:48

0:52

0:52

0:50

0:54

No. 13 "I am the very model"

2:45

3:05

2:55

2:53

2:49

Dialogue

   

2:12

   

No. 14 "Oh, men of dark and dismal fate"

8:13

8:09

8:09

8:09

8:30

ACT II

No. 15 "Oh, dry the glist'ning tear"

3:01

3:15

3:10

2:59

3:00

Dialogue

   

1:59

   

No. 16 "Then, Frederic"

0:21

0:20

0:19

0:18

0:17

No. 17 "When the foeman bears his steel"

5:01

4:51

4:47

4:24

4:37

No. 18 "Now for the pirates lair!"

1:37

1:34

1:21

1:25

1:25

No. 19 "When you had left our pirate fold"

3:49

3:32

3:42

3:38

3:36

Dialogue

   

2:14

   

No. 20 "Away, away! My herat's on fire!"

1:32

1:24

1:29

1:22

1:20

No. 21 "All is prepared "

1:21

1:16

1:25

1:11

1:23

No. 22 "Stay, Frederic, stay "

0:58

0:48

0:57

0:45

0:49

"Ah, leave me not alone to pine"

4:47

4:31

4:58

4:12

5:19

No. 23 "No, I'll be brave"

[1] 3:02

1:22

1:22

1:15

1:21

Dialogue

 

 

1:52

1:25

 

No. 24 "When a felon's not engaged"

2:11

2:17

2:30

2:15

2:29

No. 25 "A rollicking band of Pirates we "

0:58

0:55

0:56

0:52

0:50

No. 26 "With cat-like tread"

2:41

2:40

2:43

2:27

2:37

No. 27 "Hush, hush! Not a word"

1:18

1:21

1:21

1:24

1:34

No. 28 "Sighing softly to the river"

9:26

10:02

[2] 8:21

[3] 10:02

9:33

Notes:

  1. Includes dialogue.
  2. Omits second verse of "Sighing softly to the river."
  3. Extended version.