Arthur Sullivan songs - 2 cd set from Chandos

Started by Sharkkb8, Wednesday 01 March 2017, 22:43

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semloh

It's good to see that British songs from the late 19th/early20th are finally getting a good showing on CD, having been overshadowed by their French counterparts for so long. Hopefully, this Shakespeare-themed collection will find broad appeal.

Jimfin

Sullivan is too often lumped in with pot-boiling ballad-makers of the 19th century, but I think his songs, despite their popularity, are in a far higher class. Like Quilter's, they stay in the genre of the popular ballad but are much better than its typical (now mostly forgotten) exemplars. Balfe's songs arguably have that quality too. Sullivan was a great melodist and also knew how to write a decent accompaniment (except in "Little Maid of Arcady, which was probably arranged by an assistant).