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9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Champagne Music! Jul 09, 2006
By Rob Pollock
Thank goodness that these well filled CDs of selections from three of Offenbach's most entertaining and tuneful operettas are available. Exactly the thing to provide some hearty nourishment for Winter nights. Ideal also for a Summer barbecue. In both cases, a glass of champagne, or at least some other bubbly beverage, would be good to have at hand - everything here no doubt will call for a toast or several.
It is so nice to be able to hear in these translations the witty words, sung with welcome clarity and meaning by these admirable artists. As I recall, there were no microphones in sight, and perhaps not even used, when this production of Orpheus In The Underworld was brought to Australia, with a few cast changes but the same sparkle as shown here. Crisp diction and lively, often lovely, singing - a great recipe for enjoyable listening indeed.
The recording sounds a bit shrill here and there, but what a churlish quibble; to Hades with such curmudgeonly qualifications! This is music to raise the spirits, and not just those from Hades.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A wonderful evening of Operetta Jul 04, 2008
By William S. Oser
"Snowy and Manny's Dad"
Operetta has so gone out of fashion, which is a real shame. England has always had wonderful singers who chose not to concentrate on Opera and made careers of everything from Offenbach to G&S to Ivor Novello and occasional leaps into the Viennese composers. June Bronhill was the reighing Prima Donna of this type from mid 1950s to early 1970s. She has been succeded by the equally lovely Marilyn Hill Smith.
I bought these CDs for June Bronhill and was not disappointed. If you are unfamiliar with her work, seek out the cast album of Robert and Elizabeth. Its a lovely score and she is wonderful in it. She tosses off a gorgeous high D at the end of her 11 o'clock song, Woman and Man. I only wish I had the good fortune to have seen it live. Ms Bronhill is equally wonderful in 2 of these 3 Offenbach operettas, all of which were recorded in conjunction with productions at English National Opera. All three operettas are great fun, and having them sung in English is a plus because much of the humor does lie in the words. This kind of material does work very well in the vernacular. All of the rest of the casts are equal to the task at hand. Best of the three is Orpeus in the Underworld, because it is the best operetta of the three, but La Belle Helene isn't that far behind. If you love operetta, which I do, you will enjoy these recordings. 3lps on 2 very filled CDs at this bargain price is a gift. Frankly the entire Classics for Pleasure operetta series has been very enjoyable.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Offenbach Sep 12, 2009
By John Lucarelli
A wonderful range of Offenbach's operetta work, with very fine voices, generous selections from all three works, and at an excellent price.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Offenbach the great Apr 04, 2009
By Colin Glithero
"nedalleyn"
The first opera or operetta that I saw in London ( I had only seen a couple of touring productions before ) was the first one in this set, Orpheus in the Underworld,in this production and with this cast. It is still the most enjoyable evening I have ever spent in the theater. The Sadler's Wells Opera, which later became the English National Opera, not only reintroduced British audiences to Offenbach, but also set standards of performance which have rarely been equalled. The three operettas in this two-disc set were recorded in the 1960's, but the sound quality is excellent. As for the performances, they are simply great. The roles are extremely well-sung, but they are also well-acted, delivered with wit and a clarity of diction that adds to the enjoyment. The two classical tales, Orpheus and La Belle Helene, are for me Offenbach's masterpieces(together with his only opera,The Tales of Hoffman). The third, La Vie Parisienne, has some vintage Offenbach tunes, which are on these discs, though in the theater the plot and characters are less amusing. The music on this set was originally on three separate LP's. It is a terrific bargain for anybody who already relishes this music, or for someone would like to discover it.
0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 A provisional recommendation Mar 24, 2010
By Kevin J. Ford
I bought this CD set because I had enjoyed so much the LP recording of "Orpheus in the Underworld" I bought back in the seventies. I had assumed the other two operas would be as enjoyable, but they were a disappointment. However, the CDs are worth buying just for "Orpheus" - hilariously funny libretto, great melodies, and glorious singing from the Sadler's Wells cast. Just a pity that Offenbach seems to have run out of ideas when he wrote the other two.
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