Thank you so much for posting this, and for going through the trouble of providing subtitles. I have always wanted to see a film of this, and the Brent-Walker series which I usually rely upon unfortunately did not produce a version. I also have yet to find a complete filmed version of Utopia Ltd., relying instead upon the D'Oyle Carte recording and libretto only. This is a marvellously done production and is so funny. Once again, thank you.
The "Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company" produced a video of Utopia Ltd at the 2011 Buxton Festival. Go to "Musical Collections" online . It's available for purchase. I have it myself.
Likewise, I also have it. But this one is clearly better. I find the Buxton one to be somewhat lacking in energy. There acting in this version is so vivid and well done. There are all sorts of little touches that just make it perfect.
I saw this in Melbourne twice in the same week - and I loved it - so refreshing. A very underrated masterpiece - the only issues with it are - very complicated, to many characters and over long - but apart from that the music and libretto is brillante.
It is stated in the opening credits that the action takes place in the 1750's. Now maybe I`m being a tad picky but the fashions worn here range from anywhere between the mid 19th century to the early 20th century. But what the heck! It's only Gilbert & Sullivan. Notwithstanding, great show!!
It's a valid point but it may have been on purpose. The Washington Savoyards had little inside jokes with stage sets/costumes and business. Also. One of the main characters claims to be British but has a strong German accent.
Julia's German accent is part of the joke. It's set vaguely in Germany but all the characters have English accents, apart from the one who IS English who has a German one.
I think when they say "1750" they don't necessarily mean, literally and for all time, the mid-18th century. They really mean about a century and a half ago, i.e. in the old days, before living memory, but not in the super-distant past. For an audience of the 1890s that would be the mid-18th century, but for an audience of today it could be any time in the second half of the 19th century.
Well observed, Mr, Thomas! The videographer - in 1996 - lifted the 1750s setting from the title page of the score. (I could not erase that since it was embedded in the video itself!) In our defence, though, we weren't really trying to play 'fast and loose' with the authors' intentions. We were drawn by the fact that moving the setting back a century and a half would have given rise to a number of anachronisms, which I, for one, don't find especially amusing. In any case, isn't Gilbert's 'Grand Duke' language - laced with late nineteenth-century turns of phrase - reason enough to move the action forward 150 years?
Ah, that explains it. Many thanks John..:-) Still a great show. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I for one can't understand why until recently it wasn't produced more frequently. A little silly of course, but most of G & S operettas are. Deliberately so. It was satire. I look forward to future productions via RU-vid if possible. Failing that does this company have DVDs on sale?
@@alanthomas8836 If you're still on You Tube I hope you can see this. Try the website for the Buxton and Harrogate G and S festivals. They have a wonderful collection of Dvds on sale.
It's very well sung but for me the production is spoiled by everyone desperately overacting. The overall effect is a very busy and fussy one and it wears me out just watching it. Less shrieking and laughing over the music would be welcome too.
