A Thespis Discography

I have never heard this set, which may have appeared on the Savoy label.

1957 Martyn Green [sic] Sings Excerpts from Thespis Cast: ????

This set appeared on a variety of cheap labels with confusing and contradictory cast listings. Whoever may sing Thespis, it can't be Green. For starters, the fellow is a basso profundo. Furthermore, he sings with a thick Hungarian accent and, most telling of all, he collapses noisily to the floor (and dies?) during the First Act Finale. None of this conforms to the known facts about Martyn Green. The Venus is rumored to be Friedhilde Garstig-Ottoman but she will not confirm it, claiming to have been in an alcoholic blackout at the time. Finally, half the tracks seem to come from an instructional record for hula dancers. All in all, not an adequate representation of the score.

1959 ENI Thespis Cast

• Jupiter -- Owen Brannigan Apollo -- Richard Lewis Mars -- George Baker Diana -- April Cantelo Mercury -- Elsie Morison Venus -- Monica Sinclair Thespis -- Geraint Evans Sillimon -- Ian Wallace Timidon -- John Amis (1) Tipseion -- Frank Muir Preposteros -- Dennis Norden Stupidas -- John Cameron Sparkeion -- John Carol Case Nicemis -- Heather Harper Prettiea -- Marjorie Thomas Daphne -- Helen Watts
• Cymon -- Denis Dowling

Conductor Sir Malcolm SargentThe first stereo recording was made by Electo-Nosical Industries, successor company to His Master's Nose. THIS Malcolm Sargent obtains an accurate performance from the Pro Party Orchestra but he is a much more stately conductor than the other fellow. A good deal of the fun of the score is missing, particularly since Evans, a splendid opera singer, is miscast in the title role. For sheer quality of voices, this set stands above the others. Muir, most notably, has a voice straight out of the Golden Age. Despite its lukewarm spirit, it IS well-engineered and still competes strongly with the other stereo recording.(1) Correspondent David Duffey suggests that the cast list is inaccurate and that David Franklyn played this role. A careful search of ENI records indicates that Franklyn did not, in fact, participate in this recording, having retired from singing some years earlier. However, he would have been invited to record the role of Thespis in a projected Thespis Society recording in 1937, had the work been performed at Glyndebourne. That project having fallen through, ENI producer Walter Arme scheduled a 1939 German-language recording under Sir Thomas Beecham with Wilhelm Strienz as Thespis, Helge Roswaenge as Apollo, Tiana Lemnitz as Nicemis and Margarete Klose as Venus. It appears that some sort of diplomatic dust-up or other intervened, though what, exactly, was so important as to have precluded any new "Thespis" recording from 1939 to 1945, I have been unable to ascertain. Further information on this point would be appreciated.

1967 Docka/Southampton Thespis Cast

• Jupiter -- Donald Adams Apollo -- Thomas Round Mars -- Kenneth Sandford Diana -- Jennifer Toye Mercury -- Valerie Masterson Venus -- Gillian Knight Thespis -- Elizabeth Harwood Sillimon -- John Reed Timidon -- Alan Styler Tipseion -- Jeffrey Skitch Preposteros -- Joseph Riordan Stupidas -- Anthony Raffell Sparkeion -- Philip Potter Nicemis -- Mary Sansom Prettiea -- Ceinwen Jones Daphne -- Joyce Wright
• Cymon -- George Cook

Conductor Sir Malcolm SargentI at first assumed that the previously-mentioned "Sir" Malcolm Sargent was the same chap who undertook this recording but this point has not been confirmed. Thus I am obliged to assume that a third, and different Sargent was involved. Upon mature reflection, I realize that they could hardly be the same men, as this recording features a Sargent yet more prone to slow tempi than his predecessor. Even taking into account the addition of all the spoken dialogue, the performance should not have required 6 LP's. Furthermore, in an odd casting choice, Elizabeth Harwood replaces John Reed, thereby bumping him down to Sillimon, which bumps Alan Styler down to Timidon and so forth until the poor chap playing Cymon, yes it was the unlucky Fred Hobbs, wound up sobbing in the green room. As a souvenir of the old D'Oyly Carte company, it has its moments.The 1972 Fulham performance (the only one currently covered in the G&S Discography) regrettably did not utilize the Flowers manuscript and is therefore not truly competitive with the other recordings. Note, however, that a "Malcolm Sargent" sings on that set. Whether it is the medical man or the knight or the other knight or yet another Malcolm Sargent is not specified.Just before the demise of the old D'Oyly Carte company, a new recording of Thespis was mooted. The recording would have been in the "Out-of-Phase4" series and tapes of authentic Greek mountain birds were completed for this purpose. ("This will be the first recording of Thespis in which the dialogue is entirely drowned out by caws and plopping noises," boasted a Docka executive.) Unfortunately, the project was cancelled when it was discovered that nobody could locate a fifth Malcolm Sargent to conduct it.Mr. Philip Sternenberg alerted me to the following two Thespis parodies:1)Allan Sherman's explanation of his obesity: "Oh, I love celestial fudge!/From morning to night I eat lots of it!"2)"The Capitals," in which Tom Lehrer sings to the melody of "I once knew a chap who discharged a function" all of the national capitals in the world (but only for countries that existed in 1959). [Not to be confused with "The Capitol Steps." - CJS]I am seeking details on the following:(a) Nelson Eddy's 78 rpm record of "I Once Knew a Chap Who Discharged a Function."(b) Excerpts by the "Gilbert and Sullivan for None" organization(c) The rumored Peter Pratt broadcast recording. Ms. Sara Kane, in particular, voiced dismay at:"...the inexcusable (and, I may add, inexplicable) absence from your Thespis Discography of that greatly underappreciated and unjustly uncelebrated Titan (if I may so term him) of the D'Oyly Carte-the late, lamented Peter Pratt."So far as I know, there are no official tapes of Peter Pratt in what was his signature role, more's the pity. I am ever on the lookout for any private tapings that might have taken place during American or Australian tours but none has, to date, surfaced. However I do have tantalizing news: Rumors persist of a broadcast, perhaps in the mid-sixties, by the JOEBC (Jolly Old English Broadcasting Corporation) in which Pratt reprised his celebrated Thespis.The obscurity of this production is owing (again according to rumor) to the fact that it was broadcast at two or three in the morning between "Knitting News" and "Calling All Sheep Shearers." I am attempting to locate a tape in hopes of verifying Pratt's participation and also to determine which of several dozen Malcolm Sargents may have been involved.(d) A television broadcast with all the roles performed by American soap opera celebrities.(e) A Peter Sellers production which makes the piece relevant to modern audiences by moving the action from Mount Olympus to a rendering plant.(f) Any news on the rumored Mackerras recording.

Gordon Pascoe, overwhelmed by all of this, responded:

The remedy for the long suffering Mrs. Schlotter's overdose of Thespis is, of course, to obtain the highly regarded SavoyNet recording. This is not easy, however, because it was never posted to the list since most of the singers were professional lurkers who wished, with considerable justification, to remain that way. Those members of the SavoyNet who did take part in the recording have been reluctant to admit to their participation. It is my understanding that some of the lyrics and dialogue were altered to fit the sensibilities of modern audiences and the participants have feared that they would be consigned to a fiery flaming pit.It may also noted that one of the notes of the overture was changed and, more scandalous yet, an entire chord in the Act One Finale was changed from the minor to the Major. An abiding fear of the perpetrators of this crime is that Bruce Miller might discover which note (and even which chord) was thus altered. However, even the die-hards of purity among the Inner Brotherhood will be astonished at the quality of the orchestral playing. This has been faithfully captured on MIDI files and with brilliantly recorded vocals using the latest digital techniques. You can just imagine the sonic feast that results.Despite the enormous drawbacks of the two musical changes I urge you, on Mrs. Schlotter's return, to allow her the rare honour of hearing this fine SavoyNet effort. I understand that Albert Flowers had a pristine copy kept safely in a fire-proof vault hidden in his cellar. Tom Shepard enthused: Once again, a remarkable piece of scholarship from Mr. Schlotter. Although he omits the foreign versions: The Spanish Thespis (Thespith), the Yiddish (Chespich) and the German (Das Sullivanisch-Unbekannte Scheisswerke.)But let us praise him for what he did. Speaking seriously, I found it hilarious.Bruce Miller exclaimed: Caught you in an error, Tom. Don't you realize it was Thethpith? Did you check the G & S Archive to see what their "definitive" version is (FWIW)? And what did they do in Argentina - did they adopt the Spanish or the German version? Really, you have to sweat the details in matters of this significance.David Duffey complained to the media:To the editorSirWhile applauding the assiduity of Professor Schlotter's research on recordings of Gilbert and Sullivan's great masterpiece, and congratulating him on an otherwise excellent example of scholarship, I must once again take issue with him on the identity of the person representing Timidon on the ENI 1959 recording.As Professor Schlotter rightly points out, David Franklyn had retired from active operatic singing some years before 1959, in fact in 1951. It is of course well known that Miss D'Oyly Carte asked Franklyn to assume the 'Fancourt' roles at that time, and Franklyn refused. There is, however, compelling evidence to suggest that he undertook some vocal work in collaboration with Messrs Wallace, Muir and Norden during the late fifties and all through the sixties. What is beyond dispute is that John Amis, whom Schlotter credits as Timidon, had not begun the singing phase of his career in 1959, and in fact did not do so until after Franklyn's death in 1973. Professor Schlotter may have become understandably confused as John Amis was in fact very influential in the 1959 recording, as can be deduced from Amis' biography. On the practical level, he set out all the music stands and made sure all the pencils were maintained at concert pitch sharpness. In the pursuit of his goal of authenticity, he even polished up the handles of the silver shovels.Amis was most useful, however, in his role of go-between to Sir Malcolm and Ben English, who had been commissioned to re-realise the score from the only existing authentic source, a Ms band part for trombone. English's orchestration of �Tacit 389 bars' was masterly. English's only other Sullivan work being of course his arrangement of The Pears Chorus for boy soprano, cor anglais and glass harmonica.I remain, sirYour humble servantDouglas Whaley put things in perspective: Charles Schlotter's wonderful Thespis Discography makes mention of the saga of Albert Flowers. For those who missed the original thread on this, perhaps the archives of Thespis should include these two posts by way of explanation:-[Ronald Orenstein wrote: "Try not to make any major discoveries till I return, and if I can find the score of Thespis in Hatchard's I'll let you know."]This posting followed:-"I am only recently subscribed to SavoyNet, and I really know very little about Gilbert and Sullivan, but Arthur Sullivan was my great, great uncle, and on my father's death I inherited many of his papers. One of these is a musical score labeled Thespis. Is this the one Mr. Orenstein is talking about? The copy I have is all hand-written, and not professionally published. Does this make it less valuable? I have a whole suitcase full of old music that belonged to my great, great uncle. Albert FlowersTarzana, CA"[This produced a minor sensation, though almost everyone understood it to be a joke ("Hand-written manuscripts have no value---go ahead and burn it," for example). Three days later I sent the following:]Sadly, The Tarzana Daily Grapevine reports the tragic death of Mr. Albert Flowers, who perished in a fire at his home brought on by smoking a cigar while exploring 100 year old musical manuscripts. On a brighter note, the suitcase in which they were kept survives untouched.O.K. We're sorry for dashing your hopes (but wasn't it fun for a moment to think it was true?). Last month, I said to Jerry that we ought to post an April Fools' Day message to SavoyNet, and he replied that we had to have someone find the score for Thespis. We talked through the message and dummied up the post you saw, and Jerry figured out how to send it to Savoynet using a phoney name (we cleared all of this with Rafe, who said, "Sure. Why not?").The responses were great fun to read. We had a ball.But we somehow envy you the momentary thrill of thinking that Thespis HAD been found. We all believe (in our heart of hearts) that someday that post will be real. Surely this treasure has not been lost forever.

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Updated 6 Dec 1997