Iolanthe

When I bought this video, I had no idea what this opera was about, not to mention no idea what the music was like. I bought it because I was, and still am, a big fanatic of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. So this video was my first exposure to this particular opera. I enjoyed this video more than I had some of the previous videos I bought (H.M.S. Pinafore for example). The cast delivers a wonderful performance, especially Derek Hammond-Stroud in the role of the Lord Chancellor. Though I prefer the D'Oyly Carte recording with John Reed as the Lord Chancellor, Hammond-Stroud gives a strong performance along with most of the other cast members. The only member of the cast I didn't care for was Alexander Oliver in the role of Strephon. I just can't figure out why they cast a tenor in a baritone role. Not only that, he also kind of "overacted" a bit during some of his dialogue scenes. Another complaint is that a member of the chorus of peers was noticeably flat, which made the processional song sort of uncomfortable to listen to. Over all, however, it's a wonderful production with many strong points which more than compensate for its few faults.