Sullivan's The Sorcerer & The Zoo

[Sean]

Recently been listening to these early Sullivan works- on first hearing I must admit you can easily see this is as very faded and rather cliched light period music, but they do emerge to be of much interest, wit and intelligence: the invention isn't up to the following operas but you can see already Gilbert's very quirky ideas and rhythmic devices tweaking Sullivan's melodic brain, the finest of 19th c England. Some witty and sophisticated stuff.