A Society Clown

The reminiscences of George Grossmith who created the comic baritone parts in all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1888. "George Grossmith was most famous as the creator of nearly all of Gilbert & Sullivan's great clown roles... but he was also a successful composer for music-hall revues. This interesting disc gathers his most famous songs. It's unfortunate that Grossmith never made any recordings (although enough of his contemporaries have so that we have a good idea of what his style would have been like, even if we are deprived of what was certainly a unique genius). Certainly it must have been that personality that made these songs successful in the theater, since in these perfectly decent performances there's nothing remarkable about them - they are merely respectable examples of their genre. But this is a genre that has many admirers who will undoubtedly be grateful for this unusual release."