The 1953 D’Oyly Carte performance of The Sorcerer.

I’ve found that there’s a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that works for every atmosphere and mood. The Sorcerer is best listened to on a warm, gray day. Sullivan’s music is very evocative of that sort of setting, which I guess is the typical “English village” atmosphere.

It’s true that it’s not their best work, or even close to it. (As somebody once put it: “At times, Gilbert seems to have missed the memo that it was a comic opera.”) But still, it’s pretty good listening if you’re in the right sort of mood.

Also, there is something pretty funny about the fact that when the Sorcerer invokes demons while brewing a love potion, it doesn’t seem to raise any red flags for the hero of the piece. I hope that was intentional on Gilbert’s part.

(Image: Drawing of the incantation scene from The Sorcerer from 1877. Via Wikipedia.)