Although I started with the Chappell edition, there are many differences between Chappell and this:Finally, wherever possible, I have tried to lay out the music so that page turns are as convenient as I could make them.
- The music in this edition is of readable size (a major reason I started this project), and does not suffer from the random note and staff line dropouts in the Chappell edition.
- This edition was made to be as consistent as possible with the Kalmus orchestra parts. To that end:
- Rehearsal letters match those in the parts as much as possible. Unfortunately, the parts themselves are inconsistent. Tie-breakers came from the Violin I part.
- There is no No. 11 because the orchestra parts show it as "out". Hence, "Although your Royal summons to appear" is numbered 11 in the Chappell edition, it is No. 12 here. Succeeding numbers are similarly incremented.
- The reprise of "Knightsbridge nursemaids" in No. 8 ("Ah! gallant soldier, brave and true") is omitted here because it is not in the orchestra parts.
- On the other hand, the playout of No. 8, not present in Chappell but in the orchestra parts, is included here. So is the musical Introduction (consisting mostly of Act II Drawing Room music).
- This edition includes all of Gilbert's dialogue and stage directions, as published in "W.S. Gilbert - Complete Operas", Dorset Press, 1932 (ISBN 0-88029-043-9).
- Where Chappell is lacking (and in a few places, out-and-out wrong), I have enhanced or corrected those passages. Here are two examples; the interested reader can search out others:
- I have added the dancing obligato in the 1st Violins to "Although of native maids the cream".
- The first four measures in "Although your Royal summons to appear" each appeared twice in Chappell (that is, 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4).
Page created 21 August 1999