Merrie England (1960) by John-Michael Sherrick

Sir Edward German is now virtually forgotten save by devotees of light opera. Thus it is with great pleasure that I write a review of his his most popular work, Merrie England (1902). The cd is no longer in print, but it is probably one of the most dainty, elegant operettas that one will ever hear. It is a perfect example of what a good operetta is capable of doing, especially those of the British comic opera tradition. No, the melodies aren't as memorable of those by Sir Arthur Sullivan, nor is Basil Hood's libretto as clever or witty as those of Sir William S. Gilbert, but Merrie England still affords the listener with two cds of breathtakingly graceful music. Hopefully, EMI will re-release this fine recording of an absolutely delightful piece of music.

I haven't had the opportunity to hear any of German's music other than Merrie England, but one quality of the music strikes the listener almost immediately -- the exquisite craftmanship that enters into every song. One is struck with the impression that he is browsing through a jewelry box of pretty gems and baubles, none of which are necessarily large or brilliant, but all of which are very pleasing and none of which are ever degenerate into vulgarity, even the most trivial of them. It is rare to hear an evening-length theatrical work in which every piece is so tastefully and appropriately composed. There are comic numbers for the comedians, lovely ballads and love duets, rousing choruses, and a few numbers which approach operatic grandeur without either falling into two traps to which operetta composers are especially susceptible -- either spoofing grand opera for cheap laughs or trying a too literal approximation of operatic conventions that jars with the lighter numbers of the operetta. Therein lies the operetta's charm, although it's one that requires repeated listening to fully appreciate. Because few of the melodies are especially striking and the orchestrations conventional, it's easy to ignore the careful planning that went into the score. It seems, at first, to be conventional light music... the work of a well-trained musician rather than that of a highly talented composer. But it certainly takes a certain type of genius to create music so splendidly well-behaved... so beguiling it its perfect conventionality... so unoffensive without being innocuous. It is a textbook example of a composer who understands exactly the requirements needed to meet the needs of the type of music he is trying to compose and rises to the occasion without superfluities or flaws. Nothing clever... nothing pretentious... German isn't trying to break new grounds in operetta or experiment with novel orchestral effects. It is, from first to last, music that is simply, delectably light and easy on the ears without rotting the mind with an overlay of musical sugar. It represents the triumph of good taste, albeit of a somewhat limited, superficial sort, over excess of any kind.