Kind sir you cannot have the heart

Valerie Masterson sings Gianetta's song: "Kind sir, you cannot have the heart" from Act 1 of The Gondoliers by Gilbert & Sullivan.
Performance recorded at the Royal Festival Hall on 15th June 1974 as part of the International Festival of Light Music. The BBC Concert Orchestra is conducted by Kenneth Alwyn.

For fans of Valerie Masterson this recording might come as a very pleasant surprise! In the old D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, roles were assigned to singers in bundles as a new soloist took over the set of roles performed by a departing colleague. Valerie sang Casilda whist with the D'Oyly Carte, but never Gianetta.

How fortunate for us that she sang this piece in a concert broadcast on BBC Radio in 1974!

This high lying melody with pizzicato string accompaniment and exposed high notes is treacherous territory but Valerie navigates it superbly well with spot on intonation and a sweet pianissimo high B flat in the final part of the second verse.