VICTOR HERBERT (1859-1924): Eileen.

Description: Originally titled Hearts of Erin and premiered in 1917, this most Irish of Herbert's operettas is set on the western coast of Ireland in 1798 during the rebellion against England. The title character is the niece of an English landowner who falls in love with Barry O'Day, a leader of the rebellion. Smugglers, informers and the English army are involved as well as a subsidiary love plot, all ending, of course, happily. One of Herbert's better librettos and a strong score make for a delightful entertainment. In March 1998, we offered a live Ohio Light Opera recording on Newport Classics (03-040). This is a studio recording, the first to contain all the music written for Eileen/Hearts of Erin and includes five deleted numbers and an eight-minute medley of music orchestrated by Harold Sanford (Herbert did the rest of the orchestration) and published six months after the work's premiere. The booklet contains the expected thorough documentation we've come to expect from New World Records. 2 CDs. Libretto included. Mary O'Sullivan, Lynda Lee (sopranos), Eamonn Mulhall (tenor), Philip O'Reilly (bass), Orchestra of Ireland; David Brophy.