The Pirates of Penzance

This is a very bad recording of a very good performance.

The show was obviously professionally shot, and the credits list a multi-channel sound recording crew. But the sound on this is in mono and has very audible "time code" noise, a high-pitched audio signal that was used to link the videotape to a simultaneously recorded audiotape. Given the vintage of the shoot, it was probably shot on 1" videotape and 2", 24-track audiotape. As few video productions facilities still have 1" playback equipment, and judging by the video quality, this was made from a 3/4" "safety" copy.

Why? The suppliers cheaped out. They didn't spend the time or energy to find the original tapes, or if they had them, to transfer them, or to do a mix-down of the 24-track master audio.

It is possible to make an excellent DVD from this material. The DVD currently available is not it.