This is a recording of the second of Sullivan's two original ballets, a 'jingo-fest' concocted around a celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee,and putting her into a semi-mythical context of an historical pageant.
The music is wonderful, even if it does re-use, wholesale, the music from Sullivan's first ballet 'L'Ile Enchantée', the surviving ballet music from the lost operetta 'Thespis', and his earlier-and rather fine- Imperial March.
The playing of the RTE Sinfonietta under Andrew Penny is never less than compelling and the whole piece can be heartily recommended.
It makes you wish that Sullivan had written more ballet music.
A word of warning though: if you order the CD it will be a CD-R copy of the original Marco polo release, lacking any of the Booklet notes: a little pricey for a (sanctioned) copy, but worth having for this music.