Indeed. There are some lovely low Gs and even the odd F for the contralto in G&S and they do seem to be thinner on the ground in continental operas. I wonder whether it has anything to do with the English choral society tradition, in which Sullivan was steeped? And the altos do have some lovely songs. I particularly like "Silvered is the raven hair".

As for altos having boring chorus parts, I've never looked much at that, although they some interesting moments, as in "Comes a train of little ladies". I've never understood why they're generally called second sopranos in the vocal scores.

But in other operas, I prefer Carmen to be sung by a mezzo rather than a soprano and I don't like it when sopranos duck the lowest notes in Rosina in Barber of Seville. Maria Callas sang that part splendidly and aren't there some people who thought she pushed her voice too far and that she would have done better singing mezzo roles?

We're getting off-topic slightly, but the topic of the mezzo-soprano voice is viewed differently in different countries.  It is, in the end, "exactly what it says on the tin" - a medium soprano voice.  The designation separates it from the "other" sopranos who go "off the end" of "medium"... Violetta, Leonore, Manon, Gilda etc... parts which are still not yet in the "coloratura" department (Olympia, Zerbinetta, Queen Of The Night, Air Traffic Controller etc).

"Do you know the difference between Norma & Adalgisa? A semitone!"  (c) Svetlana Rossiyskaya, mezzo-soprano   (I have to admit I've never checked this claim).

I'm not sure that's the basis of PRINCESS IDA?  Princess Idea satirises the opening of a Women's College at which female students could sit for the examinations of the University of London.  It's based on an actual college - Royal Holloway College, some way outside London on Egham Hill (these days the A30 on its way from Windsor to Staines).  The college's extraordinary architecture was based on the Loire chateau of Chambord, only tripled in extent.  The whole thing was built on the private fortune amassed by Thomas Holloway, a quack-cure magnate who'd got-rich-quick from "Holloway's Little Liver Pills".

I am not only an alumnus of the college (which was compelled to become co-educational from the 1970s onwards), but a member, and subsequently Director of the Student Union Savoy Opera Society.  All Committees of the Savoy Opera Society were mandated to hold-off performing Princess Ida until its 100th Anniversary came due. 

I believe the redoubtable lady satirised in Princess Ida - the first Principal of the College - had incurred the ire of many with some rather injudicious remarks,  and Gilbert joined the queue of people wishing to return the favour.

For anyone passing by,  the College's Picture Gallery has one of the finest collections of late-C19th British oil paintings.  It also saw the appearance in G&S of performers who went on to do reasonably well - Susan Bullock and Felicity Lott.  And, ehem, the first modern performance of Stephen Storace's THE SIEGE OF BELGRADE

I suspect you didn't quite intend the apparent logical implication there, Reiner.

Re your earlier comments about established singers being unwilling to do G&S, incidentally, I notice Maria Ewing is taking on the Fairy Queen!?!

Some of the men don't come across very well either. According to Gilbert they're just shaved monkeys.

Don, that has to be my quote of the month so far!

Charles Mackerras hasn't done too badly by Janacek lovers, despite Pineapple Poll.