Bernstein: Wonderful Town (1999 Studio Cast)
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Music CD Cover
Performer: London VoicesComposer: Leonard Bernstein
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra: Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Performer: Adolph Green
Performer: Betty Comden
Performer: Audra McDonald
Performer: Kim Criswell
Performer: Thomas Hampson
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 1999-09-14
Music Label: EMI Classics
Soundtracks:
- Overture
- Christopher Street
- Ohio
- Conquering New York
- One Hundred Easy Ways
- What a Waste
- A Little Bit in Love
- Pass the Football
- Conversation Piece
- A Quiet Girl
- Conga!
- Entr'acte
- My Darlin' Eileen
- Swing!
- Quiet Incidental
- Reprise: Ohio
- It's Love
- Ballet at the Village Vortex
- Wrong Note Rag
- Reprise: It's Love
Free Music Notes for Bernstein: Wonderful Town (1999 Studio Cast)
Free Music Review: A great show
Hit: 5 Stars
Having now immersed myself in this obnoxiously catchy score for about a week, I think I can safely say that "Wonderful Town" is the most spectacularly amusing and endearing venture into Broadway that Leonard Bernstein and friends made. This ensemble does them great justice, with fine orchestral playing and conducting from (Sir) Simon Rattle, and glorious singing from the London Voices and the soloists. At times the music is stereotypically Broadway-esque: it's got more vamps than "West Side Story" or "On the Town" and on some numbers there's an obvious build-up to a big "drag" ending. But therein lies both it's charm and the remarkable signature of its composer: no matter how "musical-ish" the piece may sound, it can only be the music of Leonard Bernstein. He is totally in his element here: the songs are fantastically melodic and memorable. The lyrics of Betty Comden and Adolph Green are top notch, and everything seems very well inspired. The "Ohio" duet (which I had never heard in its entirety until I got this CD) is satirical yet beautiful, and the "Conga" that ends the first act is terrific fun. The two (well really three) tracks that deserve special mention, though, are "Pass the Football" (sung with splendid precision by Brent Barrett), "Wrong Note Rag" (which doesn't sound half as "corny" as the score indicates or a few other recordings make it sound), and "Swing" (which has to be one of the sweetest tracks anyone has ever written for any Broadway spiel). The accompanying program booklet contains the entire libretto along with four fascinating different articles (if I may call them that) about the making of the show, the history of the story, and the synopsis (it even includes excerpts from an opening night review), and is well worth the price of admission by itself. It's somewhat hard to believe after listening to this excellent show that Broadway has survived how it has through so much vapid and really inconsequential music and writing. Comden, Green, and Bernstein were a treat and an honor, and this recording pays them a great tribute.
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