Kismet (1991 Studio Cast)

Our Price: $41.11
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.28 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases

Music CD Cover

Free Music Notes for Kismet (1991 Studio Cast)

Free Music Review: PERFECT!
Hit: 5 Stars

Where to begin? Well, Samuel Ramey as the Poet (and later Hajj), sings wonderfully and expressively. His amazing, rich bass-baritone voice is perfect for the role, and equally perfect is his rendition of "Fate" and "Gesticulate." This man acts with his voice! As does tenor Jerry Hadely as the Caliph. He sings "Night of My Nights" beautifully, and does a magnificent, breath-taking "Stranger in Paradise" with Ruth Ann Swenson. All it can leave you to do is sigh with contentment. (Hadely and Ramey also make good matches on Erato's release of THE RAKE'S PROGRESS, with another "thinking man's singer," soprano Dawn Upshaw.) Swenson sings everything assigned to her simply and sweetly ("My Magic Lamp" and "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" to note), and she is absoultely lovely in the role of the Poet's daughter Marsinah. She and Ramey also give the album a strong beginning with their take on "Rhymes Have I."

Dom DeLuise was a *perfect* choice for the Wazir! This was a brilliant stroke of casting! His "Was I Wazir? I Was!" will leave you chuckling. He got a lot of belly-laughs from me. Julia Migenes is a sexy, vocally-strong, absolutely brilliant Lalume! This stroke of casting was equally perfect. Her reading of "Not Since Nineveh" is my favorite track on the album. And she and Ramey are also a delight on "Rahadlakum." She steals the show, just like she did with Sony's unworthy release of MAN OF LA MANCHA.

Rodne Brown (one of my dad's old friends from his summer stock days) is very touching on "The Sands of Time," singing purely and brilliantly. Ramey, Swenson, Hadely, and DeLuise tackle "And This Is My Beloved" with a vengence, and make it a memorable and perfect rendition of this beautiful piece. And Mandy Patinkin, while still annoying, is only very briefly on the album (THANK GOD!) and sings his one song ("Zubbediya") in some non-sense language (I honestly doubt it's a real language). But his irritating "characterizations" fit the on-crack role of the marriage arranger, so he is, at least, bearable--if still not great.

And since this album has been cast with opera singers that don't really act (with the exception of Migenes and Patinkin--and he only thinks he acts), the lack of dialogue is really a service to the album as a whole! A major plus!

The Ambrosian Singers and Concert Chorale of New York sing fully and powerfully, particularly on "He's in Love" and "Bazaar of the Caravans." The London Symphony Orchestra plays meticulously, especially as lead by the masterful maestro Paul Gemignani, a brilliant force in the music world, that we are lucky to have.

I RECCOMEND THIS ALBUM TO ALL!

Broadway & Vocalists Music CDs

• Music > Styles
• Classical
• Country
• Pop
• Soundtracks