Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers - South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)
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Free Music Notes for South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: There's A Reason South Pacific is a Big Hit Again on Broadway!
Hit: 5 Stars
To tell the truth, this was among the first records I ever fell in love with as a kid. The album my parents had in the early 60's was already worn, with a tattered jacket, when I happened upon it. I loved folk music and British pop at the time, but this thing won my heart, along with three other great musicals, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN with Ethel Merman, the Broadway cast recording of MY FAIR LADY with Julie Andrews, and the original cast production of GUYS & DOLLS. All of those records have held up well for me over the years, but there was a long period during which I all but forgot the Mary Martin/Ezio Pinza version of SOUTH PACIFIC. My parents had the film soundtrack, too, and although the leads pictured on the cover were prettier and handsomer, Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi (whose singing was dubbed by Giorgio Tozzi), were just not as good as Mary and Ezio, either as actors or singers, no matter their grander sound through "Living Stereo." And I thought this, having only SEEN the film version... yet I alternately played both of these records often, one for the performances, and one for its aural majesty.
I wasn't even reminded of this recording when I read everywhere that the new Broadway Show was wonderful, and would probably win some Tony's, which it did. People I work with said the current show is glorious. Still, this record did not cross my mind. Then I saw this version in a store for ten bucks, and it was a no-brainer all of a sudden. I snatched it up, thinking I would make sure it played when I got home, then save it for a rainy day.
No such thing happened. I put on the CD, noted the clean, remastered mono sound, and thought, uh-oh, I made a mistake. But less than two minutes into the overature, I was hooked. No sampling, here; I listened straight through. The memories not only flooded back, but they came unaccompanied by the crackling and hissing of the old vinyl I had finished wearing out (and still own, in storage, inherited from my folks). The remastered sound of this CD is great, save some of the orchestral passages here and there, and it's about the most I could expect from a recording this old. In fact, the voices sound better than ever ... and to make up for the slightly muddy recording of the overature (the sound clears up quickly, after it), there is another, extended version arranged for orchestra (back then, so it, too, is in mono) as one of the four lovely bonus tracks. One of the songs cut from the show, "Loneliness Of Evening" is just beautiful, as sung by Mary Martin. Ezio Pinza reprises "Bali Ha'i," and I'm glad it was included, as he sings it as well as Juanita Hall does.
There has also been some commentary recently, among Broadway critics and others who have spoken about the latest production, that SOUTH PACIFIC was kind of ahead of its time in addressing racial topics, the futility and sadness of war, and sexism. One must read between the lines to catch some of this, but "You've Got To Be Taught" has meaning that could not be clearer. Perhaps this show's revival is timely, after all, as humanity is still struggling with these issues.
Finally, some of the reviewers on Amazon still feel that his old recording is the definitive reading of SOUTH PACIFIC, and I'm inclined to agree. It will be interesting to compare the new production, whenever the copy I ordered comes. Meanwhile, I have a feeling that this version will get played over and over again. For tuneful music and enchanting singing, great songs and orchestral composition, SOUTH PACIFIC is, from the beginning, now and forever, one of the truly great stage musicals! Yes, they just don't create 'em like they used to...
Free Music Review: One of the best cast recordings, one of the best scores
Hit: 5 Stars
So the show and its book might be a bit dated and as corny as Kansas in August by today's standards. The score is one of the most gorgeous, moving, and delightful Broadway has ever heard, and you need look no further than this wonderful original cast recording to see why (Although along with Mr. Andersen I must also recommend the movie soundtrack). Made when the show was fresh, new, exciting, and even a little controversial (For daring to include a song- "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," obviously- that addressed racial prejudice), everybody's joy and excitement in performing this is obvious. Mary Martin makes a wonderful Nellie Forbush. Perhaps she was just a bit too old at 35 for the role, but she could certainly still get away with it onstage and projects so much youthful vitality, innocence, and spirit that that's easily forgiveable. "A Cockeyed Optimist," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Outta My Hair," "A Wonderful Guy," "Honey Bun" - all recieve what are almost certainly their definitive recordings here; Martin especially delights with the bawdy good time she has on the last song. (For a different side to her, buy the newly remastered Broadway Masterworks edition, not only for the superior sound quality but for bonus tracks of recordings Martin later made of "Loneliness of Evening" and "My Girl Back Home," both songs cut from the show - she gives very restrained but at the same time most beautiful and haunting readings of them) Former Metropolitan bass Ezio Pinza certainly had a powerful voice; perhaps in many ways it was no longer a very "good" voice, but anyone who can sing most of "Some Enchanted Evening" in a booming, romantic bass voice and then suddenly and cleanly switch to a serenly beautiful falsetto for the last line "Never let her go" is fine by me, and his "This Nearly Was Mine" is highly moving as well. THough Juanita Hall's voice is just a tad loud for a recording, (Which perhaps is part of the reason she was dubbed for the film version), her "Bali Ha'i" is haunting and beautiful and her "Happy Talk" delightful. And with "Younger Than Springtime," William Tabbert gives us some sense of why Mary Martin made a point of listening to this song every night from the wings - one of the best love songs ever written for the theatre and Tabbert doesn't dissapoint. And will there ever be a better chorus of Seabees in "Bloody Mary" and (especially) "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame?" While RObert Russell Bennett's orchestrations were highly improved upon by the glorious film arrangements, they still do a wonderful job, especially in the evocative "Bali Ha'i" notes that open the overture. One of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest scores is done brilliant justice in a "must-have" recording that is pretty much perfect from start to finish.Free Music Review: The original is still the greatest
Hit: 5 Stars
Growing up in the musical wasteland of the 1980s, I often raided my parents' record collection out of sheer desperation for songs with meaningful lyrics and real instruments. Among the many wonderful discoveries I made that way was an exotically titled soundtrack album with a pretty yellow and green cover, which my grandfather had apparently bought new in 1949. Perhaps intrigued by the record's vintage, or maybe by the vague familiarity of some of the song titles, I brought it back to my room...and it hasn't left my collection since.It's hard to pinpoint just what makes this album so majestic from start to finish, because every song is a gem in its own way. This is perhaps the only soundtrack on which the overture holds my attention just as much as the vocal numbers do (on most other soundtracks I skip through the overture), and it provides the perfect segue into the childish innocence of "Dites-Moi," still a favorite of mine years after I finally became proficient enough in French to decipher its pidgin pronunciations.
While the songs fit together flawlessly and tell the play's story, most of them also stand well on their own. Perhaps "There is Nothin' Like a Dame" and "Honey Bun" are less than politically correct (though still harmless) by today's standards, but they're still a lot of fun all the same. "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," on the other hand, was decades ahead of its time and is still all too relevant, as Americans are once again at war with "people whose skin is a different shade." On the lighter side, "Bali Ha'i" can always be counted on to take you to Your Own Special Island - just close your eyes and see! Then there's that Broadway staple, the spine-tingling, move-you-to-tears love song. Not all musicals have given us even one of these. This one offers three, and after more than half a century, "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," and especially "This Nearly Was Mine" are just as touching as ever.
The bonus tracks, while they naturally sound somewhat out of place alongside the original songs, are surprisingly enjoyable. "My Girl Back Home" sounds rather dated (in contrast to the rest of the album), but it is a fascinating piece of circa-1950 Americana in any case. Overall, though, there's nothing "old" about this album. It's timeless!
Free Music Review: As good as it gets!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Fifty years ago, my love for the Broadway musical began here. A pre-adolescent, I would listen to my older brother's recording of the original Broadway cast album and be transported to a differennt land and time with great music that still resonates. Broadway and I have both changed considerably over the years, and, while the music has always since been a part of the popular culture, I never again paid much listening attention to the album. I made sure my children knew it. The movie version helped to have then love it, too. I just recently purchased the original cast album cd, now digitally remastered. And I am fifty years younger.
The music is, of course, beautiful. The lyrics are from an age when such meant something to the song and play. Today, they stil are meaningful and help, not only to sell the song, but move the play along. If one listened only to the cd, without any other prepaation, one would know what play was about.
The cast is outstanding. Both Martin and Pinza, neither of whom rank among my favorite recording artists, could not have been better chosen. As stand-alone performers, both have their obviuos faults regarding voice, the one never really that good and the other, past his prime. Of course, that is not to say they aren't at the pinnacle of their profession. What is important is that both help to put their character across and make then accessible to the listening audience. One special note concerning the Mary Martin character. Her "conversion" from bigotry is never in doubt from the moment it sufaces. What is important though is that someone like Martin, so much like all of us, can be bigoted in the first place. We can't distance ourselves from it, as perhaps we can from the Reba McEntyre version, whose racism may be expected, since she plays up her ientity as a white southener from the 1940;s. And please understand that I am speaking of perception here, not stating an historical reality..
Clearly this orginal cast album/ cd is a masterpiece. No matter your musical taste, it belongs in every home.
Free Music Review: Still the best recording of the show.
Hit: 5 Stars
52 years after its debut this 1949 recording is still the best recording (exception being the film soundtrack) of the original stage show ever made. The extraordinary sound is remarkable when compared with other cast albums from Decca, RCA and Capitol of the same time period (Columbia was always state of the art sound wise and shows it here). The performances are fresh and it is both lilting and moving. Martin excels in HONEY BUN and Pinza does equally well in SOME ENCHANTED EVENING and THIS NEARLY WAS MINE. The male chorus does a great job with THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A DAME.While this was the second cast album released on LP (KISS ME KATE -also on Columbia - was the first) it was also geared for 78 rpm reproduction so no cut is over 3:35, the maximum a 78 side could hold, but nothing seems rushed. Indeed Columbia did the industry one better and released SP on 7 discs (14 sides) to the industry standard of either 6 10" discs or 5 12" discs - thus allowing us more music.
Odd notes: The parenthesis for TWIN SOLILOQUES reads (WONDER HOW IT FEELS) but this is not the lyric. Nellie sings "Wonder How I'd Feel" - nowhere is the parenthesized second title in the orignal lyric. Although the song is presented as THERE IS NOTHIN' LIKE A DAME - listen to those guys - they enunciate "Nothing" dozens of times.
The original album without the added filler came to 45:21 - generous by industry standards.
With a wonderful show wonderfully sung, played and recorded, this is one of the classics of all original cast recordings.