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Music : Candide
1 2
Rating: 
- A Wonderful Redording
I have the Original Broadway Recording of Candide with Barbara Cook, and I love it, but I needed to get the 1999 Royal National Theatre Cast recording as well. You see I am a singer/actor and I am going to be performing in a community theatre production of Candide and this version is the one that is closest to the score that we are going to use in the show.
To be honest after I read the other review of this recording I almost did not get it, but I am glad that I did. Yes there are some added songs and the order is changed around a bit from the original but the performances are first rate.
This is a wonderful recording and I would definitely recommend it. I think that anyone who loves musical theatre as a genre will enjoy this recording of Candide. I am very glad that I have this recording as a part of my musical theatre library.
Rating:
- FOR DIE-HARD 'CANDIDE' JUNKIES . . . LIKE ME . . . .
Since mine was the only negative amazon.com review of the 1974 Broadway Revival recording of CANDIDE, David Barbour's evaluation of the same recording ("The TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Recordings") was balm for my bruised ego. So, based on his very positive review - in the same publication - of this 1999 Royal National Theater recording, I tracked down a copy from an amazon.com seller and waited most patiently for it to arrive. CANDIDE is, after all, my favorite Broadway score, with six recordings in my library and plans to acquire the others in the near future.
Unfortunately, in spite of some excellent performances, this disc is a major disappointment. Barbour wrote that "Alex Kelly is the best Cunegonde since [Barbara] Cook, " and he may be right. (I haven't heard Marilyn Hill Smith [Scottish cast] or Erie Mills [New York City Opera], and the New York Philharmonic version (DVD) with Kristin Chenoweth hasn't arrived yet.) Barbour further writes "Beverly Klein is a lively old woman" and "Simon Russell Beale displays savoir faire and a fine voice as Voltaire/Pangloss." Agreed. But I differ strongly with his assessment that Daniel Evans is a "fine Candide." Frankly, I find his English-pop-style voice unappealing and totally inappropriate for the role.
Most disturbing, however, is the new version of Hugh Wheeler's book by John Ciard, the show's director. New locales and characters have been added, and songs have been shifted around, further muddling what is already a confusing plot. Furthermore, lyrics have been altered, ostensibly to fit the new situations. "Life Is Happiness Unending" shows up early in the show - and on no other recording. There's a totally new, uncredited version of "What's the Use," vastly inferior to the original. Nor do the orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin do anything except make one long for the originals by Mr. Bernstein & Hershy Kay -- even Kay's "watered down" orchestrations for the 1974 production. At least, the Governor sings "But now while he hovers, let us be lovers" to Cunegonde, and not to Maximilian in drag.
I've said before that one can't have too many recordings of this best of all Broadway musical scores, but I may have to eat my words. This one is strictly for those CANDIDE fanatics who must have every version. Hey, that's me!
PS. For everything you ever wanted to know about every production, recording & revision of CANDIDE, go to www.sondheimguide.com for a marvelous guide compiled by Michael H. Hutchins.
Rating:
- I'd rather have the studio cast
after recently viewing candide in concert i took out the original cast and it was a disapointment.I'd rather have the studio cast recording because it has the stephen sondhiem lyrics aswell as the clasic bernstien music. the original only has 16 songs where as the studio cast has 34 songs, 10 more than the revival cast. my dad recieved tickets to the rvival cast directly from stephen sondhiem himself. the studio cast also has a lot of extra instrumental pieces such as the battle music.
Rating:
- Delightful
Excellent music, witty lyrics, this is a really fun recording. The criticism of this work is that it didn't work very well on stage. I can't comment because I have never seen a production. As a recording, however, Candide is very successful with much better music and much more enjoyable songs than the great majority of musicals.
Rating: - "I'll show my noble stuff...by being Bright and Cheerful!"
"And yet, of course, these trinkets ARE endearing..."
"Weren't you clever, dear, to survive!"
"Poets have said, Love is undying, my love...
Don't be misled...they were all lying, my love."
"I cannot entertain your shocking proposition...
How could I regain my virginal position?"
"Bon voyage, dear fellow, dear...benefactor of
your fellow man...may your luck continue, do
come again and see us when you can..."
On the PBS station, tonight, there was an excellent
program presented titled "Changing Stages." On the
program was a segment dealing with the British stage
between the wars -- 1920s and 1930s -- and the
brilliant, classy, stylish, clever, sophisticated,
ironic plays of Noel Coward.
If there was ever a time when the American stage
came to the same level of stylish, clever, sassy
sophistication and wit -- then surely it had to be
in 1956 when "Candide" was presented.
Unfortunately it is impossible to present Leonard
Bernstein's bright, sparkling, sprightly score
which is every bit as clever and sophisticated as
the lyrics which it dances and cavorts with...never
merely accompanies.
This has got to be the version which one has to
have. The duet singing...the ensemble singing...
cannot be matched again. Robert Rounseville and
Barbara Cook have such incomparably harmonic and
well melded voices. Barbara Cook's singing in
"Glitter and Be Gay" is coloratura artfulness...
especially when she goes to the high "Ahhhh...
singing of a sorrow, nothing can assuage." That
section reminds me very much of Harolyn Blackwell's
beautiful voice and singing of "Summertime" in
the Glyndebourne Festival Opera's recording of
*Porgy and Bess* on EMI Classics, conducted by
Simon Rattle.
I saw a memorial documentary on the life of
Bernstein, and at the end of it they played
"Make Our Garden Grow"...it was a very moving
tribute to a brilliant, but sometimes ego-
driven and obsessed titan...I also cannot forget
another documentary in which he was recording
"West Side Story" with Jose Carreras and Kiri
Te Kanawa. His hectoring of Carerras was
painful to watch...but instructive and
insightful of the nature of the man, as well.
"We're neither pure...nor wise...nor good...
We'll do the best we know...we'll build
our house...and chop our wood...and make
our garden grow...and make our garden...
GROW!"
- A Wonderful RedordingI have the Original Broadway Recording of Candide with Barbara Cook, and I love it, but I needed to get the 1999 Royal National Theatre Cast recording as well. You see I am a singer/actor and I am going to be performing in a community theatre production of Candide and this version is the one that is closest to the score that we are going to use in the show.
To be honest after I read the other review of this recording I almost did not get it, but I am glad that I did. Yes there are some added songs and the order is changed around a bit from the original but the performances are first rate.
This is a wonderful recording and I would definitely recommend it. I think that anyone who loves musical theatre as a genre will enjoy this recording of Candide. I am very glad that I have this recording as a part of my musical theatre library.
Rating:
- FOR DIE-HARD 'CANDIDE' JUNKIES . . . LIKE ME . . . . Since mine was the only negative amazon.com review of the 1974 Broadway Revival recording of CANDIDE, David Barbour's evaluation of the same recording ("The TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Recordings") was balm for my bruised ego. So, based on his very positive review - in the same publication - of this 1999 Royal National Theater recording, I tracked down a copy from an amazon.com seller and waited most patiently for it to arrive. CANDIDE is, after all, my favorite Broadway score, with six recordings in my library and plans to acquire the others in the near future.
Unfortunately, in spite of some excellent performances, this disc is a major disappointment. Barbour wrote that "Alex Kelly is the best Cunegonde since [Barbara] Cook, " and he may be right. (I haven't heard Marilyn Hill Smith [Scottish cast] or Erie Mills [New York City Opera], and the New York Philharmonic version (DVD) with Kristin Chenoweth hasn't arrived yet.) Barbour further writes "Beverly Klein is a lively old woman" and "Simon Russell Beale displays savoir faire and a fine voice as Voltaire/Pangloss." Agreed. But I differ strongly with his assessment that Daniel Evans is a "fine Candide." Frankly, I find his English-pop-style voice unappealing and totally inappropriate for the role.
Most disturbing, however, is the new version of Hugh Wheeler's book by John Ciard, the show's director. New locales and characters have been added, and songs have been shifted around, further muddling what is already a confusing plot. Furthermore, lyrics have been altered, ostensibly to fit the new situations. "Life Is Happiness Unending" shows up early in the show - and on no other recording. There's a totally new, uncredited version of "What's the Use," vastly inferior to the original. Nor do the orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin do anything except make one long for the originals by Mr. Bernstein & Hershy Kay -- even Kay's "watered down" orchestrations for the 1974 production. At least, the Governor sings "But now while he hovers, let us be lovers" to Cunegonde, and not to Maximilian in drag.
I've said before that one can't have too many recordings of this best of all Broadway musical scores, but I may have to eat my words. This one is strictly for those CANDIDE fanatics who must have every version. Hey, that's me!
PS. For everything you ever wanted to know about every production, recording & revision of CANDIDE, go to www.sondheimguide.com for a marvelous guide compiled by Michael H. Hutchins.
Rating:
- I'd rather have the studio castafter recently viewing candide in concert i took out the original cast and it was a disapointment.I'd rather have the studio cast recording because it has the stephen sondhiem lyrics aswell as the clasic bernstien music. the original only has 16 songs where as the studio cast has 34 songs, 10 more than the revival cast. my dad recieved tickets to the rvival cast directly from stephen sondhiem himself. the studio cast also has a lot of extra instrumental pieces such as the battle music.
Rating:
- DelightfulExcellent music, witty lyrics, this is a really fun recording. The criticism of this work is that it didn't work very well on stage. I can't comment because I have never seen a production. As a recording, however, Candide is very successful with much better music and much more enjoyable songs than the great majority of musicals.
Rating:
- "I'll show my noble stuff...by being Bright and Cheerful!""And yet, of course, these trinkets ARE endearing..."
"Weren't you clever, dear, to survive!"
"Poets have said, Love is undying, my love...
Don't be misled...they were all lying, my love."
"I cannot entertain your shocking proposition...
How could I regain my virginal position?"
"Bon voyage, dear fellow, dear...benefactor of
your fellow man...may your luck continue, do
come again and see us when you can..."
On the PBS station, tonight, there was an excellent
program presented titled "Changing Stages." On the
program was a segment dealing with the British stage
between the wars -- 1920s and 1930s -- and the
brilliant, classy, stylish, clever, sophisticated,
ironic plays of Noel Coward.
If there was ever a time when the American stage
came to the same level of stylish, clever, sassy
sophistication and wit -- then surely it had to be
in 1956 when "Candide" was presented.
Unfortunately it is impossible to present Leonard
Bernstein's bright, sparkling, sprightly score
which is every bit as clever and sophisticated as
the lyrics which it dances and cavorts with...never
merely accompanies.
This has got to be the version which one has to
have. The duet singing...the ensemble singing...
cannot be matched again. Robert Rounseville and
Barbara Cook have such incomparably harmonic and
well melded voices. Barbara Cook's singing in
"Glitter and Be Gay" is coloratura artfulness...
especially when she goes to the high "Ahhhh...
singing of a sorrow, nothing can assuage." That
section reminds me very much of Harolyn Blackwell's
beautiful voice and singing of "Summertime" in
the Glyndebourne Festival Opera's recording of
*Porgy and Bess* on EMI Classics, conducted by
Simon Rattle.
I saw a memorial documentary on the life of
Bernstein, and at the end of it they played
"Make Our Garden Grow"...it was a very moving
tribute to a brilliant, but sometimes ego-
driven and obsessed titan...I also cannot forget
another documentary in which he was recording
"West Side Story" with Jose Carreras and Kiri
Te Kanawa. His hectoring of Carerras was
painful to watch...but instructive and
insightful of the nature of the man, as well.
"We're neither pure...nor wise...nor good...
We'll do the best we know...we'll build
our house...and chop our wood...and make
our garden grow...and make our garden...
GROW!"