Leonard Bernstein's PETER PAN To Be Released on CD With NEVER BEFORE RECORDED Songs & Suites!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 3:12pm

COVER:
http://www.kochint.com/catalog/AudioInfo.aspx?number=KIC-CD-7596

Leonard Bernstein's "PETER PAN" to Be Released on CD
June 21, 2005
First-Ever Release of Bernstein's Complete Score With
Never-Before-Released Songs and Suites

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/24/05 -- Leonard
Bernstein's original score for the 1950 Broadway
musical version of JM Barrie's "Peter Pan" has been
locked away for over a half century. Now for the first
time, this forgotten classic can be experienced in its
entirety in a new fully orchestrated recording making
this the first-ever documentation of the complete
Bernstein score. This newly revived work, under
acclaimed conductor Alexander Frey, features vocals by
Broadway superstar Linda Eder singing the part of
Wendy and versatile American baritone Daniel Narducci
as Captain Hook. On June 21st KOCH International
Classics will release this historically significant
music in its true form as Bernstein intended.

When Leonard Bernstein was asked to write the score
for the Broadway musical production of Peter Pan by
his good friend and producer Peter Lawrence, he
quickly accepted. Bernstein, coming off the success
and recognition of the Broadway hit musical "On the
Town," would write one hour of music that included
several new songs and revisions of a few of his other
tunes from past shows. Upon the casting of screen
legends Jean Arthur as Peter Pan and Boris Karloff as
Captain Hook, it was quickly discovered that the
leading cast members were limited in their vocal
abilities and would not be able to manage the singing
parts. Much to Bernstein's disappointment, it was then
decided that "Peter Pan" would not be a musical after
all, but would retain some of his songs and choruses.

Only five Bernstein songs would remain in the original
production. Bernstein's compositions for 'Who Am I?',
'Pirate's Song', 'Plank Round', 'Build My House' and
'Peter Peter' were included, but songs 'Captain Hook
Soliloquy' and 'Dream With Me' would be withdrawn. All
these songs are featured on this new recording which
includes 30 tracks and about an hour of original
Bernstein music as the composer intended.

As an extra bonus, this recording includes a
restoration of 'Spring Will Come Again,' a duet
featuring Linda Eder and Michael Shawn-Lewis. This
song was originally to be included in a musical
version of Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth."
Bernstein, along with choreographer /director Jerome
Robbins and the book/lyric team Comden and Green,
spent six months laboring on this score, which came to
nothing; he later took the plangent middle section and
plumbed it, including it in a moving (boy) soprano
aria in his "Chichester Psalms."

[stonewall2]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 3:26pm

I can't wait to hear this!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 3:38pm

Wouldn't it be ABSOLUTLELY FANTASTIC if they did this as a one-night only BCEFA Concert????