Posted: 6/3/15 at 10:19am
The 1977 recording is my favorite also.
Second favorite is the Donna Murphy/Lou Diamond Phillips recording.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 11:16am
Just canceled my preorder on Amazon. I'll listen on Spotify and be happy with my other recordings (love the 1977 w/Brynner). It's really a shame that PS Classics didn't do this one...we probably would've had a 2-disc set.
...and speaking of changing the overture... How long do you think it will be before some genius decides that the GYPSY overture could be improved upon?
Posted: 6/3/15 at 11:23am
I agree. The Overture changes are shocking for LCT, especially after the South Pacific Overture. The reasoning must have been due to the show's long run time and the desire to include the iconic "Shall We Dance?"
Posted: 6/3/15 at 11:56am
Ditto on not ordering this version. I'm not happy about the cuts mentioned. I have enough KING & I in my personal music library to satisfy my needs. I'm not shelling out my hard earned money for mediocrity. This score deserves far better than this.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 1:41pm
The cuts are sad but it could've been worse.. It could've been FOLLIES 1971 recording bad. Despite this, I really admire it and let's all be thankful we got a recording of this production anyway; but the upcoming Live from Lincoln Center recording will allow us to hear ALL of the score (except for the Overture of course).
Posted: 6/3/15 at 2:11pm
Posted: 6/3/15 at 2:16pm
I am absolutely loving what was recorded. Kelli O'Hara sounds incredible (as always). As much as I love this, though, I can't stop thinking about how much more I would love this if it was on two discs.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 2:22pm
Kelli's "Hello Young Lovers" is divine and I think it's my favorite rendition of that song. However, I preferred other Donna Murphy's Anna for every other song. I think I prefer Anna to sing lower as well as I think it allows for more personality and character to show through.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 4:34pm
I'm also one of the few who doesn't care for the 1977 recording. I think the sound is mixed really poorly and it's difficult to hear the voices because the orchestra is so loud.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 4:42pm
Ruthie Ann Miles is divine in this recording! Easily my favorite rendition of "Something Wonderful" ever recorded.
I'm having a hard time finding much to connect with in O'Hara's beautifully sung, but emotionally vacuous rendition of Anna's songs/dialogue. Her singing is so impressive, I love her gorgeous voice in each song. It sounds like a very classic portrayal of the role, which is fine. I prefer the nuance, sexiness, and darkness Donna Murphy brought to her vocal performance in the 1996 cast recording, then again I think Murphy's performance is not only my favorite recorded Anna but one of my all-time favorite cast album performances.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 5:16pm
Not sure if it's been mentioned yet but I Have Dreamed sounds auto tuned at some points - "What it's like to be loved by you"
Posted: 6/3/15 at 5:38pm
Ruthie Ann Miles's "Something Wonderful" is the best song in the whole album. I'm still in love with "Shall We Dance" from the 1996 cast recording with Donna Murphy.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 5:39pm
"I'm also one of the few who doesn't care for the 1977 recording. I think the sound is mixed really poorly and it's difficult to hear the voices because the orchestra is so loud. "
I totally agree about the mixing being terrible (from what I've heard). I just think it's badly in need of a remaster, as the current CD is still the initial from 1985! Perhaps I would enjoy it more if it sounded better.
I think I'm definitely going to pass this one up. If I wanted an incomplete recording I'm perfectly happy with the OBC or '64 Lincoln Center. That one is my personal favorite actually. Even though the sound is a tad rough it has such vibrancy I find it the most thrilling.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 5:40pm
JoseLee_, "Shall We Dance?" in the '96 album is one of the most exquisite renditions of a romantic song I've heard, and it was of the most disappointing tracks in this new recording. The way Donna Murphy says the word "yes" at the end of the song is Tony-worthy in itself.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 5:46pm
Is this production airing on PBS' Live from Lincoln Center series?
Posted: 6/3/15 at 5:56pm
"Is this production airing on PBS' Live from Lincoln Center series?"
Yes, I believe it will be.
Posted: 6/3/15 at 10:25pm
Could this recording have been better? Yes. But everyone is acting like there is nothing of value here.
Kelli O'Hara's vocals are reason enough to purchase this album, cuts and all. Wantanbe's diction has improved DRASTICALLY since I saw the first preview. Miles's rendition of 'Something Wonderful' is just that, and the duets between Park & Ricamora are stunning.
I wish they had included more, but what they did includes the best vocals you'll hear all season.
Updated On: 6/3/15 at 10:25 PM
Posted: 6/4/15 at 12:47am
I was just about to order the recording. Then I listened to the sample of the overture. Forget it. You can change the music inside the show if you must, and I have given up expecting to get the original dance arrangements, but you touch one note of that magnificent, towering overture and I am outta there. That is sacrilege.
Next they'll "improve" the "Carousel Waltz."
Posted: 6/4/15 at 12:52am
Count me with the furious about the Overture group. Listened to the album on Spotify. I have a hard time understanding Wantanbe, but Kelli is lovely to listen to, as is the rest of the cast.
What is the story with that Overture? Is it a earlier version? It just sounds awful next to the real one. Such a shame to ruin that magic moment just to shave off 2-3 mins from the show.
Posted: 6/4/15 at 12:57am
I am in the vast minority in that i do not mind the altered overture. I think it still sounds great, and I love the inclusion of Shall We Dance.
Posted: 6/4/15 at 2:13am
I'm also in the "I don't mind the altered Overture". The way the "Finale" was done is a tiny bit strange but I'm glad the music of the ending remains in it's 29 piece orchestral glory.
Again, this 2015 recording is still worth it for the performances and the additions of "Western People Funny", "A Puzzlement reprise", and the full "Small House of Uncle Thomas" alone. But it's Ruthie Ann Miles' performance on "Something Wonderful" that made me forgive the cuts that were made.
Posted: 6/4/15 at 7:08am
While I'm not happy with the Overture, it's still better than the 96 revival cutting the entire thing.
Posted: 6/4/15 at 8:38am
Honest question for any experts on the board regarding the Overture: Where exactly does this beloved "full Overture" that everyone is so protective of exist?
Concert recordings included, I own probably a dozen different versions of the KING AND I overture, from the 1951 OBC recording to the present. No two are alike. The OBC recording clocks in at 3:27, only 14 seconds longer than this new recording. Other recordings range anywhere from 1:30 to 10:56 in length.
What constitutes the "official" Overture, and why that version?
Pardon my ignorance if this is common knowledge. I'm a fan of overtures, and have always wondered this about this show.
Thanks!
Updated On: 6/5/15 at 08:38 AM
Posted: 6/4/15 at 9:08am
The 1977 recording has a complete version and it's absolutely glorious. I believe the original Overture had a few extra measures which can be heard on the complete studio recording.
Posted: 6/4/15 at 9:11am
Thanks, ljay889, but "complete version" as dictated by what?
