Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0028943751629 Format: Cast Recording Label: Polygram Records Manufacturer: Polygram Records Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Polygram Records Release Date: September 14, 1993 Sales Rank: 23474 Studio: Polygram Records
Amazon.com: Three sailors on shore leave chasing after women in the Big City--that's the premise for On the Town, the brilliant, innovative, and electrically vibrant 1944 show by Leonard Bernstein (and Jerome Robbins, Adolph Green, and Betty Comden) that literally overflows with great songs and dance music. This version features a strong cast and three numbers cut from the New York premiere. It's well worth a visit. --David Vernier
Digital Life Reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Opera voices don't work for musical theater
I had to force myself to listen beyond Sam Ramey's first "I feel like I'm not outta bed yet"... why?... it comes down to two things:
1) When listening to opera singers performing musical theater I always have difficulty understanding "what" they're singing about. Sure, I can hear the words, but the purified sound sands down everything that was gritty and emotional. It's almost like a Musak treatment, taking the raw energy and vitality of the original and softening it for easier listening. This is usually never a problem with original cast recordings which may have less-than-perfect vocal production, but are 100% locked in with singing-saying what the music and words mean TOGETHER.
2) I find these type of recordings patronizing to the great number of extremely talented musical theater artists who would each bring better interpretations to the studio because they'd have actually performed ... Read More
Rating: - Great Score But A Bit Dated
A wonderful score from Leonard Bernstein detailing three naval soldiers' day of leave in New York City. Even if some of the songs are a bit past their prime, there are still great catchy tunes:
New York, New York
Taxi Number: Come Up To My Place (a very catchy duet)
Ain't Got No Tears Left
Some Other Time
This recording, however, is not the greatest. Its poor quality just reminds you of how dated some of the music is, so I recommend you get a different version.
Rating: - Operatic voices take away the verve and excitement
Bernstein started a bad trend with his crossover West Side Story, in which Kiri Te Kanawa and Jose Carreras were painfully miscast. But that version has sold very wel over the years, so now we have MTT condcuting a big symphony orchestra and singers like von Stade and Hampson who try their best but feel all wrong. This is a great score, but here the whole sense of naive sailors on shore leave in the big city, plus the special jazziness of Bernstein in the Forties, doesn't come across. These are very sophisticated people trying to ham up WW II period charm--no thanks.
Rating: - Good Recording
This is a good recording of this very enjoyable work. The quality of singing is fine and the orchestral work is particularly good. The music itself is really fun and well above the level of the great majority of Broadway musicals, including better known works like Oklahoma. This is the first of a group of excellent musicals; On The Town, Wonderful Town, and West Side Story, written by Bernstein and collaborators in the 40s and 50s. All are excellent and incorporated music and dance in innovative ways. West Side Story is the best known and most performed but I believe that the music in On The Town is the best of the group. All of these musicals, in one way or another, celebrate New York City.
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- Opera voices don't work for musical theater
- Great Score But A Bit Dated
- Operatic voices take away the verve and excitement
