Track Listing

1. Overture
2. I Whistle A Happy Tune
3. My Lord and Master
4. Hello, Young Lovers
5. March of the Siamese Children
6. A Puzzlement
7. Getting To Know You
8. We Kiss In A Shadow
9. Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?
10. Something Wonderful
11. I Have Dreamed
12. Shall We Dance?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28896 in Music
• Released on: 2000-05-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Cast Recording, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Amazon.com
Yul Brynner made a career out of playing the King of Siam. He owns it so much that it's disconcerting to see Rex Harrison play it in the film version of Anna & the King of Siam, the play Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted. Ironically, the still-unknown Brynner wasn't the star of the 1951 production; he's billed below British grande dame Gertrude Lawrence (played by Julie Andrews in the biopic Star!), who died during the play's run, and curio value is the only real reason for this recording in 1998. Sound quality is below standard, much like MCA other early Decca original cast albums, and Brynner was still too young to bring the majestic authority to the role he did in both the film and later stage versions. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews

Something Almost Wonderful
Recordings of stage musicals have a somewhat limited audience, and even as recently as the 1970s few record companies felt any need to spend more time or money than absolutely necessary on them. So there are several strikes against the original 1951 New York cast recording of THE KING AND I right out of the gate. The recording is monoaural and quite poor in quality. The individual songs have been altered to fit the length of the original album's playing time. And the entire score is not included.

Moreover, the leads are not as powerful as one might expect. THE KING AND I is one of the few widely available recordings that allow listeners the chance to hear Gertrude Lawrence--a performer who was celebrated as "the toast of two continents" in an era when such accolades had actual significance. But in truth, Lawrence's gift was a powerful star quality that drew every eye to her--a star quality so powerful that it easily over-rode her rather non-descript and distinctly flat singing voice. And shorn of her actual presence, her voice reads as precisely that: non-descript and distinctly flat. As for Yul Brenner, over time he would make the King his signature role, performing it on the screen and in endless revivals to great acclaim. But in 1951 he was an unknown, and this recording shows him still very insecure in the role.

The supporting cast is very good ("My Lord and Master," "We Kiss In A Shadow," and "Something Wonderful" are truly memorable)--but given the nature of Lawrence's singing voice, Brenner's obvious caution, and the various flaws and limitations of the recording, this is a Broadway soundtrack that is perhaps best left to hardcore fans. To them it is strongly recommened; others, however, would do better to purchase a more recent version.

--GFT (Amazon reviewer)--

Quite a Magic Performance
I developed a spree of searching for Rodgers and Hammerstein's orginal works after watching "Anna and the King" in the Christmas of 1999. The movie (starring Jodi Foster and Chow Yuan Fat) was exquisitely done yet still fell far off from the original work (particularly the score).

This 1951 recording features Yul Brynner, who acted out the part of the King perfectly (and he is NOT too old for this part). Gertrude Lawrenece might not be the best singer; yet her performance is just as praise-worthy. The musical brings about some of the most beautiful pieces from Rodgers and Hammerstein that are comparable to "Sound of Music".

Recording not up to demands of show
THE KING AND I has always been one of Rodgers & Hammerstein's most popular shows. It has been frequently recorded receieving 4 New York cast albums, 2 London casts and 3 studio casts as well as the film soundtrack. Normally the first original cast is to be preferred but the limitations of the day prevent this 1951 recording from being definitive.

Decca was not as advacnced in recording techniques as were some of the other labels and the sound quality of this disc is very tinny. Gertrude Lawrence's already thin voice is not helped at all. The lady has pitch problems and her celebrated stage presence just doesn't come across on the recording. Dorothy Sarnoff and Doretta Morrow at least have voices up to the demands of the music, but they too suffer from the flad sound of the Decca studio. Larry Douglas uses his voice to good effect and projects some warmth in his duets, while Yul Brynner is heard only in a heavily cut recording of "A Puzzlement" and for a few lines in "Shall We Dance." This last number, shorn of its dialogue and dramatic context is robbed of any meaning. It becomes just another number. Although this album was originally released in all 3 speeds (78, 45 and 33) the songs were heavily abridged to fit the 3 1/2 minute limitations of the 78 RPM format. All in all, it is not a satisfactory recording of the show.

Those in search of the nearly complete score would be better served by the 1977 RCA cast album of the revival with Brynner in full command of the role.