Track Listing

1. Preludium
2. The Sound Of Music
3. Maria
4. My favourite things
5. I Have Confidence
6. Do-Re-Mi
7. Sixteen Going On Seventeen
8. My favourite things
9. How Can Love Survive?
10. The Sound Of Music
11. The Lonely Goatherd
12. The Grand Waltz
13. Laendler
14. So Long, Farewell (Bolero)
15. Climb Ev'ry Mountain
16. Entr'acte
17. No Way To Stop It
18. Something Good
19. The Wedding Processional
20. Sixteen Going On Seventeen
21. Edelweiss
22. Climb Ev'ry Mountain

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107000 in Music
• Released on: 2007-02-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording

Customer Reviews

Good enough.
This version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's final effort seems to hit just about all the right notes, as it were. Recorded sound is fine and the singing of all the roles is at least adequate, the conducting and orchestral performance being somewhat more so.

Minor quibbles: I guess it has become fashionable, but why include the two somewhat anemic songs Mr. Rodgers added on his own to the film version of the show? They add nothing to the story, except to stop it dead. They were written for the film because the film's storyline was significantly (and correctly, in my opinion) altered from the original book, reducing much of the Max and Baroness parts, including their songs. This left room for a couple of new songs to be sung by Julie Andrews. Apparently, Producer/Director Robert Wise shrewdly knew exactly what he had in Miss Andrews. These two songs aren't awful, of course. After all, they were written by Richard Rodgers, although lyricist was never his strong suit. They just aren't part of the original fabric, if you will. Everything must come to a screeching stop so these two songs can be popped in.

On the plus side, I found just about everyone in the cast to be in good form. No real weaknesses. Some are even better than the others, like, of course, Connie Fisher, slightly light of voice but more than characterful enough to make up for it, and Alexander Hanson, who is refreshingly solid as the Captain and yet actually quite touching when called upon to sing. Well done.

However, one more itzy-bitzy little quibble if you don't mind: Someone should have taken Neil McDermott (Rolfe) aside and explained to him this wasn't another episode of "East Enders" and therefore could do without the quite noticeable British accent. Not being a Brit myself, I have no idea what region the accent represents (This isn't "My Fair Lady", you know). But, at least to my ears, it is jarring. However, I am sure he looked fine in the part, which I am also sure was a major consideration.

So, buy this CD if you want. You probably won't be sorry. But there are others you should certainly consider as well.

A Great Cast Ablum of a Great Musical
I originally bought this CD without much knowledge of this revival. Being a die-hard Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, I am always curious and willing to buy new recordings of their works (I mean let's face it, they sure aren't coming up with any new works, so this is the next best thing). I was pleasantly surprised at how well this album was recorded.
Connie Fisher is absolutely wonderful to hear as Maria. Her voice is clear and youthful. The rest of the cast is in fine form, especially the Captain. I'm pleased to see that they opted to combine scores and include the original broadway songs "No Way To Stop It" and "How Can Love Survive" and the movie songs "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good". The opening Preludium, however, sounds like its Mother Superior with her singing Nuns. The balance is off and it really is noticable.
The biggest surprise was the orchestrations. At some points, the orchestrations are true to the Broadway show and at other points, they use the movie orchestrations. Whoever made that decision (which I'm sure Andrew Lloyd Webber had a say in that), did the right thing.
All in all, this is a worthy addition to your collection. In some ways, the Sound of Music never sounded better.

the hills are alive...again!
Here is the cast album for the 2006 London Palladium production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. It features the radiant young Connie Fisher in the leading role of Maria. Ms Fisher famously won the role in the British reality TV programme "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?", where several unknowns competed for audience votes, in order to gain the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic (based on the memoirs of Maria Augusta von Trapp).

Connie Fisher proves to be a fine choice for Maria. She perfectly embodies all the youthful zest of the postulant-turned-governess. Her singing is energetic and uncomplicated, yet she manages to convey so much within the material. In particular her "I Have Confidence" and "Do-Re-Mi" are very appealing. She convincingly makes the emotional journey from naive young girl to confident wife and stepmother.

Alexander Hanson is a solid presence as Captain Georg von Trapp. He was a late replacement for Simon Shepherd (after producers felt his performance was lacking); and delivers much more than a cardboard cut-out portrayal of a stern martinet widower. His "Edelweiss" is quite affecting. Playing the role of the world-weary Baroness, Lauren Ward brings some cheeky comedy to "How Can Love Survive?", and has some more time to shine with "No Way to Stop It" (an insightful number where we see how much Georg differs in attitude from his passive countrymen).

Opera great Lesley Garrett is sublime as the Mother Abbess, with her commanding reading of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" certainly one of the major highlights for this disc. She also has fun dueting with Connie Fisher in "My Favourite Things" (a lot of people still forget that in the stage version, this is a duet for Maria and the Mother Abbess). Playing Liesl, the eldest of the von Trapp brood, Sophie Bould manages to distinguish herself with a charming "Sixteen Going on Seventeen".

The overall quality of this album is fantastic, and this version includes some instrumental pieces ("The Grand Waltz", and the Entr'acte), that were not featured on earlier recordings of the score. This is most probably the most complete edition of this score to date.

This was the final collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, after Hammerstein succumbed to cancer shortly after the show opened on Broadway in 1959. While Mary Martin was the original Maria onstage, most people instantly think of Julie Andrews as the quintessential Maria because of the hugely-popular 1965 movie version. Connie Fisher gamely steps past these hallowed theatre greats to become a fresh, new Maria with lots of charm and appeal. This new SOUND OF MUSIC is a real winner.

[Decca Broadway/Really Useful Records B0008514-02]