Best recording of Brigadoon?

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:22am

I borrowed the 1947 OBC recording of Brigadoon at the Boston Public Library.


I can't really get into the recording bec. of the sound quality...it sounds like its coming from my grandma's small transition radio...

There's other recordings:

1. Brigadoon-London 1991 Recording with Brent Barett & Rebecca Luker:


2. Brigadoon- 1957 Studio Cast with Shirley Jones & Susan Johnson:


I am looking for something with richer sound quality & full orchestra sound..I am leaning towards the London 1991...after listening to the Amazon sound bites...any other recording? any recommendations?

Thanks

J*


Updated On: 4/10/08 at 10:22 AM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:28am

I am also looking to purchase a good recording of Oh Kay! I am leaning towards this one:

1955 Studio Cast


Any recommendations?

J*

Updated On: 4/10/08 at 10:28 AM

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:28am

**This is a recording of the full West End production**
The 1988 recording of the first major London revival at the Victoria Palace is a pretty good one. Some great performances and solid ochestrations.

The Rebecca Luker recording is not a cast recording as such as the last full West End production was the one i mention here, the other is a studio production.

Victoria Palace Theatre (now home of 'Billy Elliot') Oct 1988 -Aug 1989.

Updated On: 4/10/08 at 10:28 AM

[jewishboy]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:38am

For a complete and traditional recording definitely go with the 1991 Studio Recording. Brent Barrett and Rebecca Luker are flawless and Judy Kaye is pretty great as Meg. It includes all the dance music, which is amazing and the studio chorus is very rich. It was put together by John McGlinn who was the same one behind the complete Showboat recording.

I haven't heard the 1957 Studio Cast, but from some small sound bites, it sounds like the orchestrations are way off. Avoid the studio recording with George Dvorsky and Janis Kelly.

I agree with your opinions on the original 1947 cast recording, especially after listening to the 1991 recording. Although, Lee Sullivan does sing the best "Come to Me, Bend to Me."

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:42am

I think I am gonna go with the LONDON 1991 recording of Brigadoon. I love Judy Kaye and I wanna hear all the dance music from the show. I cant wait to see this in Boston this October! yay!

Thanks jewishboy for the recommendation!

wickedboy- I cant find your recommendation on amazon.

J*
Updated On: 4/10/08 at 10:42 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:43am

I saw the London Victoria Palace version. It was solid BUT it was re-orchestrated and the arrangements were aweful.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:51am

I have the 91 London as well, and I enjoy it immensely.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:00am

Im guessing if you want the fuller version then go for the 1991.

[Tom148502]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:02am

No matter which version you buy you may not recognize the show when John Guare gets through screwing it up.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:05am

John Guare is going to re-work it? Rock on! I can't wait. While I enjoy the music, I felt I kept waiting for there to be a social moral in there somewhere, I kept waiting for something to resonate besides just the nice story.

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:09am

"With love, anything is possible."

Could there possibly be a greater social moral?

[Looney]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:37am

Dude, I'm so glad you asked this question. I've been trying to decide for myself as well!

As for Guare giving it a moral... well, I hope he doesn't see the need to beat us over the head with a "moral." It seems the moral is clear enough, while subtle, and trusts the audience to be smart enough to get it...

We'll see

[Tom148502]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:40am

It's being turned into an anti-war musical set in 1938 where the town vanishes because it's people are anti-war. Sounds like a bad idea for the show, but a great one for Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, Harry Reid and Nency Pelosi. They need to vanish and not just for overnight

[philcrosby]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:42am

The McGlinn recording with Luker, Barrett and Kaye is beautifully sung and near-complete in the original orchestrations.

You would never know it wasn't done as a full production.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 11:45am

Tom: are you serious about the Guare adaptation?

Hrm, I reserve my judgement.

Posted: 4/10/08 at 12:03pm

And I love the soundtrack- they cut Meg's songs but the rest of it is just lovely. In fact, get the DVD- it's a nice adaptation.

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 12:09pm

"I borrowed the 1947 OBC recording of Brigadoon at the Boston Public Library. I can't really get into the recording bec. of the sound quality...it sounds like its coming from my grandma's small transition radio..."

This is sad, but SO true. It's also shamefully incomplete.

Just to echo others, I also recommend the 1991 John McGlinn Studio recording. It's perfect, IMO.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 12:32pm

>It's being turned into an anti-war musical set in 1938 where the town vanishes because it's people are anti-war. Sounds like a bad idea for the show, but a great one for Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, Harry Reid and Nency Pelosi. They need to vanish and not just for overnight<

Annnnnnd none of this is true, and the show is still set in 1947, the time of the original production.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:17pm

Thanks guys.. I just ordered the 1991 London Recording of Brigadoon mainly bec. I want to hear the complete dance score and I am a big fan of Judy Kaye.

BTW I love the Gene Kelly movie. I am very curious about Rob Ashford's chreography on this one, considering Agnes de Mille chreographed the original production and Gene Kelly did the movie.

Men in quilt : ( edit-kilts) yup!

I will go to the first preview and definitely post my Report on it, and I already invited Without A Trace & Wanna Be a Foster to come here to Boston and see the weekend show with me ~their first experience on an out-out town try-out in old dear Colonial Theater. So Basically I am planning to see the show twice - one 1st night and second with WaT & WBaF (to get their opinions)

Cant wait!

J*





Updated On: 4/10/08 at 01:17 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:26pm

My favorite is the Luker/Kaye one.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:34pm

I also vote for the 1991 EMI London studio recording. it's pretty wonderful. very bright and beautifully sung/cast.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:35pm

Kilts, not quilts. Nothing sexy about a quilt.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:40pm

(lol) oh.... I mean...

This one...


Not this one!



There you go...

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:46pm

Incidentally, with regard to purchasing a recording of Oh, Kay!, the Harry Connick show may not follow the exact tunestack of the original Oh, Kay! The big songs in Oh, Kay! are "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Do Do Do," "Maybe," "Dear Little Girl," "Clap Yo' Hands," "Oh, Kay!" "Fidgety Feet" and "Heaven on Earth" but I'd imagine Gershwin songs from other shows will get worked into the production as well. Still, for an authentic version of what Oh, Kay! was, you might want to seek out the 1994 Nonesuch recording.

Updated On: 4/10/08 at 01:46 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:58pm

Smaxie- Thanks .. I was thinking of getting that, actually!

Gypsy9- No.. I did not get offended at all.. Silly! Its just -- I cannot respond at all- your pm is off..

J*
Updated On: 4/10/08 at 01:58 PM