Customer Reviews

The Anna Russell Album

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Since I've owned the original LPs (wore them out), the 2 LP compilation (worn out also) and now the CD (still trying to wear it out) - I can say that Anna Russell's take on vocal music (of whatever variety) stands the test of time. It is still funny 30 years after my first listening. I had never been to an opera or a vocal recital when I first heard her send-ups, and I thought they were funny then. The more I heard and learned about music, music performance and musical performers, the more I realized how accurate her send-ups really are. And she is still funny.

I saw here "live" at McCarter Theatre at Princeton many years ago during her series of farewell performances, and even though 50% of the audience knew the routines as well as she did, everyone laughed themselves silly.

About 10 years ago, I finally wrote her a fan letter, to which she responded - in inimitable fashion.

If you like vocal music, think you might like vocal music or just want to listen to a master comedienne who knows her topic (you name it vocally, she knows it and can sing it, and make it excruciatingly funny)In short - BUY THIS!

Russell here does a great parody of opera, everything from Handel, Gilbert & Sullivan, and Wagner. It's not necessary to know the operas beforehand to be reduced to helpless laughter during the presentation, (I have never heard Gilbert & Sullivan, for example, yet loved her talk on "How to write a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta"), but it is doubly funny if you are familiar with the musical reference.

Her parody of German is really funny! You can tell she is making up german-sounding words (or French or Russian or whatever) without them actually being words. She also "germanizes" English words.

Warning: You may not be able to listen to Wagner's ring operas with the appropriate seriousness after this album!

I was first introduced to the music (?) of Anna Russell sometime in the mid 50's by way of an LP Album titled, I think, __ ANNA RUSSELL SINGS, AGAIN __. Don't hold me to that exact title, I could be mistaken. Two selections from that long ago heard LP, and which have stuck with me for the intervening period of approximately 50 years, are both on this CD. They are, as you might anticipate, "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera" and "The Ring of the Nibelungs."

I have never forgotten lines like "You remember Alveric!," and her description of "My Friend Erda, the Green Faced Monster", or her shout of "Hi, Siegfried," all from her version of Wagner's Ring Cycle. Her musical depictions of the characters in the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera section, along with her version of the "obligatory patter song, have also remained ingrained in my memory."

I, of course also enjoy the other 7 tracks on this CD, but nostalgia plays a great part in my extra enjoyment of the two tracks I mentioned above. Her "Introduction to the Concert by the President of the Women's Club" is so exactly on the mark, that you can almost visualize a rather pompous woman standing on a podium and using her oratorical skills just as Ms. Russell has depicted them.

All in all, I think that Anna Russell was one of the greatest, original performance satirists of our age.

Unlike some of the other reviewers here, she didn't "ruin opera" for me. What she did do, is to give me another, often light hearted, way to look at some of the more melodramaric operas, and, amazingly enough, to make better sense out of Wagner's oh so complicated Ring Cycle operas.

In my opinion, this is a CD that should be reintroduced to the listening public with enough fanfare to popularize it.

Anna Russell is one of those comedians it's necessary to have on your shelf because when the mood strikes for a certain type of laughter, there is no substitute. "Unique" and "classic" get bandied about frequently in Internet reviews, but she is without question an artist who deserves both appellations.

She said of her RING routine, "Some people were shocked that I would send up this august piece of music, but I don't consider it a sendup. I merely tell the story as accurately as possible and play the bits of music exactly as written. I can't help it if the story is absurd." This is the heart of the brilliance of her humor. All her subjects--from the foibles of vocalists to the lady-president of the local music appreciation society to the homogenous nature of Gilbert and Sullivan operetta--are treated with that unerring eye of accenting the inherent absurdity.

It's just wonderful for any aged listener, it doesn't date, and it even has the veneer of culture. So long as the listener has a sense of humor, you can't go wrong.

Anna Russell's parody has stood the long test of time well. As far as tongue-in-cheek ribbing of the Ring is concerned, she pretty well has the field to herself. Her material is well-conceived and she knows how to make the most of it with prudent timing and delivery. A great deal of the script is focused on the funny half-truth, such as the scene in Das Rheingold where Erda comes up from the ground, and sings, to quote the recording, "Weiche, Wotan, weiche; which means Be careful, Wotan, be careful. She then bears him eight daughters."

The humor is enhanced by musical examples, which are played by Russell on a solo piano. The rendering of a brief section of the Magic Fire Music reveals her to be a pretty good pianist. I suspect she could have played a great deal better if the situation called for it. Her soprano voice is accurate enough to make the Valkyries, the Rheinmaidens, and the Norns sound as ridiculous as possible. Great stuff. Recommended.

Anna Russell is a genius of music comedy! She deftly pillories a goodly number of highbrow icons with her "critique by imitation," including coloratura sopranos and Gilbert & Sullivan. If you are a singer or know any singers, you will probably recognise acquaintances in Anna's farces. I'm particularly fond of the singer who can't count and has such a great voice because, "you have resonance where your brains ought to be." Her explanation of the Wagner Ring Cycle is quite accurate for all its hilarity: "That's the beauty of grand opera: you can do ANYTHING so long as you sing it!" And her exclamation, "I'm not making this up, you know!" is true, which makes it even funnier! One warning: DO NOT LEND THIS CD TO ANYONE! I've had to replace mine twice now when I disregarded my own advice, and I'm hanging on to this one if it kills me.

An absolute must for any lover of classical music. I first heard this album 25 years ago and it has not lost a bit of the zing. The 3 highlights for me: The Introduction to the Concert (something EVERY musician must endure), How to Write Your Own Gilbert & Sullivan Operetta, and the masterpiece of all musical parody (of all time), the Ring of the Nibelungs (An analysis). As a conservatory graduate, let me say that this was mandatory listening for everyone going through musical history on the ring. When you were in the library listening to the selections for musical history, you could always tell who was listening to this album. It was a must. Just think of it as the Cliff Notes of the Ring as written by Robin Williams -- on drugs. I would bet that if you asked most opera fans (and especially music school grads) how they remember the plot of the ring, if they are honest, they will tell you it is due to Anna Russell.

If you love classical music and don't have this one, you're in for a real treat. To Miss Russell, I would like to present you with the beautiful corsage.

Due to the recent passing away of the legenday Anna Russell I bought this record and certainly did not regret it.- Inspite of having been originally recorded in 1952 and 1953 the sound is very good.- Ms. Russell combines a great sense of humour with profound musical knowledge, a wonderful timing of her jokes, and the talent of a gifted and very musical singer.- She captures the essence of the German lied, the French mélodie, the efforts of a dramatic soprano to make herself heard over the huge Wagnerian orchestra, culminating in her famous, already classic, 22 minutes long analysis of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungs.- I listened to this recording three times in a row and had great fun.- Only Victor Borge can be compared to her with respect to this rare combination of deep musicianship with a real gift for comedy.- If you don't know yet these numbers, don't hesitate - buy the record, you will not be sorry.-

I've had the vinyl of this album for over 20 years; the CD purchase was to update my system. For anyone who loves classical vocal music, and in particular the Wagner Ring Cycle and Gilbert and Sullivan, this album is a MUST. You will split your sides laughing; Ms. Russell is so very accurate in her comedy. Also, truth to tell, her Ring synopsis gave me, a newcomer to Wagner (years ago) a solid understanding of the musical plot and story line.

"The Anna Russell Album?" represents the funniest 77 minutes in history. Granted that it helps if you have some familiarity with classic opera, especially Wagner, but that is not necessary to send you into tears. It just means that your tears will not be quite as unlimited. When I first heard this album on public radio more than 20 years ago, I was driving home on the freeway and had to pull over, because I couldn't see through the tears. Years later, it still has that same effect.