Customer Reviews

Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What an inspired idea to have Barbara Cook sing Sondheim! The songs come alive in ways you wouldn't have imagined. Her voice pulls out every last drop of emotion and splays it all over the stage in all it's raw power. Simply incredible! I was unable to attend the actual concert, but this recording made me feel like I was right there. The power and truth of her preformance shines through, bringing you front and center in a most personal experience. Perhaps my favorite moments are Hard Hearted Hannah, which she milks for all it's comic intent, Happiness, a preformance that hits you right in the gut, and Send In The Clowns which has never sounded so tragic. Starting now, there are two definitive renditions of The Trolly Song. You thought only Garland could sing it? Well Barbara makes it sound as if it was written especially for her. Simply put, this is one for the history books.

On a side note, the packaging for the set is elegant, the best she's been given yet. I'm a stickler for presentation and it's just great to see this concert presented in such a top notch way. Malcom Gets guest stars and even duets on a few songs, but there is no questioning who is the star of this concert. Barbara Cook.

There are a few, very few, singers who really know how to get the core of the meaning of a song and communicate it to you as if they were imparting a new discovery. Barbara Cook is one of these chosen few. She has always had (and to an astonishing degree she has maintained, at age 70) one of the finest and loveliest voices on Broadway and in popular music. She's also communicated depths of feeling even from her earliest recordings. As she has grown older her interpretative powers have deepened to the point where there is no other singer today who can communicate the truth of a song the way she does. Every song on this CD is choice. There is nothing one ever wants to skip, and plenty that one wants to linger over and come back to again and again. Cook's relaxed but confident version of "Everybody says don't" (more about the lady in the song and less about the singer than the excellent but egocentric Streisand version), her ambling "Eagle and me" and her touching "I wonder what became of me" are all gems. She especially excels on complicated Sondheim songs that are often reduced by less gifted singers to something unsubstantial: "Happiness", "Not a day goes by", "Loving you". She gives her own subtle, wry touch to "You could drive a person crazy". She does a surprising medley of three turn of the century songs, "Hard hearted Hanna", "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee", and "San Francisco". They are all marvelous, different as can be. "San Francisco" is a particular revelation: she sings it slowly and brings out all the longing in the words. As the melody shimmers, you can almost see the Golden Gate bridge.

Throughout the concert , Cook is beautifully supported by Wally Harper and John Beall. She and Harper are a treasure of a team, and the concert must be considered a triumph of their partnership, for Harper's accompaniment and musical vision have been an essential part of the magic of a Barbara Cook concert for her entire popular music career. Her vocal guest, Malcolm Gets, is for the most part a welcome addition: his "Giants in the Sky" and "Another hundred people/So many people" are warm and well-delivered, and his duet with Cook in "Move on" is touching. "Something's coming", with its slightly awkward spoken break and "Lets face the music and dance", which has some off-pitch moments, are not quite as successful.

The concert ending is utterly remarkable and illustrates not only Cook's versatility and willingness (still) to take emotional and musical risks, but also her complete command of the music she sings. First she teases the audience with the introduction to "Glitter and be gay", which she lets them know she is *not* going to sing. But then she follows by singing her trademark song, "Vanilla ice cream", fearlessly soaring to and sustaining the high B flat at the climax of the song, and sounding throughout like the dazzled, lovestruck shopgirl she played forty years earlier. She follows this with a version of "Send in the clowns" that could only be sung by a woman with her depth of experience - not a false note or emotion in the entire song, though the woman who is singing it is a world away from the "She loves me" shopgirl. For all the great versions that preceded it, you think to yourself, "I never heard it - all of it - until now." The combination of emotional nakedness and musical intelligence leaves you floored. As if the transition from "Vanilla ice cream" to "Send in the clowns" weren't challenge enough, Cook ends the main concert with a song completely identified (for good reason) with one of the greatest popular singers ever, Judy Garland. The song is written for a young girl who is falling in love for the first time and is so excited she can barely contain herself. Barbara Cook, at 70, sings "The Trolley Song" with a brio and effervescence a whole chorus of twenty year olds couldn't match. You feel the same giddiness and excitement you felt when you first heard the classic Garland version, and it's magic all over again. For encores, Cook gives us two beautiful and very mellow Sondheim songs, "Not while I'm around" (with Malcolm Gets) and a divine "Anyone can whistle", that allow us to exhale after the excitement of "The Trolley Song" and appreciate her again as the consummate interpreter she is. The disc is sprinkled throughout with her verbal wit and warmth, which are an integral part of the concert. For those who were fortunate enough to attend, this must have been the concert of a lifetime. The rest of us can be grateful to DRG for recording the concert, packaging it so beautifully and including every song and most of the between-song talking. We can also be grateful to Barbara Cook and Wally Harper for their generosity with their musical gifts and hope that they will keep making music for another 25 years.

Bernstein considered Barbara Cook to be the premiere interpreter of American song, and that opinion is only re-affirmed after listening to this CD-set of songs from America's premiere song writer (along with some of his favorites). Brilliant! As Cook matures, she adds layers of nuance to songs that other singers can't begin to come close to, while retaining all the technical skill of her earlier days. Listen to her version of "Ice Cream" here and then from her first Carnegie Hall recital and you'll weep for joy...she nails that ending with all the gusto and perfection that she hit it with 25 years ago!!! Absolutely amazing...you can hear the audience leaping to their feet with joy, shouting "We love you Barbara,"...we sure do...all of us! I would have killed to have been at this concert, but the CD-set offers plenty of consolation and captures the spirit of the evening. Beautiful and interesting programming, perfect accompaniament, as expected from her veteran partner Wally Harper, it's all so good it just leaves you wanting more, more, more. Ms. Cook is perhaps the brightest star to illuminate a stage, and a song (any song she sings) in our lifetime.

Kudos also to Malcolm Gets for some stunning song-styling of his own...how come this guy isn't starring in a Broadway show??? Barbara chose him for a reason...TALENT! Their duets are wonderful..."Move On" from "Sunday in the Park With George" is breathtaking and far more captivating than the original cast recording.

Buy this album and enjoy it over and over again. For Cook fans the joy will be overwhelming. If this is your first taste, then thank your lucky stars...it doesn't get better than this.

When I first received this album in the mail, I stopped working in my garden and got my portable CD player and listended to it with earphones. The voice, the acoustics, the sound was amazing. I particularly enjoyed the conversations between songs and wished for more. Malcolm Gets (sorry I never heard of him before) was also excellent, a wonderful voice for Sondheim. I couldn't wait for each new song, Ms Cook's rendition of "Send in the Clowns" was amazing, her voice just improves with age.

My only complaint with the album, was the ending and the obvious encores. I would like to have heard more audience reaction and conversation. (Listen to Judy's album, it seems it would go on and on. Of course then, maybe Barbara's would be a THREE CD set. Come to think if it................that's not a bad idea.

Barbara Cook's first Carnegie Hall album was a musical bon bon. In 1980 she returned to the Hall with "Better with a Band". Now in 2001 we are given what may be her best concert. Cook and Sondheim are a wonderful match. "Losing My Mind" and "Send in the Clowns" are heartbreaking. Her version of "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is a lot of fun and done with a lot of humor. She even does "Ice Cream" one of the signature songs from "She Loves Me." This is a difficult song to sing at best. Closing my eyes she sounds exactly like she did on the 1963 original cast album. Her talent is truly amazing. She is as strong now vocally as she was many years ago. Also appearing with her was Malcolm Gets. He had a few solos and some duets with Ms Cook. His sweet voice was a nice complement to hers. Cook also has a very warm easy style and a lot of humor. There is a generous amount of patter with the audience. She also shares some very amusing stories and tells them with great humor.

The packaging is top of the line. DRG did a wonderful job with this one. As Ms Cook related to her audience, " I was told this year marks my 50th anniversary of my Broadway debut." I only hope we have her for 50 more.

I have listened to Barbara Cook for more years than I would like to admit ( how many 20 year old guys do you know who even have heard of her?). I have been a HUGE fan of Stephen Sondheim for longer.

Despite my experiences with the two of them I initially thought...what more can she bring to these songs that she hasn't done before? Was I wrong!

Tackling some of Sondheim's most difficult works, Ms. Cook proves once again, that there is no lyric that exists that she cannot reinterpret and find new meaning within. The highlights of the CD for me...Loving You from Passion ( Never have those lyrics touched me so profoundly), Losing My Mind, Ice Cream, Send in the Clowns and The Trolley Song.

Purchase this CD, sit in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage, turn off the lights and listen to this remarkable CD. Oh, and have some tissues ready...she is sure to touch your heart.

Having listened to all her CDs and seen her at at the Hotel Carlyle hotel in NYC, I literally ran to Carnegie Hall to get tickets when this concert was announced. Being there in person was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even waiting outside on the sidewalk for the doors to open was an experience; the feeling inside the hall was electric. So I eagerly awaited the CD, and it doesn't disappoint. Barbara Cook is a remarkable performer, and this CD shows she's still willing to take risks ... with her choice of guest (Malcolm Gets), her choice of songs, and her willingness to revisit old chestnuts with a new tempo or interpretation. A friend turned to me at the end of "Bring in the Clowns" (after he had wiped away his tears) and said "It's as if I've never heard that song before." BUY THIS ALBUM!

I can only agree with all the other reviewers and say that Barbara Cook was astonishing that february night earlier this year...and I should know because I was one of the lucky ones to actually attend the concert. I can tell you that I had goosebumps when she did "Ice cream", the way she interpreted the "passion " songs is more than definitive, she can turn songs you may not have cared for before into all time favorites....I could go on and on...to the reviewer who complained that not ALL the material is on the recording I can say that definitely all the songs are on it(she did not do any encores)and as for the talk , well, nearly all of the most amusing bits are on the CD...she had a slight inconvenience with her knee that evening which had her carry a cane(she dispensed with it swiftly as the evening continued though..)but she looked in radiant form...and as I got to meet her afterwards I can testify that her sweet face and clear eyes are still as brilliant as that angelic voice of hers....she has clearly now broken all rules of nature for at nearly 74 her voice is one of the true natural treasures of the united states(and indeed of the rest of the world, that is for us poor sobs over in europe !)...amazing !! I feel so blessed that I was there and for all others who weren't : don't despair, with her voice in thàt good a shape she may go on for years and years... As for the new "trolly song" she introduced (and which will become indeed a standard in its own right next to Judy's) a lot of credit should also go to the incomparable Wally Harper who can truly do miracles with a song.....long may they reign !!

The lady is in her 70s but her singing is still wonderful. She takes us through a collection of Sondheim songs and songs Sondheim wishes he had written. She is accompanied either by a full orchestra or just piano. No matter each song is terrific. She has come a long way from the lilting ingenue of the 50s. Malcolm Gets lends nice support. A million thanks to Hugh Fordin for giving us this complete concert.

I was not very familiar with Barbara Cook's singing. I knew who she was and that was about it. I am, however, a huge fan of Stephen Sondheim and thought this would be a great way to have some of his music and become acquainted with Ms. Cook.

I have played this CD over and over and over. I have found meaning in songs I have loved for years that I never found before because of the way Ms. Cook handles them.

My favorite non Sondheim song on the CD is Ice Cream. Not many of todays younger Divas can even begin to touch a song, or reach the heights Barbara does on this song.

Don't let another day go by--Order this CD.