Customer Reviews

Brigadoon (1991 London Studio Cast)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always loved Brigadoon, and it seems that its message is an important one right now... here cynicism and "sophistication" almost destroy a man's life. In a jaded world, this is a revelation! For novices coming to the music for the first time, I would recommend starting with this recording. While important, the sound of the original cast recording from the 40s is dated, several great songs are cut, and others are edited to make them less risque. The movie soundtrack again freely edited, re-arranged, and cut music to turn make it into a dance show for the leads. This is a complete recording, in great sound. But not only that, all the singers are astounding. Listening to it you get a full dramatic experience, with laugh-out-loud comedy, nostalga, overflowing love and touching tragedy. "From this day on" is devestating. There are a number of classic American musicals out there -- thank God this team lavished their attention on "Brigadoon"!

It would be difficult to conceive of a more perfect rendition of this classic show than the one presented on this phenomenal 1991 studio cast recording. Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon," often overshadowed by its creators' more well-known shows including "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," is quite simply a treasure. The story is mythical, magical, and magnificent. The score is a soaring and diverse collection of up-tempo plot-driven songs, musical comedy, and emotional ballads. On this recording, this superb material is treated with the reverence it deserves by a vocally- and dramatically-gifted cast. Brent Barrett, who sings the role of Tommy Albright, is perhaps one of the finest male vocalists of his day. His resonant, commanding, yet sweet tenor voice caresses each note he sings. Rebecca Luker is similarly in fine voice playing the role of Fiona MacLaren. Her Scottish accent is full of whimsy and her portrayal of this enchanting character exceptional. Judy Kaye, who portrays Meg Brockie, defines the word "ham" in her enthralling numbers "The Love of My Life" and "My Mother's Weddin' Day." She is irresistible in the role. The fabulous orchestrations and sublime ensemble performances combine to make this an essential addition to any fan of the theater.

This recording provides for the first time the entire score of the musical complete with dance and incidental music. The cast is superb. Their youthful expression captures the romanticism of the musical in a way rarely done for a Broadway musical without sacrificing the crisp straightforward presentation. It is the best recording of the work I have heard.

McGlinn has created the finest and most complete recording of the classic musical fantasy ever made. Original orchestrations, including the extended dance numbers, superb acting and singing and a reverent, magical approach make this the only totally successful recording of the work. Buy this one!

This recording of Brigadoon is by far the best...ever.

Rebecca Luker is SO magnificient. I love her sooo much. I saw her on Broadway when she performed as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera and i was thoroughly enchanted and still am. Her voice is truly perfect for Fiona, her soaring soprano is beautful and touching. I would but this CD for the sole reason of hearing Rebecca Luker sing Fiona's part.

Fortuantley, there are many other reasons to buy this CD, one of them being Brent Barret. He does a magnificient job with Tommy's songs. It's not the ideal voice for the role, (a bit too tenor-ish in tonality) but it is by FAR the best recorded. The Heather on The Hill is great.

Judy Kaye is in top form here. I love Judy Kaye and her hammy belt voice. Easily the perfect role choice for Meg, ever. She's soooo perfect it's unblieveable. She made my laugh out loud just listening to her, her vocals are ideal, it's just magnificient. It's hard to find anything wrong with Kaye (Ragtime and Pajama Game listeners will vouch for that). Kaye is a gem. Best recorded Meg, easily.

John Mark Ainsley is also in top notch form. Although i didn't care for "Go Home With Bonnie Jean" (tooooo slow) "Come to Me, Bend to Me" is GORGEOUS. Ainsley's voice is soft, flowing and angelic. Excellent job.

And finally, the last star of this recording is the FANTASTIC orchestra and choir. Lowe's work has never been played or sung to such wonderful perfection. Most recordings are not even close to this perfect in sound. The choir is spot on, and the orchestra is thrilling. Very rarely to I intently listen to long ballet music or overtures, but the very second the strings started to play in the prologue, I was enchanted.

In short, this is the best possible recording of Brigadoon. Buy it. You will LOVE it.

BRIGADOON finds on this CD a respectful, very thorough treatment. About the score, itself, little need be said other than "They do NOT write them like this anymore", more is the pity. The only problem with this recording is that it lacks any real chemistry, something that all "studio" casts have to battle. On the 1947 RCA Original, though the wonderful score's selectively recorded, the duets sound heartfelt, and there is a freshness with the material which only comes with a show being brand new. As well, Brent Barrett on the new recording has an edge to his voice which some listeners will find unattractive. Compared to the lyric warmth of David Brooks on the Original, he seems almost perfunctory. Still, the virtues of a complete version of a great score are indisputable, but do buy the Original Cast Recording first...

While Brigadoon is not one of my most favorite musicals, this recording is so good that it makes me forget about the problems with the book.

Director John McGlinn has chosen a "dream cast" for this studio recording. Leading the way is Rebecca Luker as Fiona, singing her most light and ethereal ever. Judy Kaye is a smash as Meg, milking every last drop of humor out of her songs. Brent Barrett is great as Tommy, giving heart-felt performances in several pieces.

However, to stop with comments about the leads would not do this CD justice. No detail has been overlooked. The orchestra makes the dance music worthy of a symphony performance; every character has a convincing accent; the liner notes are remarkably informative. The completeness of the recording, including large sections of well-acted dialogue, makes it a gem. I have only one qualm, and it's a minor one: Barrett's rendition of "Almost Like Being in Love" is too bright and a bit wooden.

Other than that, this is a fantastic CD to add to any Broadway lover's collection.

This is I think the best recording of Brigadoon I have ever heard. The original broadway recording is good, but far too brief. I suppose the film soundtrack was okay, but it really didn't do much for me and it had the same problem. Not enough music. This recording is just absolutely terrific. The character of Meg is really brilliant. And I really love the bagpipes used in the the Prichobrid (Sp.) The way the come barrelling in on the heals of "My Mothers Wedding Day" is both thrilling and haunting at the same time.

How wonderful to have a complete, beautifully performed recording of this great (and somewhat forgotten) show. When it opened it was slightly overshadowed by Rodgers and Hammerstein (who around this period had South Pacific and The King and I running simultaneously), but what a gem of a musical. Don't go by the truncated film, except for the breathtaking dancing of Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, it's whittled down to 5 songs from the broadway score and hugely disappointing. You can even tell all the sets are painted backdrops.
But this recording is a charmer and couldn't be cast better. Rebecca Luker and Brent Barret are perfect as Tommy and Fiona. And Judy Kaye runs away with the recording with her comic turns.

Turn up the volume, sit back and get lost in Brigadoon!!

While somewhat overshadowed by their later works, "My Fair Lady," "Gigi," and "Camelot," Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon" - about a romantic American and his cynical friend who stumble on a Scottish village that only appears magically for one day every hundred years and the effects of the village and its inhabitants on them - is still fondly remembered by many but really deserves to be just as well known as the team's more celebrated shows, as this great 1991 studio recording demonstrates. Certainly the score is as good as anything the team ever wrote; it includes the wonderful standards "Almost Like Being In Love" and "The Heather On the Hill," but also many forgotten gems like the charming "Waitin' For My Dearie," the delightful "Love of My Life" and "I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean," the thrilling choral number "Come to McConnachy Square," and the haunting, powerful ballads "There But For You Go I," "From This Day On," and "Come To Me, Bend To Me." (These last three, and "Love OF My Life," were stupidly cut from the 1954 MGM film version of the musical) This particular recording, conducted by John McGlinn, who also did an incredible job with his legendary reconstruction of "Show Boat" a few years before, is very complete, including all the dance music (Such as the thrilling "Sword Dance" and "Funeral Dance," which uses an authentic Scottish bagpipe durge) and underscoring (with the lovely original orchestrations by Ted Royal), as well as most of the dialogue. The great cast includes Brett Barett as Tommy (Nice name, isn't it? :)) the romantic, who may indeed by somewhat strident and nasal in his singing but, even in a studio recording for a role he never played before (At least not that I know of) demonstrates fine acting talents. And in any case, he is more than compensated vocally by the always-gorgeous soprano voice of Rebecca Luker as Foina, the mysterious lass he falls for. In what may be the finest ACTING as well as singing performance she has yet recorded, Luker particularly shines in "Dearie" and her duet with Barrett on "Hill." ANother incredible vocal talent is the stirring tenor of John Mark Ainsley as Charley Dalrymple, set to marry Fiona's shy sister Jean. His passionate "Come to Me" and "Jean" are both wonderful. Judy Kaye, as the flirtatious Meg, is also a delightful standout. This recording will certainly show any Lerner and Loewe or Broadway fans who don't know this show what they've been missing. A must-have in any collection.