Candide (1956 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack]

Leonard Bernstein (Performer), Richard Wilbur (Performer), Max Adrian (Performer), Barbara Cook (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur, Max Adrian, Barbara Cook
• Audio CD (May 13, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000996FW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,563 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The smash 1956 Broadway hit, written by Lillian Hellman (based, of course, on the novelette by Voltaire) and featuring the glorious music of Leonard Bernstein! The nostalgic notes by star Barbara Cook recall how the adoring audience cried, "No! No!" as the final curtain fell; it's no wonder-the music and performances are breathtaking. Includes a bonus track.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars a Broadway milestone September 28, 2003

By Byron Kolln HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

Leonard Bernstein's CANDIDE was a Broadway flop when it first opened in 1956 at the Martin Beck Theatre, shuttering after an abysmal 73 performances. Though the show has never quite achieved the greatness it deserves, the Overture is considered to be one of the greatest, most thrilling ever written. The original 1956 cast album of the show has now been reissued on the Columbia Broadway Masterworks label.

Based on the play by Voltaire, the show starred Robert Rounseville ('Mr Snow' in the film version of CAROUSEL) as Candide, with Irra Petina as the Old Woman with One Buttock and Max Adrian as Dr Pangloss. Barbara Cook (the City Center revival of CAROUSEL, PLAIN AND FANCY) stars as the young ingenue Cunegonde.

The score, by Leonard Bernstein by lyrics by Richard Wilbur, John LaTouche and Dorothy Parker, is superb. The musical is best known for the devilish 'jewel song' aria "Glitter and Be Gay", sung by the clarion soprano of Barbara Cook, who infuses it with all the vocal pyrotechnics that it calls for."I Am Easily-Assimilated" is comically performed by Irra Petina, whilst the baritone of Robert Rounseville is showcased in "It Must Be So".

As a bonus on this new reissue, there is the majestic sweeping Overture as performed by the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Leonard Bernstein himself. There are also brand-new liner notes including an essay from Barbara Cook.

As well as this landmark recording, I also recommend the 1997 Broadway revival cast album (which features Harolyn Blackwell as Cunegonde and Jim Dale as Dr Pangloss). Buy them both today!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawed, but still a masterpiece! April 18, 2001

By Michael S. Goldfarb

Format:Audio CD

I grew up listening to this album (my parents having been among the enlightened few who saw the original production) and have always considered it fascinating and brilliant. Sure, there have been a half-dozen attempts to revise the show over the years, with much music added later on (some of it very good), but you really can't go wrong with this original version.

First of all, in Cook and Rousenville, it has two FANTASTIC singers. Max Adrian's Pangloss is also a delight. The quasi-operetta orchestration is more full-bodied and satisfying than some later versions, feeling much more like the 1700s. Throughout, the music and lyrics are intelligent, inventive, and enchanting - on par with West Side Story, if a bit less easy to relate to, being in an older idiom. (In fact, one of the best songs of West Side Story, the breathtaking wedding duet "One Hand, One Heart" was actually written for Candide, but not used because the irony of "Oh Happy We!" suited Candide better.)

Anyway, this albums is a flawed masterpiece that preserves a spectacularly creative production, and is a must-have for any serious fan of American musicals!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great musical, but not the best possible recording November 7, 1999

By "path31783"

Format:Audio CD

Candide is without a doubt one of my favorite pieces of music. Forget the show; the show itself will never work on stage. But the music really is amazing. The biggest problem is, there must be a dozen recordings of it, and not one is even remotely like another. You literally need to buy six cds just to get the full grasp of the score. This one, the first, has the best cast and the best orchestra; unfortunately, it contains all of one third of the music. Still, it is more than worth it (heck, the overture alone makes it worth it)

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better words, better singing, all too brief! August 28, 2005

By Jeff Dunn

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Someday, a genius producer will make this show work, probably as a film instead of a staged production. Until then, we must bask in the fabulous music, the best of which, perfectly sung, remains on this all-too-abbreviated original cast recording. Ideally, this recording should be supplemented by Bernstein's 1989 recording of a complete score. The two together represent youth and age, sadly.

All the tinkering and updating went for naught when you compare the original "Best of all possible worlds" words with later versions. Candide was a child of the 18th century and 1950s and should remain so.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ONE, THE GREAT, THE ORIGINAL November 26, 1999

By Noah Lambert

Format:Audio CD

Candide is a wonderful musical, and it can work well on stage (hence the 1970's run!)The music is wonderful and this a great recording, it doesn't have all the songs, but I think that it cought the spirit of the times well. What I mean is look at when this was written! How exciting it must have been, but the singers are great SO BUY!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Glitter and Be Gay October 19, 2007

By ~Amante

Format:Audio CD

I currently own two recordings of Candide, this one and the 1997 revival. It is hard to say which one is better; however it is easy to say this one is more important. This is the original. Many have come after it (including a revised version by Bernstein himself) but this is the basis for them all. Each revision is different in some way, so you really should own this one to know the true Candide. In circles of major Broadway fans this recording is considered the definitive way to sing "Glitter and Be Gay" and I must say it is really quite amazing. Candide leans heavily into the styling's of operetta so some west side story fans may be surprised with what they hear, but it is still beautiful music. So why even consider another recording? The 1997 recording has almost the full orchestrations and they sound glorious. Some reworking of libretto and plot may not be, but hearing the magnificent composition of Bernstein is well worth the investment. Bottom line: If you can only get one, this is the one to get. Favorite song: "It Must Be So"