Customer Reviews

Fiddler on the Roof [30th Anniversary Edition] [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Those who enjoyed the motion picture will absolutely love this 30th anniversary edition CD of the music.

Not only does it feature the beloved songs, sung by Topol and cast, but it also includes some of Tevye's conversations with God and the listener from the motion picture in such songs as "Tradition" and "Tevye's Dream." In addition, this version also includes previously unreleased songs, such as "The Wedding Procession", the First Act Finale and Entr'acte, "The Rejection Scene" beween Tevye and Chava, and "Any Day Now" sung by Perchik, which was not included either in the original motion picture or on the original motion picture soundtrack album.

It, of course, also includes music by soloist Isaac Stern. This CD is a real delight and a must-have for musical lovers or Fiddler fans.

I was taken to see this movie when it first premiered. I was four. I didn't understand the plot at all, and was bored silly, yet still managed to leave the theatre singing "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match...."

Many times since I've listened to the soundtrack, and I later bought the video; this show so beautifully captures Jewish folk and klezmer music even while the tunes play so well on Broadway. And by now the songs have become so famous, that many recordings of Jewish folk music include "Sunrise, Sunset."

Of course, I had to get the CD to play in my car, and to my delight, it had songs that were not on other recordings: Chava's beautiful song is here!

I think the quality of the recording is very good; it's quite clear why this film won an Academy Award for its music, and this CD does it justice.

Aside from the fact that I loved the movie, most of that came from loving the songs on the movie. I got to a place where I wanted to hear them a lot, but didn't want to skip around on the movie to find the song I wanted to hear. So I bought this soundtrack. It was well worth it.
From the intro song "Tradition" to "If I Were a Rich Man" to "Sunrise, Sunset", this CD has music that is absolutely gorgeous. If you loved the movie, I recommend getting the soundtrack.

Topol shines as Tevye and John Williams' orchestrations of Bock and Harnick's classic musical are incredible. Thirty years later, this release still has incredible merit. Extra tracks and some of Topol's incredible theatrical spoken monologues.

For completists the soundtrack recording of Fiddler on the Roof is the one to have. It has music and sings not found on other recording in release. Its lush Academy Award winning adapted score shines with a full orchestra and the equally impressive Oscar winning sound design. The recording has the Chava musical sequence that is not on the Broadway or London cast recordings.I(Also with Topol)It is also has more of the wedding celebration. It does not have The Rumor and Now I Have Everything sung by Perchik(A song that was latter dropped in many productions)but it does have a song written for the film Any Day Now that was once again dropped from the film. As for the singing you have to decide if you like Zero Mostel's broad performance or Topol's more personal and intimate portrayl of Tevye. The daughter's equally match the women from the Broadway cast.

There are lyric changes here and there, but all in all the recording should satisfy for someone who wants to listen to FIddler on the Roof,

This version (and there are many) of this play / movie certainly has the oomph of the soundtrack I heard in the movies. I would have preferred more of a bass response, especially for "Tradition", and less emphasis on the treble as it was almost painful to listen to. If you EQ your system to "flat" response, it is listenable, thankfully.

I personally prefer the Zero Mostel version of this soundtrack. I think that he was perfect in the role. But, with so many versions available, it easy to see that the choice is a personal one.

However, the reason to buy this CD is for Issac Stern's violin solo on the first track. I have listened many, many times to this brilliant solo. I think it was improvised. If not, kudos should be given to John Williams' score. Regardless, the passion that Stern used comes through loud and clear. While ethnic in root, the solo transcends boundaries. It is no wonder that Itzhak Perlman revered this man.

Make no doubt that this soundtrack is wonderful. The score is great and John Williams should be congratulated. If only Zero was the lead. This, then, would have been perfect.

I bought this, along with two Doctor Who soundtracks and How To Train Your Dragon, to put into my dad's surround system during while I work on math. Strange habit, but it always makes math more fun for me.

Anyway, though I've had no trouble with the DWs or HTTYD, the sound on this one kept annoying me. Several of the tracks seemed to have a kind of "buzz" in the background. Most of the instrumental stuff sounded fine, but introducing singers usually started messing it up. Also, it has some of the talking bits that are in the movie (which I like), but sometimes it sounds like the track stops, the voice is inserted, and then the track starts again. It's very weird and fuzzy-sounding. The Chava Ballet Sequence is an excellent example of this. Music stops, insert Chava's voice, then switch to Tevye's...the sound level can be uneven, too. It sounds like audio cut-and-paste. Very distracting.

That said, it sounds much better on my computer. (And the Issac Stern bits sound absolutely amazing even on the speaker system.)

I love this movie and its soundtrack, so it's disappointing to me that this recording (30th anniversary edition) sounds so poor on our nicer speakers.

I've loved this songs ever since I first saw Fiddler On The Roof as a kid. I'm so happy to finally have the soundtrack!

While I do not have a definitive collection of musical soundtracks, I can boast of owning the most notable or at least popular musicals made into film. Yet somehow, for whatever reason, I did not own and had not listened extensively to, Fiddler on the Roof. It was with perhaps a slight lack of interest that I purchased this CD and began to listen. Yet I quickly became interested.

From the beginning, the music entranced me with a mixture of familiar songs and some not so familiar. The performances are the right blend of earthy style and musical excellence, resulting in a kind of realistic portrayal of the events surrounding the film. Unlike some musicals where the gritty situations are masked by superior, well-trained singing, this recording, however, demonstrates attention to the text and to the tension of the movie with the natural musical expression one might find among the working class.

This is not to say the performances are lacking in excellence. On the contrary, they are exciting, precise, expressive, and heart-felt, accurate and bold in all respects. The songs and the singing are appropriate to the story, serving the plot and circumstances rather than forming a story to fit great songs. It makes for a seamless musical presentation and comes across with a great deal of authenticity and artistic honesty.

But perhaps the finest aspect of this recording is the orchestration. John Williams acquired excellent song material and improved on it with powerful usage of instruments, counter-melodies, indigenous tone and instruments, and a wide variety of percussion instruments. While there may be excessive usage of the tambourine at times and the string flurries sound a little over produced, the orchestration tends to lift the listener to another level of excitement and energy. This is not an unusual reaction to the music of John Williams and he is to be commended for his brilliant and colorful approach to the songs.

In the end, this is a fun and important recording that belongs in the libraries of serious musical collectors. If you are limited in time, and need to pick one track to hear, "To Life" is pure joy from beginning to end.

The "Fiddler on the Roof" film has a terrific reputation, and deservedly so-the casting was excellent, and it shines through on this recording, both in subtle nuances and changes and in larger, more noticeable things, such as added musical numbers. At a couple points I was disappointed at the omissions of some parts-a handful of lines scattered through, as well as a number from the original, "The Rumor"-but those weaknesses aren't sufficient to lower the rating I give it.