Customer Reviews

Hansel and Gretel / The Yeomen of the Guard (Original TV Cast)

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

 

 

Rare records are coveted by collectors for many reasons: wonderful material, the album covers themselves, a chance to hear vintage recordings for the first time, and the opportunity to hear more of Barbara Cook. OK, yes, I am a fan of Barbara's; in all of the stages of her impressive career. Therefore, that is reason enough to rejoice with this CD release of "Hansel and Gretel". But then, this album includes Stubby Kaye, Rudy Vallee, Paula Lawrence, plus Barbara, Celeste Holme, Bill Hayes and Alfred Drake in selections from the Hallmark Hall of Fame telecast, "The Yeomen of the Guard". (In fact, the only personality on the CD whom I dislike is sadly, the star, Red Buttons, who narrates the story of "Hansel and Gretel". Luckily, I can programme my CD player to playback only the wonderful vocals.)

This original children's musical was telecast on NBC-TV on April 27, 1958. Unfortunately, I never saw it (fortunately, I am too young) but I first became aware of it as a teenager in the seventies. As a collector of MGM soundtracks I learned about their other records from their colorful inner record sleeves during the late fifties. After seeing Barbara Cook in concert I knew I wanted to have all of her albums but the fifty dollar price tag of "Hansel and Gretel" at such NYC record shops as Footlight Records, proved to be too elusive for this then college student. In fact, it wasn't until the ermergence of Ebay that I was able to finally obtain a copy which wasn't in the best condition. Well folks, I am happy to report that the sound of this CD of "Hansel and Gretel" is amazing! There is a disclaimer on the back of the record which states that "every effort has been taken to eliminate the surface noise from the original recordings" but I must tell you that they sound as if Sepia Records had licenced the original masters.

It's such a treat to be able to listen to Miss Cook sing "Evening Song", "Morning Song" as well as her shared songs with Mr.Drake, Miss Holm, and Mr. Hayes from "Yeomen". Bonus tracks include Red Buttons' "The High Ho Song" and three other solos, "That Girl" sung by Eddie Bracken and Miss Cook, four numbers by Stubby Kaye, and seven Rudy Valle songs. The liner notes are quite extensive and plenty of color and black and white photos. Even the cover of this CD release improves upon the original MGM release. This reissue of a long deleted LP is an excellent opportunty to hear several Broadway stars at the top of their form. And of course, to hear a young Barbara Cook.

Not a lengthy review here other than to say that this is a superb CD, and we're lucky to have it. I cannot believe the bad rating because the CD contains so little music. In the world of LPs, we got very little music. You cannot put "more" music on a CD if it doesn't exist, and there is no more music for these two performances. To give low marks to a company like Sepia that seems to truly be trying to save these lost treasures is terrible. I believe the selections from YEOMAN OF THE GUARD were on 45s, so this is probably all that was recorded or has survived. It is phenominal to hear Cook on these recordings, and any time one can hear Alfred Drake is special. I truly love this CD as I do all of the CDs I own from Sepia. It's a part of my youth and our musical heritage that I would not have otherwise.

I got this only to hear Alfred Drake and Barbara Cook sing Yeoman of the Guard. I was disappointed with how little of that show is represented on the CD--tho' I mostly like the little that's there.
Hansel and Gretel is made almost unlistenable by Red Buttons (a performer I usually like, but one I could cheerfully throttle in this piece). The 'extra' stuff is mostly forgetable--unlike one of the other reviewers I find the Rudy Vallee stuff incredibly self-indulgent and actually lowered my opinion of him as a performer.
For me, Alfred Drake was the reason to get this CD. One of the finest singing actors of the 'Golden Age,' his Jack Point is really nicely done. Cook is fine as always and Bill Hayes is better than I would have expected in a vocally legit role. Celeste Holm is mis-cast, but tries really hard--and in fairness, may have come across better in the viewing.

JEOPARDY Category: "Great American Songwriters." For $1000, name the person who wrote "It's So Peaceful in the Country," "I'll Be Around," "The Lady Sings the Blues," and "While We're Young."

The correct question: Who is Alec Wilder?

Indeed, just who IS Alec Wilder. On the composer's website (www.alecwilder.org), Gunther Schuller writes: "Alec Wilder's music is a unique blend of American musical traditions - among them jazz and the American popular song - and basic 'classical' European forms and techniques. As such it fiercely resists all labeling. Although it often pained Alec that his music was not more widely accepted by either jazz or classical performers, undeterred he wrote a great deal of music of remarkable originality in many forms: sonatas, suites, concertos, operas, ballets, art songs, woodwind quintets, brass quintets, jazz suites - and hundreds of popular songs.

"Many times his music wasn't jazz enough for the 'jazzers,' or 'highbrow,' 'classical' or 'avant-garde' enough for the classical establishment. In essence, Wilder's music was so unique in its originality that it didn't fit in any of the preordained musical slots and stylistic pigeonholes. His music was never out of vogue because, in effect, it was never in vogue, its non-stereotypical specialness virtually precluding any widespread acceptance.'

(More from Schuller): 'Wilder's interest in children brought about hundreds of piano pieces, easy study pieces for many different instruments, the well-known 'A Child's Introduction to the Orchestra' and the song book 'Lullabies and Night Songs,' illustrated by Maurice Sendak. His cantata 'Children's Plea for Peace' is a testament to his hopes for a better world for young people. He also wrote many children's songs for television productions and records, such as 'The Churkendoose' performed by Ray Bolger and a version of 'Pinocchio' starring Mickey Rooney.'

Schuller failed to mention Wilder's other TV score, 1958's HANSEL AND GRETEL. Thanks to Sepia, a British label that often goes where US record companies fear to tread, both scores are now available on CD. HANSEL AND GRETEL " . . . is not an 'original TV soundtrack' . . . but a studio cast album featuring the original cast, narrated by Red Buttons. Absent from the recording is Rise Stevens, then under exclusive contract to RCA Victor Records. Her performance of Humperdinck's 'Lullaby' does not appear on this disc, and Barbara Cook has been re-assigned the mother's rendition of 'Evening Song.'" (CD liner notes)

Although brief (eight tracks, two of which are variations on previous songs), the score is very charming and flawlessly performed by Ms. Cook (doing eight shows a week in THE MUSIC MAN), Mr. Buttons (who had just won an Academy Award for TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON), Stubby Kaye (still playing Marryin' Sam in 'LIL ABNER), and Rudy Vallee, the guy who invented "crooning." Multi-talented Paula Laurence represents all the Witch's apprentices - Eenie, Meenie, Miney & Moe, but for reasons unknown, the Witch (Hans Conried) does not make an appearance on the recording.

Why not a five-star rating? Because only 22 minutes of the CD are devoted to the HANSEL AND GRETEL score, and nearly six of those are narration aimed directly at pre-schoolers. The rest is 50-plus minutes' worth of bonus tracks, most of which don't warrant a second listen. The excerpts from YOEMEN OF THE GUARD are dull and boring, the Red Buttons and Stubby Kaye singles are pure dreck, and the Barbara Cook/Eddie Bracken duet is embarassing, to say the least. Some of Rudy Vallee's tracks are more interesting, especially Noel Coward's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" and "Maine Stein Song." (Frank Loesser's inspiration for "Grand Old Ivy," one of Vallee's big numbers in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS?)

Nevertheless, HANSEL AND GRETEL has remained a favorite of mine ever since its April 27, 1958 broadcast on NBC-TV, and I'm glad that it is finally available on disc. But at full retail, a bargain it is not. Better Sepia had included an Orchestral Suite from Humperdinck's opera (as on the origiginal MGM LP) or, better still, a HANSEL AND GRETEL/PINOCCHIO two-fer. Then there'd be no reservations about giving it a 5-star rating.

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In 1947, the Metropolitan Opera Company made its first complete opera recording, Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel und Gretel," sung in Constance Bache's English translation. On that Columbia Records release, Rise Stevens sang the role of the Hansel.

A writer as well as composer, Alec Wilder is the author of AMERICAN POPULAR SONG: THE GREAT INNOVATORS, 1900-1950. "When Alec Wilder's American Popular Song first appeared, it was almost universally hailed - from The New York Times to The New Yorker to Down Beat - as the definitive account of the classic era of American popular music. It has since become the standard work of the great songwriters who dominated popular music in the United States for half a century." (amazon.com product description)