Lost in the Stars

Weill (Artist), Julius Rudel (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Music Masters Jazz
• ASIN: B000000FRC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,621 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy recording of Kurt Weill's great score, July 17, 2008

By 

William S. Oser "Snowy and Manny's Dad" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost in the Stars (Audio CD)

Lost in the Stars is quite possibly Kurt Weill's magnum opus for the American Theater. It is however almost impossible to produce today because you need a black leading man with great charisma. He also needs a voice that could sing Porgy in Porgy and Bess (both roles were created by the luminescent Todd Duncan). This recording has a great singer, Arthur Woodley in the title role and the rest of the cast is equally good in support. No one should be without the Decca Original Broadway Cast Album, Todd Duncan's performance is for the ages, but the songs are so badly cut to fit the restraints of 78 RPM sides, that the overall structure of the piece is crushed. So much important missing music. Now Weill lovers and lovers of great theater music can hear the score in its eitirety, and believe me it makes a difference. Julius Rudel conducts a wonderful performance. He had conducted this piece at City Opera in the 1960's with Shirley Verett in the role of Irina, and his experience is very telling. This is not a perfect recording, no one could ever really fill Todd Duncan's shoes, but it is very unlikely that it will be bettered anytime soon. Pick it up before it becomes a rarety, its already out of print. There is always hope that the American Movie Festival Production from their first season, staring Brock Peters, another great Black star will be issued on DVD before I die.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost In the Stars Is Masterfully Composed and Sung, October 14, 2011

By 

Ms P. Wooldridge (Saco, Maine, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lost in the Stars (Audio CD)

Do listen to this music. Kurt Weill is a fine composer of powerful music and I enjoyed the feelings evoked as the characters sang these songs. Before ordering Lost In the Stars, I didn't realize what the content of the story would be, but because I like so much of Mr. Weill's music, I decided to give it a try.