Noel Coward: Bitter Sweet [Cast Recording, Original recording remastered]

Peggy Wood (Artist), Vanessa Lee (Artist), Evelyn Laye (Artist), Jane Marnac (Artist), Roberto Cardinali (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 12, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sepia
• ASIN: B00265S8J2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,311 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Overture

2. The Call of Life

3. If You Could Only Come With Me

4. I'll See You Again

5. Ladies Of The Town

6. If Love Were All

7. Dear Little Café

8. Today

9. Kiss Me

10. Zigeuner

11. Finale

12. Selection [Excerpt]

13. I'll See You Again, song (from "Bitter Sweet")

14. If love were all

15. Dear Little Café

16. Zigeuner

17. I'll See You Again, song (from "Bitter Sweet")

18. Zigeuner

19. I'll See You Again, song (from "Bitter Sweet")

20. Ne Serait-Ce Pas L'Amour? (What Is Love?), song

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

First time on CD for these sparkling performances of songs from Noel Coward's beloved operetta! Three leading ladies from the original 1929 production in London (Peggy Wood), Paris (Jane Marnac) and on Broadway (Evelyn Laye) sing The Call of Life; I'll See You Again; Ladies of the Town; If Love Were All; Dear Little Caf+ª; Kiss Me , and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the ultimate Bitter Sweet release..., May 12, 2009

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Noel Coward: Bitter Sweet (Audio CD)

Arguably Noël Coward's most lush, romantic musical, BITTER SWEET originally opened in 1929 starring Peggy Wood and George Metaxa as the star-crossed lovers Sarah and Carl, with Ivy St. Helier as jaded cafe singer Manon. Boasting such soon-to-be-hit tunes as "I'll See You Again", "If Love Were All", "Dear Little Cafe" and "What Is Love?", it was subsequently seen in New York with British actress Evelyn Laye as Sarah; and a French production featured Jane Marnac in the role.

The story of BITTER SWEET is told largely in flashback. Sarah Millick, now the Lady Marchioness of Shayne, recalls the time in her girlhood when she was seduced away from polite society by her handsome singing teacher, Carl Linden. Abandoning her fiancee and family, Sarah elopes with Carl to Vienna where, under the alias of Sari, she entertains the patrons of Schlick's Cafe. Problems in Sarah and Carl's relationship arise in the form of one of Carl's previous lovers, another cafe performer by the name of Manon. A few years later, when the runaway lovebirds start falling deep into debt, Schlick urges Sarah to take up an affair with Lutte, a wealthy military officer. Never wanting to hurt Carl, Sarah refuses Lutte's advances, but the situation takes a tragic turn when Carl learns of the growing love triangle... BITTER SWEET is cleverly bookended by the story of a young guest at Lady Shayne's house, who finds herself in the same romantic dilemma which saw Sarah launch her own incredible adventure.

For this recording, Sepia has dusted off the seldom-heard 1958 studio cast recording of BITTER SWEET, starring Coward's favourite soprano Vanessa Lee as Sarah, with Roberto Cardinali as Carl and Julie-Dawn as Manon, driven by a sparkling orchestra under the direction of Michael Collins and chorus work from the Rita Williams Singers. Making it's complete CD premiere in true stereo, this recording of BITTER SWEET is right up there--in terms of sheer performance quality--with the thrilling June Bronhill/EMI album of the score.

As a bonus, Sepia has included all the audio remnants from the original London cast members (Peggy Wood, George Metaxa, Ivy St. Helier); in addition to two songs from New York's Evelyn Laye ("I'll See You Again" and "Zigeuner"), recorded a decade after she'd starred in the show. There are also some incredibly rare excerpts from the French production with Jane Marnac as Sarah and René Bussey as Carl. The disc concludes, quite appropriately, with Noël Coward's own recording of "I'll See You Again".

Quite possibly the most detailed and thorough BITTER SWEET package currently on the market. [SEPIA 1130]