Customer Reviews

South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This world-premiere recording of South Pacific is justly regarded as one of the best recordings of this classic Rodgers & Hammerstein score. Although it was recorded in 1949, way before today's digital technology, it still sounds magical, seductive and wonderful, until it allows other performances to pale in comparison. The score is wonderfully served by the original Broadway cast, still immersed in the glowing reviews that were given for the show and the score. And, the Sony recording, deapite being a constricted and rough-sounding mono recording, sounds much better than ever before thanks to a sparkling 20-bit remastering of the original source tapes.

The highlight of this recording is Mary Martin's full-throated, sassy and spunky portrayal of Nellie Forbush. Every song she sings is a delight from first note to last, and she carries with her an infectuous and winning persona. Her renditions of "A Cockeyed Optimist" and "A Wonderful Guy" are delightful and charming, and she is able to bring out the comic relief in "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and also a truncated version of "Honey Bun." Martin's outstanding performance is ably matched by Ezio Pinza's sonorous Emile. He dives into Emile's numbers with a full-throated operatic fervour, and gives us ravishing performances of "Some Enchanted Evening" and a somewhat edited version of "This Nearly Was Mine." He is also magical on his duet with Mary Martin, the "Twin Soliloquies." The rest of the cast is just as superb, with William Tabbert showing the romantic and prejudiced sides of his believable portrayal of Lietunant Cable, when he sings 'Younger than Springtime" and "Carefully Taught." And, Juanita Hall makes a characterful and colloquial Bloody Mary. She is superb in dhe dreamlike quality of "Bali Ha'i" and the lightly frolicsome "Happy Talk." The sailors are full-throated on their numbers, but perhaps there needs to be more comedy in their version of "There is Nothing like a Dame", something like the version in the film soundtrack.

This reissue of this recording is graced by some bonus tracks that make it feel more complete. Mary Martin's honeyed alto voice shines on her renditions of the cut songs, "Loneliness of Evening" and "My Girl Back Home". She sings them wonderfully until you wonder why these two songs were cut from the final version of South Pacific. It also makes you yearn for a professional production that restores these two cut songs. Those wto listen to these recordings will undoubtedly feel that Mary Martin's voice has never sounded lovelier on record than on these numbers. Ezio Pinza tries his vocal cords at "Bali Ha'i", even if, for an opera singer, it may not be as dreamlike as Bryn Terfel's cover version, but even then, Pinza sings it wonderfully, even if the song may not be within his range. These three bonus tracks, which had incidentally been included on the previous Sony Broadway reissue of the recording, show up here again and help to make the recording more complete. And, to round off the experience, Andre Kostalanecz leads the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra in a sumptuous and atmospheric "Symphonic Scenario for Concert Orchestra." They do it wonderfully, even if it is slightly truncated. Besides the wonderful and gorgeous remastered sound, the real icing on the cake comes in the deluxe packaging. There is a well-written and insightful essay, and synopsis, by Marc Kirkeby that runs through the booklet pages, and it is jam-packed with rarely-seen photographs from the Broadway premiere.

If I had any qualms about this recording, it would be about the cuts that were made at some points in the score. Because this recording was made for 78 rpm discs and for vinyl at the same time, some songs had to be cut to fit the 78 sides. "Honey Bun" has lost its choral refrain, and ends only after Nellie finishes her verse, just as the sailors and Luther Billis are about to join in the fun of the performance. There are also cuts in the middle section of Emile's "This Nearly Was Mine," and in the overture (which can be heard complete on the outstanding Mauceri disc of the complete Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures.) But these cuts were only minor, considering the limitations of the recording media at the time. The other qualm I have is about the comic numbers, "There is Nothing like a Dame", "Honey Bun" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man." Because of the slow speeds, they come off as staid, stoic and stiff, lacking in an extra degree of humour. Listeners like me can find compensation in the fact that this recording's finale makes use of the "Some Enchanted Evening" ending when Nellie and Emile sing the song together after the children finish "Dites-moi." It makes me wonder why Hammerstein did not write his script for that song to have the last word, and it makes me long for this more ravishing ending to be the standard for all South Pacific productions and recordings.

Overall, though, this is a wonderful gem of a Rodgers & Hammerstein cast recording, well-deserving of the acclaim that it has heaped up through the years. This is definitely a magical, essential and (as some might add), compulsory cornerstone of any Rodgers & Hammerstein collection, and can be recommended to any beginner of R&H musicals, or to any newcomer to this glorious musical that is South Pacific.

Certainly one of the few all time great scores for the musical theatre, SOUTH PACIFIC is very much alive and very, very well in this recording made over fifty years ago.

Beginning with those first three majestic chords from "Bali Ha'i" through to all of the justly famous songs: "Some Enchanted Evening," "There Is Nothin' Like A Dame," "A Wonderful Guy," and "Younger Than Springtime" to the less famous but no less superb "Twin Soliloquies," "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," and my personal favorite, "This Nearly Was Mine," everyone is a gem.

The cast is flawless: Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza lead a cast with no weak links. Interestingly enough, except for the opening song sung by two children and three songs in which the chorus sings, every one of the songs in this classic show is sung by the four principal players.

The sound is remarkable for being so "historic" and there are even four bonus tracks: Martin sings two songs cut from the show in tryouts, Pinza sings "Bali Ha'i" and there's even a ten minute "Symphonic Scenario for Concert Orchestra" taken from the themes of the score.

The accompanying booklet has interesting essays, a plot synopsis and several terrific photographs from the original Broadway production. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Growing up in the musical wasteland of the 1980s, I often raided my parents' record collection out of sheer desperation for songs with meaningful lyrics and real instruments. Among the many wonderful discoveries I made that way was an exotically titled soundtrack album with a pretty yellow and green cover, which my grandfather had apparently bought new in 1949. Perhaps intrigued by the record's vintage, or maybe by the vague familiarity of some of the song titles, I brought it back to my room...and it hasn't left my collection since.

It's hard to pinpoint just what makes this album so majestic from start to finish, because every song is a gem in its own way. This is perhaps the only soundtrack on which the overture holds my attention just as much as the vocal numbers do (on most other soundtracks I skip through the overture), and it provides the perfect segue into the childish innocence of "Dites-Moi," still a favorite of mine years after I finally became proficient enough in French to decipher its pidgin pronunciations.

While the songs fit together flawlessly and tell the play's story, most of them also stand well on their own. Perhaps "There is Nothin' Like a Dame" and "Honey Bun" are less than politically correct (though still harmless) by today's standards, but they're still a lot of fun all the same. "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," on the other hand, was decades ahead of its time and is still all too relevant, as Americans are once again at war with "people whose skin is a different shade." On the lighter side, "Bali Ha'i" can always be counted on to take you to Your Own Special Island - just close your eyes and see! Then there's that Broadway staple, the spine-tingling, move-you-to-tears love song. Not all musicals have given us even one of these. This one offers three, and after more than half a century, "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," and especially "This Nearly Was Mine" are just as touching as ever.

The bonus tracks, while they naturally sound somewhat out of place alongside the original songs, are surprisingly enjoyable. "My Girl Back Home" sounds rather dated (in contrast to the rest of the album), but it is a fascinating piece of circa-1950 Americana in any case. Overall, though, there's nothing "old" about this album. It's timeless!

A first-rate score by Rodgers & Hammerstein; four sensational and perfectly cast leads; and an ensemble (orchestra and chorus) that does more than just support the stars. The album always has been a joy from start to finish! In just under 46 minutes you get all the key musical moments from the score. The Cd includes 4 bonus tracks: Mary Martin's solo recordings of the cut songs "His Girl Back Home" (Originally to be sung by Cable as "My Girl Back Home") and "Loneliness of Evenng"; Ezio Pinza's solo recording of "Bali Ha'i" and a Symphonic Scenario for Concert orchestra conducted by Andre Kostelanetz. Best of all the CD re-produces the original artworked that was on the first LP issue in 1949.

That leads to my one very minor quibble: The mono sound is a little "old" sounding. The top end is just a little brittle. Still, miles ahead of Decca's OKLAHOMA and CAROUSEL or Victor's ALLEGRO. And a far better recording of SOUTH PACIFIC than any subsequent cast or sountrack album.

This is Rodgers and Hammerstein at their best!! Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza are truly ecstatic. The OVERTURE and DITES-MOI are very pleasant. A COCKEYED OPTIMIST, A WONDERFUL GUY, I'M GONNA WASH THAT MAN RIGHT OUTTA MY HAIR, and HONEY BUN are all sung by Mary Martin; making them wonderful to listen to. William Tabbert renders YOUNGER THAN SPRINGTIME and the prejudicial YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT. Ezio Pinza's SOME ENCHANTED EVENING and THIS NEARLY WAS MINE are very robustious and majestic. Even Juanita Hall sings well in BALI H'AI and HAPPY TALK. The chorale songs are THERE IS NOTHIN' LIKE A DAME and BLOODY MARY, which are quite rousing. The finale is pleasant, but the most familiar tune is the TWIN SOLILOQUIES, the only song that both Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza sung in. All-in-all, a 99 (due to some sound quality flaws) .

So the show and its book might be a bit dated and as corny as Kansas in August by today's standards. The score is one of the most gorgeous, moving, and delightful Broadway has ever heard, and you need look no further than this wonderful original cast recording to see why (Although along with Mr. Andersen I must also recommend the movie soundtrack). Made when the show was fresh, new, exciting, and even a little controversial (For daring to include a song- "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," obviously- that addressed racial prejudice), everybody's joy and excitement in performing this is obvious. Mary Martin makes a wonderful Nellie Forbush. Perhaps she was just a bit too old at 35 for the role, but she could certainly still get away with it onstage and projects so much youthful vitality, innocence, and spirit that that's easily forgiveable. "A Cockeyed Optimist," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Outta My Hair," "A Wonderful Guy," "Honey Bun" - all recieve what are almost certainly their definitive recordings here; Martin especially delights with the bawdy good time she has on the last song. (For a different side to her, buy the newly remastered Broadway Masterworks edition, not only for the superior sound quality but for bonus tracks of recordings Martin later made of "Loneliness of Evening" and "My Girl Back Home," both songs cut from the show - she gives very restrained but at the same time most beautiful and haunting readings of them) Former Metropolitan bass Ezio Pinza certainly had a powerful voice; perhaps in many ways it was no longer a very "good" voice, but anyone who can sing most of "Some Enchanted Evening" in a booming, romantic bass voice and then suddenly and cleanly switch to a serenly beautiful falsetto for the last line "Never let her go" is fine by me, and his "This Nearly Was Mine" is highly moving as well. THough Juanita Hall's voice is just a tad loud for a recording, (Which perhaps is part of the reason she was dubbed for the film version), her "Bali Ha'i" is haunting and beautiful and her "Happy Talk" delightful. And with "Younger Than Springtime," William Tabbert gives us some sense of why Mary Martin made a point of listening to this song every night from the wings - one of the best love songs ever written for the theatre and Tabbert doesn't dissapoint. And will there ever be a better chorus of Seabees in "Bloody Mary" and (especially) "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame?" While RObert Russell Bennett's orchestrations were highly improved upon by the glorious film arrangements, they still do a wonderful job, especially in the evocative "Bali Ha'i" notes that open the overture. One of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest scores is done brilliant justice in a "must-have" recording that is pretty much perfect from start to finish.

No recording of this score will EVER replace this original cast album. "South Pacific" deserves to be heard this way, and no other. Accept no substitutes! Mary Martin shines on "A Cockeyed Optimist," "Twin Soliloquies," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "A Wonderful Guy" and "Honey Bun" and is well supported by Ezio Pinza. Although many critics find fault in his performance, Pinza is very effective on "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine." But aside from the star performances from Martin and Pinza, the score is best-remembered from Juanita Hall's haunting "Bali Ha'i." What a number! I still remember the first time I ever saw the film. I couldn't believe they had the nerve to dub Hall with Muriel Smith. I've sinced learned that Rodgers & Hammerstein preferred Smith's singing and Hall's acting, but that seems preposterous to me. Hall's delivery of this number is dead-on and cannot be surpassed. Whether you are a fan of American musical theatre or not, you should own this album. It is THAT good!

UNFORGETTABLE! Once heard - totally hooked! Another one of those guilty pleasures - and well-deserved!

The album is perfect - a superb transfer from the originals to this medium. The Great EZIO PINZA still seduces with his unstoppable charm and magnificent voice - ditto Mary Martin as the 'innocent' abroad during those troubled times. [Nothing quite surpassed this original cast]. AND fortunately, not all of this is 'sugar and spice' after all - the musical {and subsequent movie version} was banned in various 'conservative' countries - [and still is cut and butchered abroad.]

Visit this recording often.

SOUTH PACIFIC is arguably Rodgers and Hammerstein's best musical. This 1949 original cast album has everything going for it. Mary Martin is Nellie Forbush, supported by Ezio Pinza, and a great cast. South Pacific was Rodgers and Hammerstein's third great Broadway hit, following Oklahoma (1943), and Carousel (1945). The pair had also done some Hollywood work with State Fair (1945, 20th Century Fox). South Pacific set the record for gross box office receipts, a record it held until My Fair Lady broke it.

Although the album is in monaural (recorded in 1949; what do you expect?), the sound is very clear and does not distract from the listening experience. It's on the Columbia label, a major plus for cast recordings, as Columbia was the best in the business. The 1958 soundtrack is in stereo and is nice, but this is the DEFINITIVE South Pacific. Highly Recommended!

Rodgers and Hammerstein's best musical, and by far the best recording it ever received, with newly remastered sound. Mary Martin has the perfect Broadway voice, and she is at the peak of her form in numbers like Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair and I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy. Ezio Pinza, the great opera singer, sounds remarkably at home in this repertoire, and gives the definitive performance of perhaps the greatest song ever written for Broadway, Some Enchanted Evening. The music at times is almost symphonic in its inspiration, it is a lyrical masterpiece, and is provocative as well with the great diatribe against racial prejudice, You've Got to Be Carefully Taught. Not to detract from the movie version which is fine too, but this is THE definitive version.