Buy new:
$20.62
$4.89 delivery May 28 - June 3
Ships from: il-mio-bel-cavallo
Sold by: il-mio-bel-cavallo
$4.89 delivery May 28 - June 3. Details
Or fastest delivery May 22 - 28. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$20.62 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$20.62
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
il-mio-bel-cavallo
Ships from
il-mio-bel-cavallo
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
This product has passed our meticulous quality checks and is guaranteed to be in great condition. You can buy from us with confidence.
$3.99 delivery May 28 - June 3. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$20.62 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$20.62
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from and sold by Decluttr Store.

Pacific Overtures 1987 English National Opera Cast

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
$20.62
See all 4 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions
Price
New from Used from
Audio CD, June 2, 1989
$20.62
$9.04 $8.99
Audio, Cassette
—
— —

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  1. Sondheim Unplugged The NYC Sessions Volume 2
Next page

Track Listings

1 Prologue
2 The Advantages Of Floating In The Middle Of The Sea
3 There Is No Other Way (Tamate's Dance)
4 Four Black Dragons
5 Chrysanthemum Tea
6 Poems
7 Welcome To Kanagawa
8 Someone In A Tree
9 Please Hello
10 A Bowler Hat
11 Pretty Lady
12 Next

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches; 4 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ RCA
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 10, 2007
  • Label ‏ : ‎ RCA
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000003ESS
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

M. MESSINA
5.0 out of 5 stars Depends on what you like. I love it!
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2008
Verified Purchase
OK, so others have expressed displeasure with this recording, saying there's not enough "acting" and too much "opera."

Well, it IS being presented by an opera company! If you're not familiar with opera, or you are familiar with opera and don't care for it, the foregoing opinions make perfect sense. If you want to hear the score ONLY as musical theater, I would highly recommend the excellent 1976 original Broadway cast recording.

But this is one of Sondheim's scores - others are Sweeney Todd, Passion, and A Little Night Music - that can benefit greatly by being played by a full symphonic orchestra and by being sung with operatic precision by trained voices. It sounds GREAT that way, rich, lush, full, and gorgeous, simply because the sheer beauty of the music is best highlighted with such a production. And I enjoy this recording immensely because of this.

In fact, I greatly prefer it to the stripped-down (11 musicians!) Broadway revival cast recording, where to my ears, the music suffers, although the acting is terrific.

So it depends on what you like. If you would rather see, say, Sweeney performed in a opera house in all its symphonic glory than in a bare-bones production with the actors doubling as the minimalist orchestra, then this recording of Pacific Overtures may well delight you.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
lb8535
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting for Sondheim Fans
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2005
Verified Purchase
For those who love the Bway show and have hoped to hear it with the voice qualities it was written for, this recording is a treat. In addition, all of the orchestral music is included, using a full opera house orchestra, while the Bway cast recording edits and uses a Bway pit orchestration. Not to mention that this recording contains a much more complete version of "Kanagawa".

However be warned, the sound engineering is abysmal - it's a full dialog rcording and the dialog can't be heard - it sounds as though they are talking at the very back of a big room. Which I guess they were. The percussion is also not balanced to the rest of the orchestra. However, the silver lining to this one is that the cast are opera-singer actors, no one is a very good actor, so the loss of the dialog is no big deal.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
M. Rey
5.0 out of 5 stars Superior version
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2010
Verified Purchase
This recording is the better of the various versions available. Forget the recent Broadway revival recording with its threadbare orchestrations that sound like a high school shoestring-budget production.
Helpful
 Report
spacedog
5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable. a score that deserves an operatic treatment
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2001
this is a fantastic show with many standout songs. i prefer this recording to the OBC recording b/c i really believe that the lyrical score falls naturally into the operatic realm and that broadway singers don't generally have the vocal power to do it justice. i usually don't prefer opera singers in broadway shows, but i think that in this case it works extremely well, with the long, lyrical lines of songs like, "is there no other way" and "poems" really benefitting from the stronger voices.
10 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Angus C
4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2010
Verified Purchase
Although the OBC will always have a place in my heart, I am happy to have the English National Opera cast version in my collection. I am always excited to see (or unfortunately sometimes just hear) how a new production's interpretation compares to the original. And this is especially true with Sondheim shows as they have such depth and breadth.
Personally I don't want to see a duplication of the original, and in that respect, this version does not disappoint. The operatically trained voices are superb.
Helpful
 Report
Alistair Clarke
4.0 out of 5 stars This is a rather rare case of when an opera ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2016
This is a rather rare case of when an opera company takes on a musical and it actually works! This is one of Sondheim's works that can be performed in an opera or operetta setting- the others being "Sunday In The Park With George" and "Sweeney Todd". Sondheim has an affection with Benjamin Britton as is evident in "Sunday In The Park With George" and there are moments that are also apparent within Pacific Overtures. The final track "Next" is a case in point. This really is an under appreciated work.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Elizabeth
3.0 out of 5 stars Has redeeming qualities.
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2008
You would have a hard time trying to be convinced "Pacific Overtures" is a masterpiece from this recording; The 1976 OBC album in its perfection even struggles to convince some what I consider one of Sondheim's top three shows (along with Sweeney and Sunday).

Despite being fully orchestrated (the achilles heel of the 2004 revival recording), this production of Pacific Overtures falls flat in that at times it can be just plain boring, mostly because the operatic baritones get quite monotonous in both their singing and acting; I just can't 'suspend disbelief' and believe what Sondheim and book writer John Weidman want us to see in the characters.

That being said, in moderation, this album is an interesting listen if you feel the definitive OBC or supplementary 2004 revival performances are getting a little tired - but its relevance remains in its completeness. This recording includes almost every bit of dialogue and background music performed in the show making it a good way to get an idea of what the show is about without having to read the entire libretto (although a complete video recording of the OBC is now uploaded to YouTube so even this redeeming quality is becoming redundant).

So, if you've never experienced Pacific Overtures before stay away from this recording; buy the 1976 album and watch the OBC on YouTube; if you're looking for a supplementary album go for the 2004 Revival cast; if you want to complete your "Pacific Overtures" collection then, and only then, should you buy this album.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Jerry S Waldman
5.0 out of 5 stars a good opportunity to become familiar with one of Sondheim's lesser known shows
Reviewed in Canada on September 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am a Sondheim fan and am always eager to become familiar with some of his lesser known musicals
My understanding is that Sondheim has a big following in the UK
I enjoyed this performance and can recommend it to other Sondheim fans
Report
Tiggy
5.0 out of 5 stars "Specific Overtures"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
What a shame a DVD was never made of this wonderful show ..... very short sighted on the part of ENO management at the time .... and happy memories of dear Richard Angus, who sadly is no longer with us.
Report