The Decca CD issue of these two show recordings are grouped together, as Mary Martin starred in both, so I might as well keep them grouped together for my purposes, too. These are not cast albums, but rather the music of the shows sung just by its stars (Ms. Martin and Kenny Baker).
About a little more than a week ago I watched and listened to a Kurt Weill opera from his Weimar days. With One Touch of Venus, we get Weill in his Broadway incarnation. Broadway in the early 40s seems to have been very transitional. Venus is very transitional for Weill. While the sung material is much more lyrical than his German works, I wouldn't quite say Weill is Americanized yet. I was particularly glad to hear the dance music included on this CD; this music hearkens strongly to the Weill of Mahagonny or Seven Deadly Sins.
I have long loved the songs of Venus. "That's Him" "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and "Speak Low" are all great songs. "Foolish Heart" is good. The quartet "The Trouble with Women" (sung here mostly by Kenny Baker) is also good. I even like "Westwind" although it has the most inane lyrics ever. Mary Martin proves herself a real singer, both in a slightly belt way and more successfully in legato singing. Kenny Baker has a likable tenor, that's slightly nasal in the way tenors seem to have sung in the 30s and 40s.
Lute Song was the next Broadway appearance after Venus for Ms. Martin. This seems to be a very dated style of musical; the songs are not strongly integrated with the book. There are some lush Big Band-like songs that are likable but not very translatable to the concert stage because the lyrics are strange--like "See the Monkey" about how a monkey shouldn't be tamed. At least one song "Where You Are" is slightly racist. The song that the liner notes says was the hit of the show is "Mountain High, Valley Low" which sounds a bit like "Bali Hai" to me but with more insipid lyrics.
One Touch of Venus
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Odgen Nash
Opened in 1943
Cast on this recording: Mary Martin, Kenny Baker
Lute Song
Music by Raymond Scott
Lyrics by Bernard Hanighen
Opened in 1946
Cast on this recording: Mary Martin
About a little more than a week ago I watched and listened to a Kurt Weill opera from his Weimar days. With One Touch of Venus, we get Weill in his Broadway incarnation. Broadway in the early 40s seems to have been very transitional. Venus is very transitional for Weill. While the sung material is much more lyrical than his German works, I wouldn't quite say Weill is Americanized yet. I was particularly glad to hear the dance music included on this CD; this music hearkens strongly to the Weill of Mahagonny or Seven Deadly Sins.
I have long loved the songs of Venus. "That's Him" "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and "Speak Low" are all great songs. "Foolish Heart" is good. The quartet "The Trouble with Women" (sung here mostly by Kenny Baker) is also good. I even like "Westwind" although it has the most inane lyrics ever. Mary Martin proves herself a real singer, both in a slightly belt way and more successfully in legato singing. Kenny Baker has a likable tenor, that's slightly nasal in the way tenors seem to have sung in the 30s and 40s.
Lute Song was the next Broadway appearance after Venus for Ms. Martin. This seems to be a very dated style of musical; the songs are not strongly integrated with the book. There are some lush Big Band-like songs that are likable but not very translatable to the concert stage because the lyrics are strange--like "See the Monkey" about how a monkey shouldn't be tamed. At least one song "Where You Are" is slightly racist. The song that the liner notes says was the hit of the show is "Mountain High, Valley Low" which sounds a bit like "Bali Hai" to me but with more insipid lyrics.
One Touch of Venus
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Odgen Nash
Opened in 1943
Cast on this recording: Mary Martin, Kenny Baker
Lute Song
Music by Raymond Scott
Lyrics by Bernard Hanighen
Opened in 1946
Cast on this recording: Mary Martin
2 comments:
Dear Michael (WELL out of your 30s) from Chicago,
Thanks for the Mary Martin fix...she's an all time favourite! The only thing I take issue with is the apostrophe in "it's" in the first para.
Keep up the reviews! Isn't it time to also feed my Streisand fixation?
Ana L. Cousin, New Delhi
Grammar corrected, thank you Ana. I always need a good editor.
Hmmm, another Barbra album. I'll need to dig a little, as I don't own any (yes, shocking). The Broadway album would certainly fit into my Year. I'll see what I can do. Thanks.
Post a Comment