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Originally recorded in July 2022
Musicals
Vocal & Song
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P&P for single unit's: UK=£2.4, EU=£9, World=£12
About
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! was first performed in 1943, and was a significant turning point in the history of musical theatre. It was the first musical to put drama and plot to the fore, portrayed by rounded, believable characters. It swept aside traditions that had their roots in vaudeville – star turns, comic sketches, and endless lines of high-kicking chorus girls. Oklahoma! does feature dance, but in the hands of the choreographer, Agnes de Mille, this was idiomatic to the plot, and revolutionary in terms of the fifteen-minute dream-sequence ballet at the close of Act I. The first collaboration between composer and writer, the show was a hit, running for more than five years on Broadway, and paving the way for their masterpieces to come.
John Wilson’s long-held fascination for researching original musical theatre scores of this period and bringing them anew to modern audiences reaches a milestone with this world première recording of the original score in its entirety (no cuts) and in the original orchestrations for twenty-nine-piece orchestra made by Robert Russell Bennett for the original production. His outstanding cast features Nathaniel Hackmann, Sierra Boggess, Jamie Parker, Louise Dearman, Sandra Marvin, Rodney Earl Clarke, Nadim Naaman, and Leo Roberts, ably supported by the ‘Oklahoma!’ Ensemble – twenty-two artists drawn from London’s West End. Wilson comments: ‘I love the connective tissue of the piece, the scene-change music, the ballet, the songs that sometimes get cut, the underscoring. And when so many vastly different new versions are appearing on stage, it’s more important than ever that we have a document of the actual source material.’
Recorded in Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos, the work will be released on double Hybrid SACD and in spatial audio. There will also be a limited edition (1,000 copies) double-vinyl release.
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Reviews
“… If you adore Oklahoma! and want to hear every last note of it, then this release is easy to recommend…” Raymond Tuttle
“… The members of the Sinfonia of London and Oklahoma! Ensemble are just about perfect stylistically for this authentic version…” Arthur Lintgen
“…The quality of the recording is so vibrant, vigorous and visceral, that one imagines that they are actually in the first row of the orchestra section. There is also much additional, fascinating interstitial music here, which was necessary in live theatre at the time, in order to facilitate scene/costume changes, etc. The sheer excellence of the arrangements, interpretation, orchestra, direction and the stupendous cast make this a totally satisfying listening experience – theatre buff, or not.”
Winner Opera Award 2024
Performance ***** Sonics ****½
“…Simply wonderful”
Critics’ Choice 2023
“… A meticulous, vibrant, stylishly sung, splendidly engineered and historically important release.”
Best Classical Albums of 2023
“… Using the same orchestration as on the first night, and with instruments of the time, it recreates the period sound and style with a fine cast and irresistible verve.”
Recording of the Month
“… a benchmark recording of Oklahoma! For generations to come.”
Performance ***** Recording *****
“… An essential set for fans of the piece.”
“It’s not just an impressive historic reconstruction – it also makes the heart dance”
Editor’s Choice – Vocal
“… The title song, when it finally arrives, is as exhilarating and punchy and uplifting as the prospect of a brand new state and if you’d been back in the theatre back in March 1943 you’d have been on your feet, too.”
“…In this Chandos production, John Wilson shows himself to be a conductor who vigorously dusts off the music and gives it a sophistication probably never heard before… The cast is also excellent: Nathaniel Hackmann’s Curly is superb, and Sierra Borgess shines as Laurey. Rodney Earl Clarke is convincing as the villain Jud Fry … “ *****
Recording of the Month – October 2023
“… This Oklahoma! is not just a document, it’s a five-star work of art.” *****
“…The tone is set in the opening moments of the overture, attacked by the strings of the Sinfonia of London with brilliant precision, but the reflective moments of the score are treated with equal care…” ****
“…Sinfonia of London is, indeed, an exciting super-orchestra and John Wilson & CO have polished a diamond of the American Musical Theatre to a high gloss, so Bobby has no choice but to say… This one gets 5 Out Of 5 Rainbows - Put this one in your collection today!”
Artistic Quality 10 Sound Quality 10
“…No one who cares about American musical theater can afford to miss this landmark recording of a landmark musical.”
“… the acoustic of the Susie Sainsbury Theatre, Royal Academy of Music embracing Wilson’s expert players and singers like an intimate hug, the sound (producers Ralph Couzens, Jonathan Allen) immediate in the way that the Capitol Oklahoma! soundtrack was though with added presence and, this being a ‘complete’ edition, with plenty of music that will be unfamiliar to most listeners. Nathaniel Hackmann and Sierra Boggess are perfectly suited to the lead rôles, sincerity personified in both cases…”
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