From 1914 until after
his death, with the posthumously premiered
Girl in Pink Tights (1954), the
Hungarian born Sigmund Romberg was one
of the shining lights of American musical
theatre and light opera. Throughout
his career he worked with such luminaries
as Oscar Hammerstein II, George Gershwin,
and Al Jolson. This collection of recordings
is the second release of recordings
where the great composer conducts his
own works, allowing the user to hear
the composer’s original intent.
The selections on this
album do not show only the best-known
works of Sigmund Romberg, but also many
pieces from his less-successful musicals.
This does much to put on display the
breadth of work that he was capable
of producing, with the earliest work
being My Maryland, first produced
in 1928, and the latest being selections
from the 1945 work Up In Central
Park. The works display a distinct
versatility, with Romberg conducting
love songs, patriotic marches, blues-influenced
laments, and even a collection of instrumental
and vocal waltzes.
The performances are
definitely recognizable as vintage recordings.
The vocals would not sound out of place
backing Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby,
and the orchestra sounding at times
right out of Tin-Pan Alley. These are
such representative works of their time
and place that they could be displayed
as a study of the American musical as
an art form in its evolution throughout
the jazz age.
It is a great shame
that the audio sources show such signs
of degradation. The fidelity is not
horrible considering the age of the
recordings, but sounds muddy and cluttered
in comparison to the recordings the
modern listener is accustomed to. It
would be nice if more work on the re-mastering
had been done, as the high-end is distinctly
lacking at times, and hiss is audible
throughout. However, the vintage recording
fan is already quite familiar with the
limitations of 1940s recording technology
and the effects of time on the masters,
and will not find this distracting.
In short, this is a
quality collection of vintage recordings
by one of the most influential and enjoyable
of the American musical personalities.
The value of having him conduct his
own works is what gives this recording
a special place in the collector’s prizes.
For the serious fan of the musical theatre
and operetta this is highly recommended.
Patrick Gary
Sigmund
ROMBERG (1887-1951)
Romberg conducts
Romberg Vol.1 - The Blue Paradise
(1915) Auf Wiedersehen
- Maytime (1917) Will
You remember? - Blossom Time
(1921) Blossom Time Waltzes;
Tell me Daisy; Song of Love
- The Student Prince (1924)
Drinking Song; Deep in my
Heart, Dear; Ballet; Golden
Days; Serenade; Student
Prince Waltzes - The Desert
Song (1926) Riff Song;
One Alone; Romance; Girls!
Girls! Girls! (French March); Desert
Song Waltzes; One Flower grows
alone; Desert Song; Medley
(Romance, Desert Song Waltz) - Lawrence
Brooks (ten), Stuart Churchill (ten),
Lillian Cornell (sop), Shirlee Emmons
(mezzo sop), William Diehl (bar), Warren
Galjour (ten), Lois Hunt (sop), Eric
Mattson (ten), Genevieve Rowe (sop),
Richard Wright (bar) 
RCA Victor Chorus, Robert Shaw Chorale,
Orch. Conducted by Sigmund Romberg -
Rec. 1944-51, RCA Victor Studios, ADD
NAXOS Historical 8.110866 [74.35]
[RW]
These
score over the early Pearl transcriptions
by giving us the chance to hear the
orchestration with improved clarity.
The singing is strong throughout. …
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Review
