Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein ... and if they could hear this collection, they would love her right back. The curly-haired, honey-voiced Tony-winning star has been more closely associated throughout her career with Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman, but she's perfectly suited to the grand waltzes and introspective moments of the R&H canon. "If I Loved You," "It Might As Well Be Spring," and "Something Wonderful" would probably make anyone's wish list for this combination of star and songs (a list that would also last much longer than 46 minutes). Other welcome selections include "Some Enchanted Evening," "Out of My Dreams," the little-known "I Haven't Got a Worry in the World" (from the play Happy Birthday), and the inside joke of "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," all supported by the baton and orchestrations of Sondheim favorite Jonathan Tunick. This is a warm valentine to the beloved songwriting team. --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

It's a Grand Night for Singing
If I Loved You
The Gentleman Is a Dope
It Might as Well Be Spring
Out of My Dreams
So Far
Something Wonderful
I Haven't Got a Worry in the World
Mister Snow
Some Enchanted Evening
There Is Nothin' Like a Dame
You'll Never Walk Alone
Something Good

Amazon.com

Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein ... and if they could hear this collection, they would love her right back. The curly-haired, honey-voiced Tony-winning star has been more closely associated throughout her career with Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman, but she's perfectly suited to the grand waltzes and introspective moments of the R&H canon. "If I Loved You," "It Might As Well Be Spring," and "Something Wonderful" would probably make anyone's wish list for this combination of star and songs (a list that would also last much longer than 46 minutes). Other welcome selections include "Some Enchanted Evening," "Out of My Dreams," the little-known "I Haven't Got a Worry in the World" (from the play Happy Birthday), and the inside joke of "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," all supported by the baton and orchestrations of Sondheim favorite Jonathan Tunick. This is a warm valentine to the beloved songwriting team. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

A Great Recording by A Great Artist........2004-10-14

I totally disagree with the previous negative reviews of this cd. What were they listening to anyway? Certainly not this recording. First,Bernadette Peters is THE greatest Broadway musical performer of our time. I rate her right up there with Merman,Martin,Verdon,and Channing. She has a beautiful and distinctive voice,and her acting ability shines through every song. One reviewer said that these songs were originally written for large,operatic voices. What??? With the exception of Pinza,this is simply not true. When I have heard opera singers perform R&H songs,it just doesn't work. Too big. Actually,Bernadette suits these songs perfectly. Her somewhat softer voice gives a new dimension and insight to the grand old standards. I will give special praise for her performance of the songs: IF I LOVED YOU, OUT OF MY DREAMS, SOMETHING WONDERFUL, and SOME ENCHANTED EVENING. And extra special praise for SOMETHING GOOD. She brings life and passion to this song;I have never heard it performed better. I was greatly moved by it. If you love Rodgers & Hammerstein and if you love Bernadette Peters, BUY THIS ALBUM! You will love it.

To the critics of "BP Loves RH"..........2004-04-17

I would ask detractors of this CD to consider the dates and location when and where this album was recorded: Sept 19, 21 and 24, 2001 at the Record Plant(sic)in NYC. Get it yet?

What if you were BP and Tunick, professionals as you are, recording a RH album for Angel eight days after 9/11? Would you be at your best? And singing "well worn, sentimental" RH songs recalling a time when NYC was the Great Big Apple of the World. Wouldn't a lump be in your throat? Listen to "It Might as Well Be Spring" again. Does it sound cheerful and relaxed? Or a little sad?

My friends, this is BP's 9/11 tribute to a City that has treated her like royalty. With Dame and Dope being the only exceptions, perhaps Tunick's otherwise subdued orchestrations reflect the mood of the day and of the performers and engineers present at the studio. This is why I heartily recommend this recording to BP fans. I didn't get it either until I read the stats.

Not Totally Awful, but She is Much Better than This.......2003-11-21

Bernadette Peters is a legend; one of the few true Broadway musical legends still performing today; and that's why it pains me to say that her latest album is also her weakest work.

While her beautiful voice is still intact and capable of being as gorgeous as ever, she just doesn't seem to breath life into any of these songs. Even "Some Enchanted Evening" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" -- two songs that beg for emotion -- don't even get near the credit they deserve. And during some of the tunes, her voice seems to almost crack, although it never quite does.

I don't want to sound mean here. I love Bernadette Peters; but I also know she is much better than this album. Want proof? Purchase the cast recording of Gypsy :)

Her masterful concert for PBS was done just a couple years earlier. It's almost hard to believe this is the same energetic and spunky singer.

It's a grand night for singing? One wouldn't think so by listening to this.

Am I missing something?.......2002-12-31

I received my copy of this CD the day after watching an American Masters bio of Richard Rogers, and I was psyched. I love Bernadette Peters and I adore Rogers & Hammerstein - but I was sorely disappointed in this album. All the way through it I kept having the feeling they had to wake Ms. Peters up between cuts. Even songs like "It's a Grand Night for Singing" had about as much spark as a wet match. The arrangements just did not do justice to either Ms. Peters or Rogers and Hammerstein.

I feel like a traitor, but I just cannot recommend this CD.

The Fabulous Miss B Does It Again!!!.......2002-11-21

Not that I ever, EVER doubted it, but this album just reaffirms in my mind that Bernadette Peters can do ANYTHING! Every single song is gorgeous. Each note sung with extraordinary passion. And she has colored each lyric with layers and layers of meaning and subtext, a skill that has led to her being known as the foremost interpreter of the works of Stephen Sondehim.

Not that there's not some fun in there, too. "The Gentleman is a Dope" and her version of "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" (she is the first female to record this, I might add!) are great examples of how she is able to bring her wonderful comic abilities into the music of perhaps the greatest team of composers ever.

Her renditions of songs like "Something Good", "Some Enchanted Evening" and "If I Loved You" are enough to make you believe in love all over again. Then, you have the playful "Mister Snow", which seems like it was written just for Bernadette, and "You'll Never Walk Alone", which still sends chills up my spine every time I hear it.

But let's not forget the fabulous opening tune "It's A Grand Night for Singing", her beautiful version of "It Might As Well Be Spring", the light and lovely "Out Of My Dreams", the extremely enjoyable "So Far", a terrific interpretation of the classic "Something Wonderful" and the carefree "I Haven't Got A Worry in the World".

Each and every one of these tunes is a treasure. This is a wonderful mixture of some well-known and some more obscure Rodgers and Hammerstein melodies... a mixture which is only made better by Bernadette's extraordinary ability to interpret a song- a skill that has helped to make her the Broadway legend she is. It is a must for not only musical theatre fans, not only R&H fans, not only fans of Bernadette, but anyone who is looking for something that's really worth listening to!

Music:

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