Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma!'
CHSA5322(2) (Chandos Records, SACD, 2 discs)
Mulit-channel/Stereo
FIRST RELEASE (15 September 2023)
Playing time: 53'12"/46'31" - TT 99'43"
Tracks: 16 + 17
Booklet pages: 62
℗ 2023 Chandos Records Ltd
© 2023 Chandos Records Ltd
Main country of recording: United Kingdom
Reviewer: Gerald Fenech
Review of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma!' published on 19 September 2023
Rebekah Lowings (Virginia)
Charlotte Kennedy (Vivian)
Ceili O'Connor (Sylvie)
Danny Whitehead (Fred)
Michael Colbourne (Cord Elam)
Freddie King (Farmer)
'Oklahoma!' Ensemble
Sinfonia of London
John Mills, leader
John Wilson, conductor
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Oklahoma! (1943)
CD1
1 Overture
2-16 Act I
CD2
1-6 Act I (concluded)
7-17 Act II
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! was first performed in 1943, and was a significant turning point in the history of musical theatre. 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 first 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, many more, all ably supported by the 'Oklahoma!' Ensemble - twenty-two artists drawn from London's West End. Recorded in Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos, the work was released on double Hybrid SACD and in spatial audio. There id also a limited edition (1,000 copies) double-vinyl release.
Recorded 18-22 July 2022 at the Susie Sainsbury Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, London, UK.