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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0886974173823
Item Dimensions: 37
Label: SONY CLASSICS
Manufacturer: SONY CLASSICS
MPN: 741738
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: SONY CLASSICS
Release Date: February 03, 2009
Studio: SONY CLASSICS
Disc 1:- Overture
- Opening
- I Know It Can Happen Again
- Pudgy Legs
- Dialogue - One Foot, Other Foot
- One Foot, Other Foot
- Children's Dance
- Grandmother's Death
- Winters Go By
- Dialogue - Poor Joe
- Poor Joe
- Diploma
- A Fellow Needs A Girl
- Freshmen Get Together
- Dream Sequence
- Pas de Deux
- End of College Dance
- Wildcats
- Jennie Reads Letter
- Scene of Professors
- So Far
- You Are Never Away
- You Are Never Away (Encore)
- Dialogue - Poor Joe (Reprise)
- Poor Joe (Reprise)
- Marjorie's Death
- What A Lovely Day For A Wedding!
- It May Be A Good Idea
- Finale Act I
Disc 2:- Entr'acte
- Opening Act II
- Money Isn't Everything
- Dance (Money Isn't Everything)
- Dialogue - Poor Joe (Second Reprise)
- Poor Joe (Second Reprise)
- You Are Never Away (Reprise)
- A Fellow Needs A Girl (Reprise)
- Yatata
- The Gentleman Is a Dope
- Dialogue - Allegro
- Allegro
- Allegro Ballet
- Come Home
- Finale Ultimo
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Editorial Review:
Album Description:
New Studio Cast Recording featuring Tony Award-winners Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti, Norbert Leo Butz, Tony Award-nominees Patrick Wilson, Judy Kuhn, Liz Callaway, Danny Burstein and opera sensation baritone Nathan Gunn.
Written in 1947, Rodgers & Hammerstein's ALLEGRO was preceded by OKLAHOMA! (1943) and CAROUSEL (1945), and followed by SOUTH PACIFIC (1949) and THE KING AND I (1951), a period when R&H were at their creative zenith. An original musical, it tells the story of an earnest country doctor, Joseph Taylor, Jr., following his life from cradle to adulthood, and his journey - both literal and moral - from small town to big city, and back again. The score is unconventional: fragments of song move in and out of the action like passing thoughts; melodies flit by in one scene only to take hold and blossom in the next. Major songs are given to minor characters, while the central character has comparatively little solo work; at the same time, a chorus provides spoken commentary and sings aloud their inner thoughts. Original director/choreographer Agnes de Mille's extended ballet sequences are reflected in intriguing orchestral pieces alongside such songs as "The Gentleman is a Dope," "So Far," "A Fellow Needs a Girl" and the spirited title song.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
This complete version of Rodgers and Hammersteins "Allegro" is enchanting and rich. It evokes so much emotion and has first rate singers as well. The orchestrations are phenomenal as I would have expected from two of the greatest writers of music in American music history. I am thrilled to own this complete recording and would recommend it to anyone who loves a great story and rich lush orchestrations.
Rating: -
This is a really great recording of a less than great musical. After years of hearing the original cast album I thought I would discover a gold mine of neglected material, but alas this is still second tier R&H. The R&H musicals that had original books by Hammerstein were their weakest. I can only imagine the confusion the original audience must have had to a highly progressive staging attached to this simple, moralistic plot. Also some of Rodgers music is less than inspired and seems to meander without the tightness that is in their best product. With that said, however, even second tier R&H is much better than most musicals. This recording is excellently performed, contains some very good previously unrecorded material, and is nearly complete (although more dialogue would have helped to follow the story). The well known songs are performed much better than the original cast. This is a show that definitely needs to be seen to understand and appreciate it.
Rating:  -
I saw a very faithful production of this waaaaay back in 1971, in Philly. It was apparent then that the show had some good numbers (Gentleman Is a Dope, A Fella Needs a Girl), but that it had Problems.
Problems like its very, very grim seriousness of purpose. Its lack of any specificity of character. Its gathering-in of too many songs that just didn't cut the mustard. But, like everyone else, I looked forward to this new recording (how many cast albums include the recorded voices of Hammerstein and Sondheim?) and being proved wrong.
Well...I don't know. The good songs are good, but the clunky ones are REALLY clunky. You can sense that Rodgers is trying his darnedest to keep up with Hammerstein's thoughts, but so much of it just doesn't sing. The innovations -- the Greek chorus, the way the scenery changed, etc. -- are all valuable, but they don[t translate into a top-notch score. And that's what you're judging, when you listen to a CD or LP. The story is just not very interesting, and no amount of cleaning up the recording can fix that. (And the choral background on "You Are Never Away" is just plain annoying.)
Rating: -
A gift to theatre history, a wonderful cast, and a score that explains why this R&G creation did not join the ranks of their many hit musicals.
Rating:  -
With the inclusion of three attractive songs and the music for a ballet that were not included on the original cast album, this new high quality studio recording of the complete score for Allegro would have made for a fine SINGLE CD. Stretched out to 100 trying minutes across a 2-CD set, after your first or second curious listen, you may revert back to your old LP. Plus, my two favorite numbers, "So Far" and "Money Isn't Everything" are somewhat more effectively sung on the original cast album. Allegro offers half a very good score. The other half of the songs leave a definite something to be desired (sounding as if R&H were just a little tired after turning out Oklahoma and Carousel and were taking a break). And because the weaker numbers get reprised over and over on this overly striving version, it makes for a dull experience. Something like a long sit in sunday school. See my complete review at [...]. This is just another irritating example of how record companies will put out bloated content to jack up the price. Allegro is not Showboat.
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