Meadowlark - The Baker's Wife - Audio-Only - Patti LuPone

[TheatreFilmBuff]

The Baker's Wife has a wonderful story but she is definitely correct by saying that the book and everything else just didn't work, but the score itself is actually probably one of Schwartz's best, with this song probably being one of, if not THE, best composition of his career......plus Patti LuPone sounds the most open and free than she has on any other recording.

[MrDuffmann22]

i love hearing her here, in evita and the first london cast recording of les mis. But i dislike patti in anything else performing. I feel like its so strange that she sounds perfect and terriffic here ( her belts+soft soprano+diction+tone=beautiful­), and certain other early works she has done, yet when i see recent concert performances( ive seen almost all) I can't stand her she annoys me to bits, but i adore her singing in this recording!?

[TheatreFilmBuff]

I think if this somehow made it to Broadway that Patti could have won for this despite the show's faults.....this song, had it remained if it actually had made it Broadway, is gorgeous and it is probably one of the best vocal performances of all time. A freer and more open Patti.

[broadwayboundguy]

Part of the melody of this sounds like part of the melody from Sondheim's "Another Hundred People" from Company.

[Diehardwickedfan]

All the other recordings I have heard of her singing this are more nasally than I would and she tries to hold back her belts like but she doesn't here. This is great!!

[sko1187]

Just finished the section in her memoir when she discusses "The Baker's Wife" at length. She sounds absolutely spectacular here. The song is pretty but it honestly sounds so similar to "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin I almost can't get past it. Never been a Schwartz fan, but Patti is, as always, divine.

[JillHF]

@sko1187 Not sure why you think the actual song sounds like "Corner of the Sky"; the arrangements / accompaniment / orchestrations are reminiscent, but the melody of "Meadowlark" is not "so similar" as you say.

[Busybethable]

This is seriously the best recording of Patti Lupone I have ever heard. I wish she sang like this more often.

[madeatari]

@Busybethable I know. She's actually singing more or less straightforwardly, not yet trying to make a production number out of every note and syllable.

[daveedo10]

@madeatari Nowadays she is sometimes accused of over-dictating her consonants. However, when she was in Evita she was panned for her diction, and forever after that she has always used intense diction. This was recorded before Evita, so that's probably why there isn't as intense enunciation.

[BassActor7]

@daveedo10 Her diction seems to simply be inconsistent - it's good here, but even after Evita, she was criticized for lack of diction in Anything Goes, years after. It could be that she reacted to critics in both directions; over-dictating after being told she didn't use enough diction, then under-dictating again after being told she over-dictated. A difficult situation to escape.

[theman8398]

@madeatari you need to understand she was a lot younger when she recorded this tho she was only in her mid twenties and now she's in her sixties

[6arcsn1sky]

That is such a cute album cover!

[redsteelchair]

I too heard about this through Patti's memoir. Gorgeous song and of course Pattie is brilliant!

[harythng]

I saw her twice in this show when she took over the role in the summer of 1976 in Los Angeles (my partner/her agent/William Morris were personally involved). She sang this while kneeling on an uppper platform with no rail, and everytime she reached out I thought she was going to take off.  She was electrifying!!!! And unaffected!!!

[mnactr]

The BEST recording of this song. EVER!

[jonm465]

WOW. I am currently reading her memoir as well and just had to hear this song. I cannot even believe the directors wanted to cut this song.

[Dalthis555]

Beautiful song, Thanks for posting this, I'm currently reading Patti LuPone's memoir. So I felt the need to find this song that she said was basically the only good part of The Baker's Wife.

[studmuffn717]

this is fantastic. thank you so much for posting this