Leonard Bernstein - Candide (1956) - Selections from the Original Broadway Cast Recording

Bernstein's "Candide" was born complicated, its' life has steadily been getting more complicated with each passing year. Based on a particularly involving, if intentionally nasty, piece by Voltaire, "Candide" tells of a young man who, having been taught that everything that happens must be for the best, travels the world experiencing one disaster after another until in disillusionment he repudiates such philosophy in favor of a simple life. Candide's companions on his journey are his beloved, Cunegonde, his mentor, Dr. Pangloss, and a worldly-wise Old Lady. All details beyond this brief outline have been changed incessantly during the three chapters of the show's history.

The first chapter was the most eventful. A collaboration between Bernstein and the librettist, Lillian Hellman, involved John Latouche and later Richard Wilbur, as principal lyricist. Its' short Broadway run in 1956-57 produced a recording and a cult following, if not popularity of the show as a whole. A stream of revisions by various hands followed for other productions over the next 15 years: within Hellman's basic framework, each attempted to improve the work by revising the libretto, reinstating discarded music, even eliciting new music from Bernstein on occasion. The second phase, in which Bernstein was merely a bystander, began in 1973 with a completely new libretto, involving a different selection of incidents and music, presented in one act as a zany farce. This version, with book by Hugh Wheeler and some new lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was transferred to Broadway in 1974 for a successful run. John Mauceri, who assembled the score, also supervised its' expansion in 1982 into a two-act "opera house version" with most of the missing music from 1956 restored, albeit in new order and contexts. The third chapter opened as the music director of the Scottish Opera, Mr. Mauceri, seized the chance to create one more "Candide", this time with the composer involved. A 1989 concert performance with Bernstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was the fruit of this period and provided the occasion for Deutsche Grammophon's operatic recording, heralded as the "final revised version". A problematic genesis, all in all.

In my honest opinion, the constant revisions harmed the work, rather than made it better: originally "Candide", in the best of words, was a play with appropriate musical numbers (though I would not call it a "musical" per se, as the demands on the soloists are considerable), basically retelling Voltaire's story; the revisions, if anything lost sight of the narrative itself, replacing it with the zaniness of 1973 and operatic ambitions in 1989, neither of which served the work well. Thus, the basic succession of fourteen vocal numbers in the 1956 version is transformed in Bernstein's definitive version into a quasi-operatic show with thirty numbers that amount to two hours of continuous music, at the very least, an hour more than the original play, which probably leads to extensive cuts in the dialogue that mutilate the story itself. Thus, it is the first scheme that is, in my opinion, preferable for the play, as its' straightforwardness, clarity and simplicity help balance the story. The problem is, however, even more rooted in the musical quality of various numbers: the original play includes most of the work's best music (the slightly less interesting opening notwithstanding (though the scene is better treated in the original than in the revisions)), in fact, it includes all of the work's best music (and the music itself is exceptional); the revised versions of the numbers either reuse the originals poorly (for example, the sarcastic Venice gavotte is tensely used as a new idealistic opening) or include new numbers of different musical merit altogether to set new situations (such as the sprightly Auto-da-fa scene or the pointless and unenjoyable laughing song) that, as I have already noted, serve only to complicate a rather straightforward story.

These reasons predetermine my choice recording for this upload: the original 1956 Broadway cast with the following performers (almost unbeatable, if not as polished as in Bernstein's final rewrite):

Max Adrian - Dr. Pangloss/Martin,
Robert Rounseville - Candide,
Barbara Cook - Cunegonde,
Irra Petina - Old Lady,
William Olvis - Governor of Buenos Aires.

I selected only several numbers that I personally find delightful to limit the sheer size of the upload: included are parts of the lovers' first duet (I wanted to post the second duettino as well but it has been posted earlier), both of the Governor's stunning songs (they could easily become a part of a successful baritone recital), Candide's lovely "Eldorado" song, Cunegonde's justly famous "jewel aria", the enchanting Venice Gavotte and the "What's the use" quartet (I used this particular number as a main theme for the upload to connect the movements into a whole).

Hope you'll enjoy :).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bernstein
• candide
• Glitter
• and
• be
• gay
• Bon
• voyage
• What's
• the
• use
• Oh
• happy
• we
• My
• love

[bbbartolo]

that high soprano is Barbara Cook? anyway fun, and hearing this is totally new to me. thanks for posting Lindoro.

[LindoroRossini]

Yes, Cook is the one singing the soprano part and, incidentally, the performer for whom it was originally written, including the high notes of the Jewel Aria. I'm glad you enjoyed it :).

[aidensfilms]

@ramwhereiwanttobe

tsk tsk... just my opinion, of course, but tsk tsk..

[marlyharris]

My former husband coached Barbara Cook's understudy in the role of Cunegonde so by opening night, we knew the score intimately. I've heard all of the revisions and this original remains the jewel for me. This is a work of art to be treasured; the revisions lack the depth of this performance. And though I adore Chenoweth, Barbara Cook is exquisite in the role.

[Gouiverneur]

Lillian Hellman's lyrics are great if taken by themselves, and Barbara Cook defines "Glitter - -". But I have heard Candide performed by our College-Conservatory without the "high C", and it didn't hurt the total performance. Bernstein's endorsement of subsequent trite reworks of the book were embarrassing. By all means, read Voltaire's book (in English) - it's as funny and pertinent now as it was in 1759; human nature hasn't changed.

[pgweeks]

This message is from a one to a few: Isn't it tiresome how people discuss the merits of singers when the *operatic* voice at least was permanently crippled by Verdi and Wagner (as many critics noted at the time). Alas, the older Lenny got, the more operatically inclined he got. Cook and Rounseville, blessedly, are fine. Broadway aint opera.

[pgweeks]

I gave up all of my LPs, including this, during a recent move. Fool, fool, fool, fool, FOOL!

[TierparkIII]

I had NO IDEA that the Venice Gavotte existed in the 1950's production..... I had presumed it had been composed for the 1973 Chelsea Theater production...

[Leterible2011]

Thank you. I remember the original. Bernstein is loved and rememberd for many of the wrong things. I love his "flawed" works the best. Plus of course the concerts for children. What about "Trouble in Tahiti"? Again, thanks for the upload.

[yvettecolvis]

@fivemile13 wow thanks so much for the message... i miss him so much

[ramwhereiwanttobe]

I genuinely believe this role is much better in the hands of the fabulous Kristin Chenoweth. Barbara is a wonder in herself always techniquely precise but Kristin brings so much lyrical freedom to this role showing comedy and colour but yet can still achieve complete seriousness within the role. Kristin will always be my favourite Cunegonde :)

[11777766]

Candide was a Broadway classic musical, one of the best. The CD has all this great score and original cast. But Barbara Cook owns Cunegonde and is the genius of the show--which is still one of .Broadway's most wonderful productions. I wish I had been young then to be there. Be sure to read the description about it all when you press :more" a the start.

[fivemile13]

Lindoro, thanks so much for reminding us of the beauty of the score, regardless of the effectiveness of the book. By the way, if you wanted to sing the Governor's songs as a baritone, you'd have to drop the key quite a bit, as most baritones cannot hit a high B flat. And yes folks, the amazing Barbara Cook hits an E flat ABOVE HIGH C!