revchuck38
11-10-2019, 02:04 PM
I occasionally browse the local Goodwills and other similar stores for CDs. Sometimes I'll find country, sometimes blues/jazz; yesterday I found a bunch of mostly classical CDs recorded in the late 80s/early 90s. One of them was the recording of the original Broadway cast of West Side Story. I'm familiar with the music from the movie soundtrack, plus I saw it as a kid growing up on Long Island (among lots of Puerto Ricans) when the movie first came out.
The difference in the singing is huge. In the movie, the cast was made up of actors and dancers who could sing. I've never seen the play, but apparently the cast were singers who could act (and maybe dance?). The play's cast had great, opera-quality voices. The movie's cast sang well but was nowhere as polished. I greatly prefer the movie version, it just sounds closer to real, more authentic.
OTOH, two of the CDs were by Cecilia Bartoli (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilia_Bartoli), one singing Rossini, the other Mozart arias. Not only is the singing incredible, but at that time of her life (early-mid 20s), she was effin' gorgeous.
The difference in the singing is huge. In the movie, the cast was made up of actors and dancers who could sing. I've never seen the play, but apparently the cast were singers who could act (and maybe dance?). The play's cast had great, opera-quality voices. The movie's cast sang well but was nowhere as polished. I greatly prefer the movie version, it just sounds closer to real, more authentic.
OTOH, two of the CDs were by Cecilia Bartoli (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilia_Bartoli), one singing Rossini, the other Mozart arias. Not only is the singing incredible, but at that time of her life (early-mid 20s), she was effin' gorgeous.