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 Is perfection unattainable? It seems not - IF you are Barbara Cook! Dec 29, 2008
To everyone who has ever moaned that Glynnis Johns was not up to successfully singing "Send in the Clowns" as preserved on the original cast recording of "A Little Night Music" (something Mr. Sondheim seems to disagree with - I'm on his side), your prayers have now been answered. With this performance of "mostly" Sondheim by the glorious Barbara Cook, no one will ever again be able to lament the absence of a perfectly realized version of this great song by a true Broadway baby! And it comes complete with another 1 1/2 hours of magnificent singing to go along with it.
Barbara Cook keeps giving we mere mortals gifts of which we are sorely undeserving.
Let us all hope she never figures that out.
A Musician Who Appreciates Words, and Has Taste, Brains, and Wit Nov 05, 2008
"Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)," a double CD album, comprises the complete critically-acclaimed live concert that was first heard in February, 2001, at Carnegie, beginning, as it does, with "Everybody Says Don't," and ending with "Anyone Can Whistle." It combines songs by the famous Broadway composer-lyricist, with others that he would have liked to have written, at least in part; and includes the guest appearance of Malcolm Gets. And it goes to prove once again the acuity of legendary Broadway director/producer Hal Prince's well-known remark that his favorite singers are "actors with voices....A musician who appreciates words, and has the taste, brains and quirky wit to make the most of these wonderful show tunes."
Cook, an Atlanta native, made her Broadway bones, and leapt to Tony award-winning stardom, as Marian the Librarian in the 1957 premiere production of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man." She has continued her Broadway career, while, at the same time, carving out further careers in the worlds of concert and cabaret, and initiating the giving of greatly-esteemed master classes in voice: I've a friend, an aspiring singer, who was absolutely bowled over by being accepted for one of Ms. Cook's workshops.
The late Sheridan Morley, author of many greatly praised biographies of theatrical performers, once said, "I have been lucky enough to have been kicking around the New York and London cabaret world for about as long as Barbara Cook has, but I have only ever in my life heard two singers who could match her lyric for lyric: one was Mabel Mercer and the other was Judy Garland."
Well, Morley, Mercer and Garland are no longer with us, but Cook, at 75, still is, her voice still as clear and silvery as a bell, and she is still able to hit her high note in "Ice Cream," a song from "She Loves Me --" she first performed it in the 1950's --that's luckily on Sondheim's list. Her incisive way with a lyric, and her actorly approach are still very much with her. A pair of songs from Sondheim's "Passion," another pair from the Arlen-Mercer St. Louis Woman score, and Irving Berlin's "I Got Lost in His Arms," might be considered especially fine. But I was once lucky enough to see Cook in person, doing this repertory while she was having her greatest success with it, at New York's Brooklyn College. And what blew me away was a simple tune, almost a childish one, "The Trolley Song," from "Meet Me in St. Louis;" one of Judy Garland's signatures. I would not have imagined - no one would have, I expect --that anyone could take it away from Garland. But Cook most successfully at least borrowed it: she acted it as she sang it, and she was "in the moment" all the way.
Ms. Cook is accompanied here by her long-time musical director, unfortunately no longer with us, pianist Wally Harper, who accompanied her throughout her triumphs with this material, in London, Washington D.C., and at Lincoln Center's Beaumont Theater in early 2002. You may never have been lucky enough to catch her live in this - but we have this album.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Wow! Feb 20, 2004
Having read the other reviews there is little more for me to add. I have been a Barbara Cook fan for a longtime and for me, this is one of her best concerts ever. I do, however, prefer the DVD. As with some other reviewers, I do not want to hear Malcolm Gets (as much as I like him) when I want to listen to Barbara. Her flawless interpretation of music is a hard act to follow for any singer! I managed to see this concert 4 times over a year and a half. Each time I saw her the voice was stronger and more assured (I would not have thought that possible). I can't help but think we will have the pleasure of hearing Ms Cook for many years to come. For those people who enjoyed his CD I strongly recommend purchasing the DVD. Barabara's rendition of So Many People is breathtaking (literally, I don't think I breathed once during the entire song). If you ever have opportunity to see her live - go! She has an ability to make you feel as if every song she sings and every word she speaks is directed to you alone. She can take a large venue and make it feel as intimate as your own living room. Having had the pleasure of meeting her I can say she is as youthful and pleasurable in person as she is in her performance.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Everyone Should Whistle Oct 11, 2003
After being privileged to attend this concert, I had to own the CD. Once a lyric coloratura and the original Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide, Ms. Cook has become (in her 70s) a true diva, blessed with a velvety, warm sound. Every note has meaning. Her high B-flat on "Ice Cream" is still the envy of any soprano today. Everyone should whistle after hearing the superb performances on this CD. Even better, though, is the experience of having been in the concert hall for the live performance. Brava, Ms. Cook!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
An amazing intro to the body of work of a true master Jun 16, 2003
When I first bought tickets for the 'Mostly Sondheim' show on tour (in San Francisco) I figured it couldn't be too bad. Besides, I had only been exposed to a few of his songs (Anyone Can Whistle, Losing My Mind...) and had only seen "A Little Night Music". On the way out of the theater I immediately picked up this recording of the program. It is truly amazing. I immediately began listening to it and have barely put it down in the last few months. Furthermore, my Sondheim CD collection increased in size from an unflattering zero to five (and it's still growing)! This is an amazing introduction to the works of Stephen Sondheim, who is now my favorite modern musical composer). Buy this now if you don't already have it!
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