[Hans]

What is in your opinion the best recording of Carousel?

I have the OBCR - which is interresting, but heavily cut - the 1993 London version and the 1994 Broadway version. It seems the London CD is more complete than the Broadway CD, and I can't really decide which is best overall.

[Yip1982]

I'd go with the 1994 Broadway disc. It is superbly recorded and so heartfelt, except that it includes only the last third of the ballet.

[Barberous]

This is an old thread, but does anybody have further opinions to offer? I've only heard the 1993 London version. I'd like to know how it compares to the others. (I haven't seen the show, but have read the libretto.) I particularly liked the 1993 instrumental music ('Prologue' in particular sounds dreamy), and 'If I Loved You'. I've heard that this cast was chosen for acting rather than singing skill, but their voices sound pleasant enough to me, and they act the roles well. My only problem is with parts of 'Soliloquy', especially at the end, where Billy's voice sounds ugly. I've been spoiled by Anthony Warlow's version. This recording also misses two (?) songs, but not having heard them I don't know if they're worth having.
Is there a recording out there with a better Billy, good acting, and good, complete versions of the 'Prologue', 'If I Loved You' and 'Soliloquy'?

[Salome]

IMO the most complete and best sung is teh studio recording with Sam Ramey,Barbara Cook and company.

[Melindaisy]

I'd agree with Salome on that. Of the three recordings I have, that one is my favorite.

[Patrick]

[IndigoMedusa]

The best version is, in my opinion, the OBCR. It might be truncated but no Billy will ever compare to John Raitt's. Also, none of the other versions capture that wonderful old-fashioned feel you can only get from listening to old recordings.


Audra McDonald is a wonderful Carrie but I can't stand Billy's voice on the 1994 recording.


I don't like the studio recording, either. Barbara Cook does nothing for me and the very notion of Sarah Brightman touching this classic is a travesty. The London recording is okay.

[Salome]

Cook is the best sung Juilie of all.

The John Raiit revival from the 60s is a better recording thna the OBC as well.. Jerry orbach's Jigger and Reid Shelton's Enoch Snow are also superior to Mervyn Vye and Eric Mattson on the OBC.

[IndigoMedusa]

[Salome]

she iso ne hell of an actress! Tony Winner for Music Man. She great as Sally in Follies in Concert. he even made Carrie the Musical wathcable when she was on stage.

[IndigoMedusa]

Her Sally is nothing compared to Dorothy Collins.

[Salome]

She's close to Collins in the role.

Cook is a ---- legend! she is one of the few we have left.

Collins wasnt an actress..luckily she fell into a role that she was wonderful in. she did it brillaintly. but it was her only good role.

unlike Alexis SMith,John McMartin and Gene Nelson.

Nelson is still Sondheim's favorite perofrmer in ANY of his shows.

[RainbowJude]

My favourite Carousel recording is the 1994 Broadway Revival Recording. What is really fantastic about this recording is that there is such a fantastic balance between acting and singing. The cast have enough voice to serve the material but also communicate the stakes of what's going on dramatically in the score and in the show as a whole. The "Carousel Waltz" is played so beautifully on this recording, so things get off to a great start. Michel Hayden really forces you to engage with Billy and the journey of his character. Sally Murphy sings to your heart and completely gets the arc of the character from "If I Loved You" through "What's the Use of Wond'rin'". One of the highlights of the recording is Audra MacDonald's Carrie, an interpretation that really reveals her versatility as both an actress and a vocalist. She is perfectly matched by Eddie Korbich - their rendition of "When the Children are Asleep" is unmatched.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording is great, preserving the original cast performances and providing enough of the score so that one gets a fairly good idea of the show. Yes, some songs are shortened (like "If I Loved You") but the only song that gets left out completely is "Geraniums in the Winder". The other cut material is mostly reprises and dance music. The cast are all good singers. Raitt's baritone rounds out the songs nicely, Jan Clayton gives a moving reading of Julie's songs and Murvyn Vye is fun as Jigger.

The Soundtrack of the misguided and disappointing film version of the show gives a better impression of the film than it deserves. Still, it's far too polished; the overall sound of the bigger orchestrations is far too generic Hollywood. Gordon Macrae and Shirley Jones, while delivering highly listenable covers of the songs, are a bit too light in the central roles and there's not enough contrast in terms of vocal characterisation between the leads. Logically enough, this makes Barbara Ruick and Robert Rounseville stand out to a greater extent - and of course this means that the balance in the cast is somewhat off-kilter. In terms of completeness, there is more material here than on the OBCR - the ballet music is included but "Geraniums in the Winder" and "The Highest Judge of All", which were cut from the film, are not.

I'm afraid I can't agree with Salome and Melindaisy about the 1987 Studio Cast Recording. Although almost complete, cutting only the Act 2 ballet music, there's a bit too much tiptoeing around the roles for everything to settle completely. Samuel Ramey's singing of Billy is impressive but he doesn't get the character to move through the material in terms of characterisation. To a lesser extent, the same is true of Barbara Cook - and I really adore her work elsewhere. The problem with this album can be summed up in that it's a studio recording - an excellent studio recording and far more successful than most - but it never really catches alight in the way Carousel should.

I also don't own the 1993 London Recording, but remember enjoying Joanna Riding's Julie when I listened to it. Of course, there are many other recordings of the show (some not yet available on CD) and its material, but I think these recordings represent the main players of a show that provides an truly emotional experience when seen live in the theatre.

Later days
David

[Monsieur D'Arque]

I like the 1994 as well, and I'm rather inclined to a rougher Billy with a less "beautiful" voice.

Not to say that I'm all that partial to Mandy Patinkin's "Soliloquy," though. For him it should be called "Billy's All-Out Nervous Breakdown."

[IndigoMedusa]

[dancejazz7]

1994 Broadway. It's a dream. Simply a dream!!

[Silverweed]

Carousel is one of the most brilliant shows ever but there have been so many lousy recordings of it!!!


My favorite recording by far is the original cast recording. John Raitt is and always will be the ultimate Billy Bigelow and has never sounded better than on here. The recording also contains memorable performances by Jan Clayton and Jean Darling.


The 1965 Lincoln Center revival recording is decent. John Raitt is great, of course. Eileen Christy is alright as his Julie. Jerry Orbach is wonderful as Jigger.


The 1994 revival cast sucks. Everyone in the cast was miscast, except for Shirley Verrett and Sally Murphy. Michael Hayden couldn't sing at all!! And of course one might say that it is okay as long as he can act. But the thing is his characterization of Billy wasn't interesting, either. Too studied and boring. Not to mention completely lacking in sex appeal. And as talented as Audra McDonald is, she was sooooo wrong for Carrie. She has NO SPUNK.


The London revival recording isn't good, either. What is it with people casting actors who can't sing in Carousel?!?! It just doesn't work at all!! This is Rodgers & Hammerstein, for Chrissake. You have to be able to do more than carry a tune.


And as for the 1987 recording... A 55-year-old Barbara Cook singing Julie Jordan like a little old lady, paired with Sarah Brightman? That makes it bad automatically.



The movie soundtrack isn't too bad. The entire cast is excellent, except for Barbara Ruick who is bland as Carrie, and Gordon MacRae, who has a beautiful voice but lacks the depth as an actor to capture Billy's emotional journey. Shirley Jones is hands down the best Julie ever. She was so real and achieved the arc of the character beautifully. I was so moved by her in the last few scenes. (Lovely voice, too!) She without a doubt gives the strongest performance in the film.

[SomeoneLikeYou]

[Silverweed]

I agree that McRae was lackluster. But I adore Shirley Jones. Underneath the innocence you can really sense an internal srength that drives her. Oscar Hammerstein really liked her too.

[Apples2for10]

[Mouse103167]

[Alm]

[jv92]