Building a Record Library in 1953--Operetta and Musical Comedy

New York Times Music Critic Howard Taubman offers what is, for me, his best list yet, no least because it makes no distinction between European operetta and American musical comedy--and rightly so. Both are essentially plays with songs, and all that matters is the quality of the latter. There's some really great stuff here, a lot of it still very new in 1953.

[tonywatts]

As the great Tom Lehrer wrote 'Your lips were like wine, if you'll pardon the simile, the music was lovely and quite Rudolf

[williammoreing]

The wonderful lyrics for FINIAN’S RAINBOW were written by E.Y. (“Yip”) Harburg, who a decade earlier had supplied the lyrics for THE WIZARD OF OZ. The morning after the premiere of FINIAN, as the story goes, Harburg received a telegram from none other than fellow lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, which read “Dear Yip, I love you, Will you marry me?”

[richfarmer]

Christopher Street, A Little Bit in Love, Ohio, A Quiet Girl and the hysterical Conga!: Wonderful Town is a terrific musical.

[richardcapstack]

I really enjoyed this- great music is great music, regardless of genre.

[jaykauffman]

The Gilbert and Sullivan were the wonderful Decca sets with Martyn Green. Just about all were recorded by 1953

[johnwaring]

Oscar Straus (1870 - 1954). He also wrote A Waltz Dream and the film song, "La Ronde de l' Amour".

[Warp]

Dave, could you do a chat on biographies & autobiographies worth reading. I’ve read a few recently most were too dry & with little humour so I’m at a bit of a dead end.

[orenlurie]

Dave would you make an ideal list of this repertoire? A 21st century version of the Taubman list for repertoire and recordings?

[LyleFrancisDelp]

Wasn’t it Richard Bonynge who arranged The Beggar’s Opera for modern? Of course, his version would not have been available in 1953.