Search - Werner R. Heymann :: Knickerbocker Holiday

Vintage Weill recording of rare work

Paul A. Gerard | Australia | 08/16/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This recording was made in 1938 - the year the musical was first produced. Several of the performers are listed as being in the original cast - although it is not a true "Original Cast" Album in the modern sense. The sound quality is about what you'd expect from a more-or-less un-remastered late thirties recording, and may very well, given its provenance, have been recorded for radio.



The play is set in a seventeenth century Dutch settlement in North America called Nieuw Amsterdam (in other words, early New York). It is quite funny, although many of the jokes were topical - Pieter Stuyvesant is set up as a well meaning but dictatorial carricature of F.D. Roosevelt (who found the show very funny indeed - or at least felt it was good PR to let people think he did). I mention this in particular, because essentially what you get on this recording is the dialogue, with a few of the songs, mostly poorly sung and worse recorded. It is none the less predominantly a spoken word recording.



Especially as such a topical play is most unlikely to be revived - this is at least a fascinating historical document - which keen fans of Weill's work should definitely snap up. This is what edges it over to three stars rather than two in my book. Just don't expect to be able to get anything more than a very sketchy idea of the musical side of things from listening to it.



Fortunately, the famous songs ("September song" and "It never was you" in particular) are available on several later recordings - performed by (among others) Lotte Lenya herself."

Knickerbocker Holiday

James W. Eiler | Boca Raton, FL USA | 10/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know when this recording was made or where.No program notes other than brief plot outline. Could have been a radio performance. Still it's quite good and preserves a seldom heard work.I performed Brom Broeck in a college production many years ago. Unusual but delightful score. JamesEiler@Prodigy.net"

A Good Historical CD

K. D. Randolph | The Hague, The Netherlands | 04/08/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Even though this is a very helpful CD for understanding what the show was like, there is a lot of dialouge and not much music. So for those who are expecting a CD full of song and music be aware that it is like listening to a play on CD with musical interludes. That said it is still worth buying, as the recording will make an impression."