Search - Maxwell Anderson, Alan Paton :: Lost In The Stars (1949 Original Broadway Cast)

Powerful performance,historically significant

06/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After 50 years the little snippet heard on this site brings back the original emotions.I would love to purchase this recording in any format. The original performance, a life-changing event for me as a young girl, is recaptured."

"THE MOST MOVING MUSIC AND SACRIFICE OF A NATION

05/31/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw the oringinal Musical "Lost in the Stars", and have the 33 album. Would love to have a CD to play on my "modern" equipment. When Todd Duncan was asked to do the part of the "Efunsdi", he read the part and broke an existing contract to go into rehearsal. He said "I have to do this for my people." I was enthralled at the libretto and zest of the choreography. So when I hear the music I am taken right back to the Opera stage and see and hear the glorious presentation. Please put it back into circulation, or if someone out there has a copy (cd) I would love to talk to you about it. CT"

Excellent Musical Play, but not Weill's Best

B. Marold | Bethlehem, PA United States | 10/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"`Lost in the Stars' and `Johnny Johnson' are two Broadway shows scored by Kurt Weill in collaboration with Maxwell Anderson and Paul Green respectively for the librettos, both in English. Both are distinguished works and both were, I believe, fairly popular when they were first performed. What these two works have in common is that they are both works aimed at our social conscience.



`Johnny Johnson' is a mildly anti-war play dealing with America's entering the First World War, written in the mid 1930s, when Germany was already uncomfortable for Jews, but not yet on the brink of precipitating World War II. What is most interesting to me about the libretto is the reluctance of the principle character, Johnny, to enlist in the army, while his fiancée (contrary to many famous antiwar works of the past), is all in favor of his enlisting and threatens to break their engagement if he does not enlist. As a work of art, I believe the work is more interesting as a milepost in American antiwar sentiments than as an important artistic work for either the composer or the lyricist. To my ear, there is not a single song from this work that finds its way into the repertoire of balladeers. This is from a composer who has given us `September Song', `Speak Low', `Lost in the Stars', `Saga of Jenny', and `Lonely House', not to mention all the great songs from his German works such as `Mack the Knife' and `Pirate Jenny'. On top of this, there is my feeling that much of the instrumental music sounds very similar to earlier German works, especially `Mahagonny'.



`Lost in the Stars' is based on Alan Paton's novel, `Cry, the Beloved Country' and was written after World War II, in 1948-1949, and has much of the musical interest of what is missing from `Johnny Johnson'. Throughout the play, the instrumental music is much less similar to earlier Weill works and all songs seem stronger. At least two of these songs, `Lost in the Stars', `Trouble Man' and `Stay Well' are often performed by Lotte Lenya and other vocalists. While it may be pushing it a bit, this work seems almost as strong as Gershwin's `Porgy and Bess'.



I bought both because I am a big fan of Kurt Weill's music, and I would recommend both recordings to any and all Weill enthusiasts, especially as both have extensive notes and complete librettos. But, to the person mostly interested in Broadway in general, I would recommend only `Lost in the Stars'.



I will say that the performances of both vocalists and orchestra are excellent on both; however the vocalists on `Lost in the Stars' seem to give just a little extra, possibly because their material is just a bit more substantial.

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