CD Reviews: Singin' in the Rain and Rebecca

Singin' in the Rain *****

ARTHUR FREED AND NACIO HERB BROWN

Rhino R2 74497

Disc One: 25 tracks - 73:18 Disc Two: 21 tracks - 77:57

What else is there to say about Singin' in the Rain? Most every critic believes that it's one of the best film musicals ever made. The Library of Congress' National Film Preservation Registry selected it in 1988 (along with Casablanca and Citizen Kane to name a few). The Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly-directed musical was released on CD in 1996 with a plethora of bonus materials, but now, to coincide with its expanded release on 2 DVDs, Rhino Records adds a new disc. This may not be essential to the casual fan, but it's great for music history buffs.

What most people don't know about the history of Singin' in the Rain is that few of the songs were actually written for the musical. Composer Nacio Herb Brown and lyricist Arthur Freed were a successful songwriting team in the '20s and '30s, and Freed (who was a producer for MGM at the time) suggested to writers Adolph Green and Betty Comden (successful lyricists in their own rights) that they create a musical based on existing songs. Using "Singin' in the Rain" as the title would be the only requirement.

Rhino Records has gone into the vaults to dig out the original renditions of the songs that made it into the film. Of course, most of these versions have been overshadowed by their later appearances in Singin' in the Rain. The title song, for example, was taken from the movie Hollywood Revue of 1929. Judy Garland performs a later version of the same song for the 1940 movie Little Nellie Kell with her usual pep. Many of these songs have been released before, but many have never been on CD, like the nine-minute "Broadway Rhythm" from Broadway Melody of 1936, conducted by Alfred Newman.

The first disc, of course, is the real reason to buy the album. The Brown and Freed songs are gems, and even the Comden and Green number, "Moses Supposes," is great. There are also previously unreleased versions of "Beautiful Girl"; the opening rendition of "Singin' in the Rain"; and a duet of "Would You?"  -- Cary Wong
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rebecca ****

FRANZ WAXMAN

Varèse Sarabande 302 066 160 2

18 tracks - 54:34

Rebecca stands as a watermark in the career of two cinematic legends: Alfred Hitchcock and Franz Waxman. It was the work that propelled them both onto the Hollywood scene as major players, and at the same time into the American consciousness. The film has been rightly praised as a masterpiece of gothic romance, influencing countless films over the following decades. It went on to win the Best Picture Academy Award of 1940. Yet with all the past accolades, it is strangely unknown today and the score and film print have languished despite the uproar of digital remastering.

The cause of the current state of affairs must be attributed to Hitchcock. The director later dismissed the film as "not a Hitchcock film," since it did not fit into his oeuvre of suspense. Likewise, film music scholars have focused on his collaborations with Bernard Hermann, almost to the exclusion of Franz Waxman. This curious turn of events is especially odd when one considers that Waxman scored two of Hitchcock's greatest pictures: Rebecca and Rear Window.

Fortunately, this year has seen the return of Rebecca through a gorgeous new DVD transfer by the Criterion Collection, as well as this glorious new 20-bit digital recording of Waxman's complete score by Joel McNeely and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. McNeely, working from Waxman's original manuscripts, pieced the work together as Waxman originally intended. For instance, a lost cue for Mrs. Danvers (track 9 on the CD) was resurrected and placed back where it would have appeared. The result is transformative as music previously known only as an old mono recording is rendered in full, lush stereo surround.

The "Main Title/Foreword/Opening Scene" alone shows why Rebecca is a masterpiece. It opens with Rebecca's theme, chromatic, fluctuating and angry. It's quickly followed by the theme for Manderley (the house, a character itself), an idea resting completely within a minor triad, adding an ominous undertone to the first images of the house. The third and final theme represents the love between Maxim and the heroine. With the juxtaposition of these three themes in one cue, Waxman presents the entire story. We hear how Rebecca and her house will fight against this new love, and we know that love will prevail. Indeed, when the new marriage is finally accepted and secrets are revealed two-thirds of the way through the film, the Manderley theme rejoices, transforming from minor to major.

This one cue only hints at the delights of this score. This recording of Rebecca finally gives the score the recognition it deserves. Add it to your collection and discover why people still dream of Manderley...  -- Andrew Granade
 

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