I first bought original-cast recordings of Ivor Novello's 'The Dancing Years' and 'King's Rhapsody' on two ten-inch LPs over 50 years ago, and have treasured them so much that I bought 'spares' from eBay as 'insurance' against scratching! I am therefore delighted to have acquired them now on this CD. To my mind no subsequent recordings of this lovely music even begin to match these originals, which include Novello's speaking voice on some of the tracks. The singers are superb and classically-trained, as this music requires, and together with the original orchestras they evoke the unique flavour of the 1930s and 40s when these shows first appeared. For anyone who loves this music, or who wants to discover what it REALLY sounded like, I cannot recommend this CD too strongly.
I first heard an Ivor Novello operetta at the Palace Theatre Westcliff-on-Sea when I was a young lad. I can't remember which one it was but I know I loved it at the time and have loved Ivor Novello music ever since. This disc is a very good recording. For me the songs in "The Dancing Years" are better than "King's Rhapsody" but it's all a matter of opinion. The best on the disc is "My Life Belongs to you" but the whole disc is well worth acquiring.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Glorious music that needs to be rediscovered!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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