The Arthur Fiedler Legacy: From Fabulous Broadway to Hollywood's Reel Thing

Arthur Fiedler

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The Arthur Fiedler Legacy: From Fabulous Broadway to Hollywood's Reel Thing Review

by Bruce Eder

Arthur Fiedler spent the last decade of his career with the Boston Pops signed to Deutsche Grammophon, resulting in some of the best-sounding records of his career. Much of that output was more on the "pops" than the classical side of his repertory, and this CD assembles the highlights of his theater music recordings. The sound glistens throughout, in what can only be called audiophile-quality splendor -- the Deutsche Grammophon masters have held up beautifully and have been elegantly digitized for this double-CD set. As to the music itself, how one receives Disc One will depend upon the listener's tolerance for medleys from Broadway and off-Broadway shows (and Disney movies) of the period (The Fantasticks, which opens the set, was still running at the time and, indeed, starting to attract attention with the length of its run at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, which ultimately stretched out to 41 years). More of Disc Two is given over to film music -- with a few detours into Stephen Sondheim territory, among other theatrical repertory -- and will probably be more accessible to listeners. It also closes out with the main themes from Jaws and Star Wars by John Williams (Fiedler's successor leading the Pops). These were also among the last recordings that Fiedler did. The set is well-annotated and the entire production is first-rate.

Track Listing - Disc 1

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
The Fantasticks, musical
1	Medley: Overture / Never Say No / They Were You / Soon It's Gonna Rain / Try to Remember / Metaphor Tom Jones / Harvey Schmidt	Arthur Fiedler	09:26	Amazon
2	September Song (from Knickerbocker Holiday) Kurt Weill	Arthur Fiedler	03:48	Amazon
3	Night and Day (from Gay Divorce) Cole Porter	Arthur Fiedler	03:54	Amazon
4	It Might as Well Be Spring (from State Fair) Richard Rodgers	Arthur Fiedler	02:52	Amazon
Mary Poppins, musical
5	Medley: A Spoonful Of Sugar / Jolly Holiday / Feed The Birds / Stay Awake / Supercalifragilistidexp Richard M. Sherman / Robert B. Sherman	Arthur Fiedler	09:14	Amazon
Fiddler on the Roof, musical
6	Medley: Fiddler On The Roof / Matchmaker / Far From The Home I Love / Miracle Of Miracles / Sunrise Jerry Bock	Arthur Fiedler	10:36	Amazon
Man of la Mancha, musical
7	Medley: Man Of La Mancha / Dulcinea / Aldonza / Golden Helmet Of Mambrino / I'm Only Thinking Of Hi Mitch Leigh	Arthur Fiedler	08:58	Amazon
Company, musical
8	Medley: Another Hundred People / Poor Baby / What Would We Do Without You? / Someone Is Waiting / S Stephen Sondheim	Arthur Fiedler	08:11	Amazon
Hair, musical
9	Medley: Aquarius / Donna / Frank Mills / Initials / Ain't Got No / Hair / Be-In (Hare Krishna) / Ai Galt MacDermot	Arthur Fiedler	13:40	Amazon
10	Day by Day (from Godspell)	Arthur Fiedler	02:59	Amazon
Sugar, musical play
11	Doin' It For Sugar Jule Styne	Arthur Fiedler	02:26	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Midnight Cowboy, film score
1	Theme John Barry	Arthur Fiedler	03:27	Amazon
2	Raindrops keep fallin' on my head (for the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid") Burt Bacharach	Arthur Fiedler	03:10	Amazon
3	Alfie (for the film score "Alfie") Burt Bacharach	Arthur Fiedler	04:56	Amazon
Portnoy's Complaint, film score
4	Theme Michel Legrand	Arthur Fiedler	02:53	Amazon
5	The Summer Knows (from Summer of '42) Michel Legrand	Arthur Fiedler	03:52	Amazon
The Garden Of The Finzi-Continis, film score
6	Micol's Theme Joseph Brooks	Arthur Fiedler	05:15	Amazon
7	Could You Put Your Light On, Please?, song Harry Chapin	Arthur Fiedler	04:59	Amazon
8	For All We Know (from Lovers and Other Strangers) Fred Karlin	Arthur Fiedler	02:52	Amazon
9	Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather) Larry Kusik / Nino Rota	Arthur Fiedler	03:03	Amazon
10	A Time for Us (Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet) Nino Rota	Arthur Fiedler	04:12	Amazon
11	Days of Wine and Roses (for the film The Days of Wine and Roses) Henry Mancini	Arthur Fiedler	03:32	Amazon
Robin Hood, film score
12	Medley: Love / The Happy Song / Whistle-Stop / Oo-de-lally / The Archery Affair George Bruns / Roger Miller	Arthur Fiedler	06:18
The Happiest Millionaire, film score
13	Medley: Detroit / Are We Dancing / Strengthening the Dwelling / What's Wrong With That? / Watch You Richard M. Sherman / Robert B. Sherman	Arthur Fiedler	04:56
14	El Condor Pasa Milchberg / Robles / Simon	Arthur Fiedler	03:13
15	Mrs. Robinson Paul Simon	Arthur Fiedler	03:30
16	Evergreen, song (for the film A Star is Born), song Barbra Streisand	Arthur Fiedler	04:15
17	Send in the Clowns (from the musical "A Little Night Music") Stephen Sondheim	Arthur Fiedler	04:35
Jaws, film score
18	Main Title John Williams	Arthur Fiedler	01:54
Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope, film score
19	Main Theme John Williams	Arthur Fiedler	03:44