Victory at Sea

I am presenting the original 1953 recording of Victory at Sea for no other reason than I wanted to listen to it and decided to record it while doing so.

This was issued on CD about 20 years ago, but I believe that has long been out of print. What generally is available in the stereo remake, which extends to three volumes. This transfer is from a nice copy of the original LP.

Victory at Sea was a 13-hour documentary series that appeared on US television in 1952-53, and then in syndication for many years thereafter. For families like mine, where the father was on active duty in the South Pacific during the Second World War, it was watched intently, and I remember it well - especially the memorable score.

Robert Russell Bennett

And quite a score it was, a true collaboration between composer Richard Rodgers and arranger Robert Russell Bennett, who worked together for many years. Some think that Bennett contributed as much or more to the score than Rodgers did. If we look strictly at quantity, that is undoubtedly true. There are 13 hours of music; Rodgers reputedly contributed only the 12 themes that are heard throughout the score. Of course, they are much the most memorable part of the what is heard; the reason why the music is still heard today. Bennett was a very talented orchestrator; Rodgers was a genius at what he did.

Even geniuses need help every once in a while. If you listen to the main theme from Victory at Sea ("The Song of the High Seas") after one of the themes from the first movement of Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, premiered in 1910, you will see where Rodgers may have looked for inspiration. He also cribs the main theme from Chausson's Poem de l'amour et de la mer. Plus there are echoes of Elgar and Tchaikovsky in the orchestrations, but these would have been the work of Bennett.

Richard Rodgers

Note (June 2023): Valued commenter JAC writes as follows: "This is a most timely revival of this topic, given the very recent publication of George J. Ferencz's masterful book on the score. In impressive detail, both historical and analytical, he takes us through the making and contents of each episode.

"And he does establish beyond question how overwhelmingly essential Bennett was to the fabric of the score. Rodgers contributed his dozen themes, and they're truly inspired, no question. But there are whole episodes that mostly (or all) Bennett after the opening titles, and those are not all just unobtrusive background either -- there are complete Bennett marches for instance. I guess it's clear that I highly recommend this book."

Rodgers was a practical fellow. While composing the themes for Victory at Sea, he and Oscar Hammerstein also were discussing a new show, which became Me and Juliet. Not one of their big successes, but it does have an highly enjoyable score. The hit number was "No Other Love," a tango that was first heard in Victory at Sea as the "Beneath the Southern Cross" theme.

"No Other Love" 78 picture sleeve

RCA Victor, which had bankrolled Me and Juliet, rushed a Perry Como rendition of "No Other Love" to market to coincide with the musical's May 1953 opening. Como was a Crosbyite, but even the laid-back Bing might have found Perry's version impossibly languid. The download includes the a transfer from the original 78, which came in the picture sleeve at right. (Yes, there were 78 picture sleeves for a time.) The artwork is based on the play's program and is similar to the cover of the original cast LP.

Victory at Sea was recorded July 2, 1953 in Manhattan Center with members of the NBC Symphony, Bennett conducting.

[Note (June 2023): These recordings have now been remastered in ambient stereo. There is slight distortion on the vocal peaks in Perry Como's "No Other Love" single, probably caused by a disc master cut at too high a level. This distortion is present on all three copies I checked.]