Gordon MacRae in Victor Herbert Operettas - Plus a Bonus LP

My posts of pop operettas starring Gordon MacRae have been surprisingly popular. (They are The New Moon and Vagabond King, Student Prince and Merry Widow, and Desert Song and Roberta). So let's complete the set (and fill a request) with this disc combining The Red Mill and Naughty Marietta, two enduring Victor Herbert favorites.

As before, these are pop versions of the operettas, such as audiences might have heard from MacRae's weekly Railroad Hour on radio. Most of the song selections are quite brief, allowing more of the numbers to be included on each side of a 12-inch LP (or separately on 10-inch albums).

My transfer comes from a 12-inch disc, although I believe I have at least Naughty Marietta in yet another format - a double EP.

This post also includes a bonus - a 10-inch LP of selections from Naughty Marietta and Herbert's 1905 operetta Mlle. Modiste, from the RCA "Show Time" Series of the early 1950s, featuring Doretta Morrow.

The Red Mill

Still from the 1906 production

The operetta was a precursor of the American musical comedy, generally with slight but amusing stage business stitching together the singing. The Red Mill is a good example; Wikipedia describes it well: "The farcical story concerns two American vaudevillians who wreak havoc at an inn in the Netherlands, interfering with two marriages; but all ends well." To make sure you can place the opera, Capitol is sure to show you on the LP cover a red mill and the delightful Lucille Norman in a Dutch bonnet.

The photo of Norman and MacRae that inspired the cover art

Henry Blossom wrote the book and lyrics for the operetta, which opened on Broadway in 1906. The main attraction is Herbert's endless supply of melodies, including "The Isle of Our Dreams," "Moonbeams," "Because You're You" and "In Old New York.

The arranger and conductor for The Red Mill was Carmen Dragon, making his only appearance in this series. He was a Capitol mainstay for many years - as was George Greeley, who filled the same roles for Naughty Marietta. Neither use Herbert's own charts, even though the composer was famed for his orchestrations. For those, you can look to several more modern recordings.

Carmen Dragon and George Greeley

MacRae and Norman both sing well, although MacRae had a tendency to let his vocal line go slack during this period, a problem that never afflicted Norman. Capitol enlisted Los Angeles contralto Katherine Hilgenberg to sing "'Neath the Southern Moon."

From the 1906 production

These Capitol recordings date from 1954, and were the last in a series that began in 1950.

Naughty Marietta

Victor Herbert

Naughty Marietta, which graced Broadway in 1910, is Victor Herbert's most famous operetta and possibly his greatest achievement. Featuring an intricate - if unlikely - story by Rida Johnson Young, it takes place in the New Orleans of 1780, and involves pirates, slaves, disguises, a scheming politician and of course naughty Marietta.

Marguerite Piazza and Katherine Hilgenberg

Capitol decided to cast the title role with Marguerite Piazza, a talented singer with the required temperament but who also had a tendency to be squally and whose diction was not the clearest. She does match well with MacRae, however. Los Angeles contralto Katherine Hilgenberg joined the cast for "'Neath the Southern Moon," a good performance.

No matter who sings, Herbert's melodic profusion wins out. This particular work include both my own favorite Herbert melody ("I'm Falling in Love with Someone") and his most parodied piece ("Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life"). Capitol saved them both for the grand close of this quick and pleasant spin through Herbert's most enduring legacy. It and its disc mate are very well recorded, with the impact enhanced by ambient stereo.

Film still with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald

Unlike The Red Mill, I found no stills from the first production of Naughty Marietta, so we'll have to make do with a publicity photo from the famous 1935 film, with Jeanette MacDonald as Marietta and Nelson Eddy as the hero, Captain Richard Warrington.

The download includes a few additional stills from the original production of The Red Mill, plus a brief review of Naughty Marietta from The Gramophone. W.A. Chislett liked the production, but complained of McRae's diction: "I do not like 'comrade' pronounced with a short 'a'." OK then.

Bonus - Songs from Mlle. Modiste and Naughty Marietta

In the early 1950s, RCA Victor marketed a set of EPs and 10-inch LPs with excerpts from popular musicals, which it called the "Show Time" Series. For one of the entries, the label reached back to the early 1900s for Naughty Marietta and another Victor Herbert score, that of Mlle. Modiste.

These materials (and all the "Show Time" Series entries) have appeared on the blog once before, but this is a new ambient stereo mastering based on the Internet Archive's 10-inch LP, rather than the EPs I presented years ago.

Felix Knight and Doretta Morrow

The leading lights of these Herbert operettas were Doretta Morrow and Felix Knight, both veterans of stage and film productions. Morrow introduced many famous songs as an original cast member of Where's Charley ("My Darling, My Darling"), The King and I ("I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in Shadow") and Kismet ("Baubles, Bangles and Beads"). Knight was a regular in the operetta and musical recordings of this era, having taken part in productions of The Merry Widow, The Desert Song, The Red Mill, Can-Can, Kiss Me Kate and others. 

Edward Roecker

Radio and stage vocalist Edward Roecker joined the cast for Mlle. Modiste's "I Want What I Want When I Want It." Leading the orchestra for this LP was Broadway veteran Jay Blackton.

The "Show Time" presentations were even more abbreviated than the Capitol series - four songs from each of the two shows on a 10-inch LP. But the selections here are appropriate, and the performances and sound are excellent. Morrow in particular is an exciting performer. RCA sensibly leads Mlle. Modiste with her gorgeous performance of "Kiss Me Again," one of Herbert's best songs.

Gordon MacRae in 'The Student Price' and 'Merry Widow'

I enjoyed preparing the recent post of Gordon MacRae with highlights from Roberta and Desert Song, so here is a second post containing two more operettas from the same series.

As before, Capitol teamed MacRae and Lucille Norman for Lehar's The Merry Widow. Dorothy Warenskjold was the female lead for Romberg's The Student Prince.

The Merry Widow production comes from 1952, The Student Prince from the following year. Capitol originally issued them on separate 10-inch LPs, then combined them on the 12-incher that was the source of my transfer.

As I mentioned in my previous post, these LPs were inspired by MacRae's long-running Railroad Hour radio show, which featured highlights from operettas and musicals, along with other musical fare. Both Norman and Warenskjold were heard on the program at various times during its 1948-54 run on the airwaves.

Lucille Norman

Lehar's operetta dates from 1905 and has been the subject of many recordings, being popular with both opera companies and with artists such as MacRae and Norman who enjoyed a broader appeal. Decca had Kitty Carlisle and Wilbur Evans record highlights in 1944. Then in 1949, Columbia came out with a selection of songs by Risë Stevens and Dennis Morgan. In 1952, Columbia invested in another recording, this time with Dorothy Kirsten and Robert Rounseville. That same year there was a film adaptation of the work starring, unpromisingly, Fernando Lamas and Lana Turner. M-G-M issued soundtrack highlights on LP. So there was no lack of competition for MacRae and Norman. But as before, the duo worked smoothly together and produced a highly enjoyable product. The recording uses the English lyrics by Adrian Ross, I believe. During this time, Norman had achieved enough renown to have her own trading card (at left), which could be found in the 1953 Bowman series, "Television and Radio Stars of NBC."

The Student Prince had been a enormous success on Broadway in the 1920s, running even longer than Show Boat. As with The Merry Widow, the operetta had quite a revival on records at mid-century, starting with heldentenor Lauritz Melchior, who starred in a 1950 Decca album that was offered here several years ago and is still available. Columbia came out with a Kirsten-Rounseville version in 1952. I am fairly sure I have that one too, if you haven't had enough of "The Drinking Song." In 1954, RCA Victor had Mario Lanza record highlights timed to the release of a movie version where he dubbed the vocals of Edmund Purdom. I definitely do not have that LP or its stereo remake.

Dorothy Warenskjold

For The Student Prince, Capitol teamed MacRae with Dorothy Warenskjold, an artist who appeared both with opera companies, mainly the San Francisco Opera, and on radio and television. In addition to this LP, she also recorded two solo albums for Capitol. As with Norman, Warenskjold also had achieved enough fame as to have a trading card in the 1953 Bowman "Stars of NBC" series (at right). The 96-card set included network personalities from Arnold Stang to J. Fred Muggs, but no MacRae.

In common with the previous collection, the backing and arrangements here are by George Greeley. The sound is very good.

1951 Railroad Hour ad (click to enlarge)

Gordon MacRae in Desert Song and Roberta - New Transfer

Gordon MacRae starred in radio's The Railroad Hour from 1948 to 1954. Sponsored by the railroad industry, the show concentrated on highlights from operettas and musicals, featuring MacRae and a succession of guest vocalists, including Dorothy Kirsten, Dorothy Warenskjold, Risë Stevens and Lucille Norman.

Capitol, MacRae's record company, saw some commercial potential in starring the singer in its own series of abridged musicals and operettas. The first effort was excerpts from Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate in 1949, with Jo Stafford, which has appeared on this blog. Next was Sigmund Romberg's The New Moon with Lucille Norman in 1950. Capitol must have liked the pairing - the two teamed for Rudolf Friml's Vagabond King in 1951. Capitol even used the same cover as The New Moon, just changing the name of the operetta.

Lucille Norman and Gordon MacRae

In 1952, MacRae and Norman again were matched for Romberg's The Desert Song and Jerome Kern's musical Roberta. The following year, Capitol combined these two 10-inch LPs into the 12-inch album that is the subject of today's post. Also in 1952, MacRae and Norman appared in Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow.

In 1953, MacRae was paired with Dorothy Warenskjold for Romberg's The Student Prince. The series came to an end in 1954 with two Victor Herbert operettas - Naughty Marietta with Marguerite Piazza and The Red Mill with Norman. Later on, Capitol had MacRae redo several of the operettas in stereo with Dorothy Kirsten.

1953 Music Views ad

I offered the Desert Song/Roberta LP here almost 12 years ago, and recently decided to re-transfer it so I could offer it in lossless format. Here is some of what I wrote about the record in 2008:

"The first side is The Desert Song. MacRae starred in the 1953 film of that Romberg work with Kathryn Grayson. You can find her version of the songs (made with Tony Martin) a few posts below this one [here].

"This Capitol recording is presented less as a string of songs and more as a potted version of the operetta, complete with overture and a supporting cast of Bob Sands and the great Thurl Ravenscroft, who is heard in 'Let Love Come.'

"The Kern-Harbach Roberta takes up the other side of the record. MacRae and Norman (a very good singer who also had an acting career) are joined by character singer Anne Triola, who has a little too much character for my taste. The arrangements and musical direction on both sides are by George Greeley. [Let me add belatedly that Greeley's work is excellent.]

1952 Music Views ad

"The problem with trying to cram a great score like Roberta into 25 minutes is that the individual items don't get much time. That's OK with me when it comes to 'Yesterdays,' which has been recorded by everybody from Washboard Sam to Helen Traubel (or so it seems), but not so with 'The Touch of Your Hand,' a gorgeous song that is too little heard, perhaps because it is not easy to sing. This record includes the hit songs both from the stage show and two that were interpolated into the 1935 film ('Lovely to Look At' and 'I Won't Dance')."

When these records came out, many people could still recall the heyday of operetta, which had been 30-40 years earlier. In the early 50s, there were several versions of Naughty Marietta competing in the record stores - besides MacRae and Piazza, the teams of Nelson Eddy and Nadine Conner, Earl Wrightson and Elaine Malbin, and Doretta Morrow and Felix Knight could be heard on LP. The last-named pair have appeared on this blog.

In 1952 There also were multiple editions of Roberta to choose from. M-G-M had adapted Roberta as Lovely to Look At starring Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel, so Capitol came out with the MacRae-Norman Roberta LP and Columbia countered with a Jack Cassidy-Joan Roberts version. Several years earlier, there had been a Roberta studio album featuring Alfred Drake and Kitty Carlisle, which I transferred a while ago. It is still available here.

I doubt that any revival of this repertoire on record would achieve much of an audience today. But here we don't worry about such things, so I plan on transferring MacRae's Student Prince and Merry Widow soon.

Diana Lynn, Part 2

Back in August I featured a Diana Lynn LP called Piano Moods. At that time, I said I thought the six Cole Porter items on the record were from a 78 album and the other two items (Lover and Slaughter on 10th Avenue) were from another album.

Pretty good guess - this is the 78 album those two items are from. It was in my collection all along. I forgot I had it.

As I mentioned in the earlier post, Diana Lynn nowadays is remembered for her films, although she started out as a musician. She was good at both arts - a very facile pianist and a very charming film presence. Also very good looking. We should all be so gifted.

A technical note: the arrangement of Mozart's Ronda alla Turca sounds like it was sped up in the mastering, perhaps so it would sound more impressively dynamic. In this transfer, I've kept that fast version but added one that is slowed down so it is pitched a semitone lower. That alternative sounds more natural to me, but you decide.

As with the previous set, the piano arrangements are by George Greeley, and the band is led by Paul Weston. This post is for my friend Mel.

George Greeley

Here's an LP requested by my friend Mel (welcome back!).

This the first time we've encountered George Greeley here as a pianist, but we've already seen him a couple of times as an arranger and conductor.

Greeley, who died only last year, was quite a talent - he also composed, with perhaps his greatest hit being the theme from the TV show My Favorite Martian. (See his obituary here.)

He was an exceptional pianist, as you can hear in these sides, which are from about 1954.

Love the cover, which reminds me of the elegant soirees in my own drawing room. (Of course, I have to move the records out of the way first.)

Painting the Clouds with Sunshine

I think this one is fairly obscure - both the movie and the record.

Painting the Clouds with Sunshine was a 1951 vehicle for Gene Nelson and Virginia Mayo, as well as Dennis Morgan and Lucille Norman, who are the performers here.

We have encountered Lucille Norman before, opposite Gordon MacRae in Capitol's version of The Desert Song. Dennis Morgan was a sometimes lead in Hollywood comedies (Christmas in Connecticut ought to be showing up on your TV starting in about a month) and also in the occasional musical.

Norman, as noted before, was a very good singer, and was sometimes used by Hollywood studios as a vocal double. Morgan was an OK faux-Irish tenor who was himself dubbed by Allan Jones in the Great Ziegfeld, which was Morgan's first film.

The musical selections are a mish-mosh, but the George Greeley arrangements are bright and well-recorded, and this is worth hearing for all those who love their musicals.

Diana Lynn

While Diana Lynn is best known today as an actor, she started out as a piano prodigy, breaking into films for her musical ability. But her charm and good looks were apparent, and soon she was something of a juvenile lead.

Diana made a number of records during the 40s, collected in this 10-inch LP on Capitol. I believe that the six Cole Porter tunes were recorded for a 78 album, with Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and Lover added later to make this LP - but not certain of that.

All the tunes here display her considerable skills and beautiful tone, and are graced by Paul Weston's fine orchestral arrangements. The piano arrangements are by George Greeley, who made many records of his own. Capitol's sound is excellent.

This post is for my friend Mel of Sallie and Mel's Golden Age of Hollywood, one of the sites over at Isbum's Place.