The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary Special Edition - CD Review and Giveaway

Fifty years ago today The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway. The beloved musical by Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II is one of the most popular musicals of all time. While on Broadway it won six Tony Awards including Best Musical. As a child, I watched the movie version starring Julie Andrews frequently and pretended to star in the show, wearing my own special costumes and singing along with all the wonderful songs. I know nearly all the songs by heart and have passed my love of the musical along to my children.

Several years ago I read Maria von Trapp's, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. I wanted to know the actual story that inspired my favorite musical, The Sound of Music. Those that wish to learn more about the von Trapp family should take the time to read Maria's book. Even though Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical isn't exactly historically accurate, I still love their version dearly. The music speaks to my heart and gives me goosebumps, especially the song, "Climb Ev'ry Mountain." Earlier this month on November 3rd, Masterworks Broadway released a restored, 50th anniversary edition of the original cast recording of The Sound of Music. In this original recording Mary Martin stars in the leading role as Maria and Theodore Bikel plays Captain von Trapp. Besides all the familiar songs, the new edition also includes three unusual bonus tracks, extensive liner notes about the show's history, and rarely seen photos of the recording sessions.

Sony Masterworks sent my family a digital download of the recording for review. The Sound of Music: 50th Anniversary Edition [CAST RECORDING] features songs performed by the original Broadway performers, restored for optimized sound. Even though most of the songs on the album were recorded on November 22, 1959, the sound is amazingly clear and of the highest quality. Mary Martin's voice is a little deeper and her style differs somewhat than Julie Andrews' performance style but we thoroughly enjoyed listening to this original version. My kids love the yodelling song "The Lonely Goatherd" and wanted me to play and replay the the track so that they could Odl lay ee along. Patricia Neway gives an impressive performance of the inspirational "Climb Every Mountain" showing off her powerful and strong voice. My mom's favorite, "Edelweiss," is featured on two tracks, the first song by Bikel, Martin and the children and later again in a very interesting version sung in German. Overall, this is an exceptional album and one that will be cherished by all fans of The Sound of Music. It's also great for family sing-alongs!

A new pop-up children's book has also been released by Simon & Schuster to correspond with the 50th anniversary. The book is titled, The Sound of Music: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up. (I will review the book at a later date when I receive a review copy.) A corresponding Sing-along activity kit is available for viewing online and includes a number of fun printables and activities, including some sing-along lyrics for "So Long, Farewell” and "Do-Re-Mi" to use with children.




Win your own copy! Masterworks Broadway/Sony has kindly offered to give away (1) The Sound of Music: 50th Anniversary Edition [CAST RECORDING] CD to a Brimful Curiosities reader.

To enter, leave a comment with the name of your favorite The Sound of Music song.

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• Contest is open to US and Canada
• Contest ends on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random

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Thanks to Masterworks Broadway for this review opportunity and for providing a free digital download for my family to review. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)