Kyle Erdos-Knapp; Antoni Mendezona; Natalie Ballenger; Sarah Best; Sarah Mossman; Ian McEuen; Cameron Smith; Adam Cannedy; Light Opera Of New York; Gerald Steichen, conductor
from Albany TROY1590
http://www.albanyrecords.com
Victor Herbert's three-act 1914 score (Henry Blossom's song lyrics) -- the clash between a young female composer and an egotistical Broadway librettist based on a play by Frank Mandel, is offered in a new performance edition by Michael Phillips. His revision resulted in a reworking of the lengthy Mandel-Blossom dialog, entailed some minor repositioning of several musical numbers, but left Herbert's score and Blossom's actual song lyrics intact. All music is presented on this recording with a truncated version of Phillips' snappy book. The score is charming with the solo cello prominent and the lead soprano getting the best song, explained by Victor Herbert's own distinguished career as a cellist and his wife's position with the Met Opera.
