DESCRIPTION:
2004 New York Philharmonic Concerts

Four performances from May 5 - May 8, 2004 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York Philarmonic.

Cunegonde: Kristin Chenoweth
Music: Leonard Bernstein

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The "jewel" of the show (it's working title was Cunegonde's Jewel Song) and its most well-known theme, this aria is also prominently featured in the Overture. It is performed in every production in relatively the same place with almost no variations ever — except in how many high E flats the singer can hit. In all Harold Prince-directed productions, because Wheeler's book places her in Lisbon, Cunegonde sings "Here I am by sorry chance" instead of the original "Here I am in Paris, France." What a shame to loose a clever lyric just to be consistent!

There is a short musical interlude that precedes this song on the 82NY entitled Entrance of the Jew which is very similar to the music for Constantinople.

As for the best recording, no one does it better than Barbara Cook on the 56BP. Despite all the attempts by "legitimate" singers, nobody approaches the sheer joy that Cook brings to the piece. Our both being from Atlanta did not influence in the least my preference for Cook's version.