Kismet (1991 Studio Cast) at Music Hills.com

Act I: Ov - LSO
Act I: Sands Of Time - Rodne Brown/James Bassi/Daniel Egan/Michael Hume
Act I: 'Salaam, Noble Gentlemen!'/Rhymes Have I - Samuel Ramey/Ruth Ann Swenson
Act I: My Magic Lamp - Ruth Ann Swenson
Act I: 'I Sat Down, Feeling Desolated'/Fate - Samuel Ramey
Act I: Bazaar Of The Caravans - James Bassi/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Corale Of New York
Act I: Entrance Of Lalume - LSO
Act I: Not Since Nineveh - Julia Migenes/Dom DeLuise/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Corale Of New York
Act I: Baubles, Bangles And Beads - James Bassi/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York/Ruth Ann Swenson
Act I: Paradise Garden/'This Garden-It's So Pretty' - Ruth Ann Swenson/Jerry Hadley
Act I: Stranger In Paradise - Ruth Ann Swenson/Jerry Hadley
Act I: He's In Love - Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act I: The Wazir's Palace/The Wazir's Council - LSO
Act I: 'Let The Sentence Stand'/Gesticulate - Dom DeLuise/Julia Migenes/Samuel Ramey/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act I: Bored - Julia Migenes/Samuel Ramey
Act I: Fate-Final Act I - Samuel Ramey/Julia Migenes/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act II: Night Of My Nights - Jerry Hadley/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act II: Stranger In Paradise (Reprise) - Ruth Ann Swenson
Act II: 'Imagine! The Wazir Of Police...'/Was I Wazir? - Dom DeLuise/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act II: 'Dear Hajj, Our New Emir'/Rahadlakum - Julia Migenes/Samuel Ramey/Gale Limansky/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act II: 'Now Tell Me About Him. Who Is He?'/And This Is My Beloved - Samuel Ramey/Ruth Ann Swenson/Dom DeLuise/Jerry Hadley
Act II: The Olive Tree - Samuel Ramey
Act II: Zubbediya - Mandy Patinkin/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act II: Samaris' Dance - LSO/Ambrosian Singers/The Concert Chorale Of New York
Act II: Finale-Act II: 'And Finally, Oh Prince Of True Believers'/Night Of My Nights (Reprise)... - Samuel Ramey/Jerry Hadley/Ruth Ann Swenson/

Music reviews of Kismet (1991 Studio Cast)

Music Review: PERFECT!
Rating: 5 Stars

Where to begin? Well, Samuel Ramey as the Poet (and later Hajj), sings wonderfully and expressively. His amazing, rich bass-baritone voice is perfect for the role, and equally perfect is his rendition of "Fate" and "Gesticulate." This man acts with his voice! As does tenor Jerry Hadely as the Caliph. He sings "Night of My Nights" beautifully, and does a magnificent, breath-taking "Stranger in Paradise" with Ruth Ann Swenson. All it can leave you to do is sigh with contentment. (Hadely and Ramey also make good matches on Erato's release of THE RAKE'S PROGRESS, with another "thinking man's singer," soprano Dawn Upshaw.) Swenson sings everything assigned to her simply and sweetly ("My Magic Lamp" and "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" to note), and she is absoultely lovely in the role of the Poet's daughter Marsinah. She and Ramey also give the album a strong beginning with their take on "Rhymes Have I."

Dom DeLuise was a *perfect* choice for the Wazir! This was a brilliant stroke of casting! His "Was I Wazir? I Was!" will leave you chuckling. He got a lot of belly-laughs from me. Julia Migenes is a sexy, vocally-strong, absolutely brilliant Lalume! This stroke of casting was equally perfect. Her reading of "Not Since Nineveh" is my favorite track on the album. And she and Ramey are also a delight on "Rahadlakum." She steals the show, just like she did with Sony's unworthy release of MAN OF LA MANCHA.

Rodne Brown (one of my dad's old friends from his summer stock days) is very touching on "The Sands of Time," singing purely and brilliantly. Ramey, Swenson, Hadely, and DeLuise tackle "And This Is My Beloved" with a vengence, and make it a memorable and perfect rendition of this beautiful piece. And Mandy Patinkin, while still annoying, is only very briefly on the album (THANK GOD!) and sings his one song ("Zubbediya") in some non-sense language (I honestly doubt it's a real language). But his irritating "characterizations" fit the on-crack role of the marriage arranger, so he is, at least, bearable--if still not great.

And since this album has been cast with opera singers that don't really act (with the exception of Migenes and Patinkin--and he only thinks he acts), the lack of dialogue is really a service to the album as a whole! A major plus!

The Ambrosian Singers and Concert Chorale of New York sing fully and powerfully, particularly on "He's in Love" and "Bazaar of the Caravans." The London Symphony Orchestra plays meticulously, especially as lead by the masterful maestro Paul Gemignani, a brilliant force in the music world, that we are lucky to have.