Jerome Kern: Roberta
Liner Notes   Cat. No. 80760     Release Date: 2014-11-01

A Musical Comedy In Two Acts

Adapted from the novel by Alice Duer Miller Book and Lyrics by Otto Harbach Music by Jerome Kern

Annalene Beechey, Kim Criswell, Patrick Cummings, Jason Graae, Diana Montague, Laura Daniel, Jeanne Lehman, John Molloy, Eamonn Mulhall, Tally Sessions and Orchestra of Ireland Conducted by Rob Berman

Roberta, a musical comedy by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach, which opened at New York's New Amsterdam Theatre in November 1933, was intended to follow a similar structure of his two previous musicals, The Cat And The Fiddle (1931) and Music In The Air (1932). These musicals were chic, sophisticated tapestries of dialogue, song, and dance interwoven with nearly continuous underscoring.

Based on Alice Duer Miller's novel, Gowns By Roberta, the musical is a romantic coming-of-age comedy about a young American's growth from naïve college athlete to sophisticated owner of his Great-aunt Minnie's Parisian fashion house. Like The Cat and The Fiddle, which had been set in Brussels, Roberta presents a comedic clash between Old World Europe and brash New World America.

Likewise, the wonderful Kern score contrasts such haunting songs as "The Touch of Your Hand" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" with the brassy "I'll Be Hard to Handle" and "Let's Begin." Conducted by Rob Berman, one of Broadway's finest musical directors, the cast includes West End, Broadway, and opera stars Kim Criswell, Annalene Beechey, Jason Graae, and Diana Montague. There have been previous recordings of the songs from Roberta, but this is the first recording of the complete score in its original orchestrations by Kern's orchestrator-of-choice, Robert Russell Bennett.

Kim Criswell

Jerome Kern: Roberta

MP3/320 $19.99
WAV $19.99
2x CD-R+ $31.98
CD-R+ titles come in a jewel case with print booklet.                         Liner Notes
A *.pdf of the notes may also be accessed here free of charge.

Roberta, Act I: Let's Begin
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Lindy Hop
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Madrigal
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: You're Devastating
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 1
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Finaletto
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 2
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: You're Devastating - Stephanie's Reprise
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 3
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Yesterdays
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 4
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 5
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Something Had to Happen
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Rhapsody in Prose
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 6
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: The Touch of Your Hand - Aunt Minnie's Death
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Scene and Trio
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Scene and Sidonie's Reprise
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Scene 4 - Opening
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Fashion Show
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: I'll Be Hard to Handle
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: "Yesterdays" Dance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act I: Finale
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta: Entr'acte
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Hot Spot
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 7
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Scene - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 8
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Let's Begin - Reprise 1
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Dance Scene
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 9
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Something Had to Happen - Reprise
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 10
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Let's Begin - Reprise 2 and Sewing Dept. Dance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Don't Ask Me Not to Sing
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Rroberta, Act Ii: The Touch of Your Hand - Party Performance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Scene Change
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Wardrobe Scene
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Clementina
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Reprises - I'll Be Hard to Handle & Let's Begin
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Act Ii: Finale Ultimo
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Appendix: Armful of Trouble
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Appendix: I Won't Dance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta, Appendix: Lovely to Look At
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta: Exit Music
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy
Roberta: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
Buy