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 $32.00
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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
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Roberta, Act I: Lindy Hop
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Madrigal
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: You're Devastating
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 1
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Finaletto
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 2
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: You're Devastating - Stephanie's Reprise
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 3
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Yesterdays
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 4
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 5
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Something Had to Happen
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Rhapsody in Prose
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Dialogue 6
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: The Touch of Your Hand - Aunt Minnie's Death
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Scene and Trio
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Scene and Sidonie's Reprise
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Scene 4 - Opening
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Fashion Show
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: I'll Be Hard to Handle
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: "Yesterdays" Dance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act I: Finale
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta: Entr'acte
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Hot Spot
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 7
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Scene - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 8
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Let's Begin - Reprise 1
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Dance Scene
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 9
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Something Had to Happen - Reprise
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Dialogue 10
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Let's Begin - Reprise 2 and Sewing Dept. Dance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Don't Ask Me Not to Sing
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Rroberta, Act Ii: The Touch of Your Hand - Party Performance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Scene Change
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Wardrobe Scene
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Clementina
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Reprises - I'll Be Hard to Handle & Let's Begin
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Act Ii: Finale Ultimo
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Appendix: Armful of Trouble
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Appendix: I Won't Dance
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta, Appendix: Lovely to Look At
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta: Exit Music
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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Roberta: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Jerome Kern; Otto Harbach
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