A White House Cantata

Locations
Call Number: CD Musicals Bernstein White
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 3rd Floor, CDs 2-week checkout	CD Musicals Bernstein White	2-week checkout	On Shelf

"Concert adaptation of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue"--Notes.
Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner ; orchestrations, Leonard Bernstein, Sid Ramin, Hershy Kay.
Compact disc.
Program notes and libretto in English in container.
President George Washington (1789-97). Ten square miles by the Potomac River -- President John Adams (1797-1801). If I was a dove ; Welcome home, Miz Adams ; Take care of this house -- President Thomas Jefferson (1801-09). The President Jefferson Sunday luncheon march -- President James Madison (1809-17). Seena ; Sonatina -- President James Monroe (1817-25). Lud's wedding ; The Monroviad ; This time -- President James Buchanan (1857-61). We must have a ball -- President Andrew Johnson (1865-69). Bright and black -- Presidents Ulysses S. Grant (1869-77) and Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-81). Duet for one -- President Chester Alan Arthur (1881-85). The money-lovin' minstrel show -- President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09). To make us proud.
Thomas Hampson (president), June Anderson (first lady), Barbara Hendricks (Seena), Kenneth Tarver (Lud), Victor Acquah (Little Lud), Keel Watson (Henry), Neil Jenkins (Admiral Cockburn) ; London Voices ; London Symphony Orchestra ; Kent Nagano, conductor.
Contents: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Interesting submitted by Jan Wolter on August 3, 2013, 6:29pm "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" was a broadway musical that closed after seven performances. This is cantata constructed after Bernstein's death from various songs from various versions of that musical and performed by opera singers. The presidents from Washington through Roosevelts each get a song. A strong theme running through much of it has to do with racial inequality. One really clever song, "Duet for One", had the outgoing first lady and the incoming first lady singing a duet, except they were played by the same actress, so she sings a duet with herself. This was apparently the only part of the original play that audiences loved, but in this performance it's just confusing unless you know what the intent is.