studio in London. Not just any studio, but Abbey Road Studio, where John, Paul, George and Ringo recorded most of their music from 1962 to 1970. Ted Chapin didn’t have to imagine it. He lived it and confides that “it was pretty cool.” But instead of hearing the legendary Beatles, he listened with pride and admiration as the talented British conductor John Wilson coaxed his handpicked orchestra—comprised of many of the U.K. and Europe’s finest first-string players—to bring to life the film orchestrations of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Wilson has produced countless orchestrations for film, radio and TV, and his lifelong love of musicals has led him to restore the scores of numerous classic films including High Society and Singin’ in the Rain. “I listened to a CD many years ago of movie music by John Wilson. I’d never heard of him before, but immediately became a fan,” says Chapin, president and CEO of the New York-based Rodgers & Hammerstein: An
JOHN WILSON CONDUCTS HIS ORCHESTRA IN THE LEGENDARY ABBEY ROAD Imagem STUDIO. Company. “It led THE ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC, me on a quest to find this person who conducted with such guts and passion. I wanted him to take a look at the repertoire that I represented.” Chapin and Wilson would eventually meet at the BBC Proms, share their zeal for all things R&H, and agree to collaborate on a project. The culmination of that mutual admiration is EMI Classics’
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SEVEN DECADES LATER!
Rodgers & Hammerstein At The Movies, the first re-recording of many of R&H’s most beloved songs since the original movie soundstage sessions. “There is nothing in existence with this type of integrity,” boasts
CHRIS CHRISTODOLOU / SIM CANETTY-CLARKE LICENSED TO EMI CLASSICS
music Imagine taking the long and winding road to a recording
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN REVISITED
“The recording opened to critical acclaim in the U.K. last fall, ahead of Coldplay, the Beach Boys, Katy Perry…” Chapin. “John has shaken up R&H’s music and said, ‘Listen to this: it’s pretty extraordinary. Don’t take it for granted.’” Since debuting to critical acclaim in the U.K. last fall—ahead of Coldplay, the Beach Boys and Katy Perry—the recording has enjoyed comparable notoriety in the United States following its February 2013 release. How could it not with a selection of 15 classics from Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music in their stunning original film orchestrations? Almost seven decades after Rodgers & Hammerstein first collaborated on Oklahoma, the universality and significance of their music and message has never been stronger—both in the U.S. and abroad. John Wilson saw the reaction firsthand when he performed the duo’s iconic music at the BBC Proms and received a huge public response that grew with each subsequent performance. He was gratified by the strong reaction to a legendary team that he believes “gave us a completely new sort of musical where the songs were seamlessly integrated into the plot and pushed the plot forward. In addition to this, you got terrific tunes and beautifully crafted lyrics.” “If you’re a general fan of Rodgers & Hammerstein, you will hear in these performances such a degree of energy, clarity and passion, it’s like hearing them for the first time,” explains Chapin. “Everyone knows the
notes that make up these songs, but when you hear them played by John Wilson, you sit up and say ‘Wow!’” And that’s exactly what happened to David Pittsinger, the international opera star who made his Broadway debut as Emile de Becque in South Pacific and who also performs Some Enchanted Evening on this recording. Pittsinger says he’s in awe of “the genius of John Wilson. He captured the essence, the flavor, the text and the color of the film orchestrations. It’s inspirational to be a student, curator and champion of this music, which serves as a great tribute to the lasting relevance of Rodgers & Hammerstein.” Interestingly, South Pacific was the first musical featuring R&H as both writers and producers. One of the most successful partnerships in the history of American musical theater, their musicals have collectively earned 34 Tonys, 15 Oscars, two Pulitzer Prizes and two Grammys. For this unprecedented recording, Wilson chose what he considered to be “all the best tunes... where the orchestrations show off the orchestra.” He also showcased a broad crosssection of characters—“the Rodgers & Hammerstein types”—and intentionally cast great singers who are also respected actors. “John is smart at getting all the goods to make music,” adds Chapin. “I think Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Hammerstein would be thrilled by the results. They’d say, ‘Whoa, that’s what we wrote… and that’s exactly the way we wanted it to sound.”’
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MUSICAL MUSINGS ON MEN’S STYLE Ted Chapin: “God love the blue blazer is all I can say! Women always travel with lots of clothes on hangers, but if I’m gone for a threeday trip, I can do it all with a blue blazer. Brioni is the suit that looks best on me, so I guess I now have ‘a brand.’ And I like to have fun with neckties, an absurd category of clothing when you think about it....” David Pittsinger: “I feel very close to Emile de Becque’s style: clothing that’s refined, but expressive. I love lifetime classics—like Zegna and Armani—that make you feel impeccably dressed and pressed. But I also admire the styling of Robert Graham, whose color palettes, hand-stitching and tattoo-inspired designs are dramatic yet elegant.”