MacDonald In Song
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''MacDonald in Song'' (sometimes referred to as ''Jeanette MacDonald in Song'') is a 1939 album by American actress
Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American soprano and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 film) ...
, released by
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
.


Background

Jeanette MacDonald had appeared in Hollywood musical movies throughout the 1930s and was one of the most popular American artists in the world. She had toured France and England in 1931 and 1933, and would tour the United States in 1939, starting from March. The album was recorded later that year between September 11 and 16 at the Hollywood Recording Studio in Los Angeles with an orchestra, conducted by
Giuseppe Bamboschek Giuseppe Maria Bamboschek (1890–1969) was an Italian-American opera Conductor (music), conductor, pianist, organist, music director and film director. During his expansive career, Bamboschek conducted performances including famed singers Enrico ...
. Bamboschek performed the piano on four tracks, as well as MacDonald's husband
Gene Raymond Gene Raymond (born Raymond Guion; August 13, 1908 – May 3, 1998) was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a singer, composer, screenwriter, director, producer, and decorat ...
(whose two tracks were not released). The album was released with four 10-inch discs.


Track listing

Ten songs feature on the track, despite 17 songs being recorded (some were additional
takes A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
) during the session.


Reception

''MacDonald in Song'' received mixed reviews:
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
's ''The Evening Sun'' noted the " oppy diction, a shallow, edgy voice quality and a banal lack of contrast in songs of varying mood and that "The red-haired soprano's film following will probably find these records pleasantly entertaining, but the regular concert record purchaser will not." D. S. Steinfirst ended his review with "Surprisingly enough, the Faust arias are above the average" after writing "Most of the singing is undistinguished." However, ''The Evening Sun'' dubbed "Ave Maria" the best track, which J. D. Callaghan agreed with, adding "although Miss MacDonald also is effective in two
aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
s from the opera ''Faust''."


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

*


External links

* by Discogs {{Authority control 1940 albums RCA Victor albums