Book Description

Richard Chigley Lynch's latest discography completes his trio of reference works published by Greenwood Press. These review commercially available albums of show music, providing the researcher with the information given on album covers. This volume's 657 entries list some 6500 song titles and cover the years from 1874 (Die Fledermaus) to 1988 (Goya). Compiler Lynch has included every significant recording with the exception of some albums with uncredited vocals or those of well-represented scores with obscure vocalists. All commercially recorded tv musicals including some produced for younger viewers are contained here with--where available--the date of the recording. Studio cast albums are limited to those sung in English and performed in New York City and include English recordings of American shows. In addition to tv and studio cast recordings 14 other categories of recordings are listed under descriptive headings, including Archival Recreation, Concert Recording, Demo Recording, Failed Musical, Film Score, Ice Revue, Musical for Records, Night Club Revue, Original Concept Album, Pre-Broadway Recording, Puppet Show, Radio Production, Television Production, and Television Special. Following an introduction, the lengthy discography section arranges show titles alphabetically and lists the date of the show's first performance as well as the date of the first New York production of foreign shows. Also included here are original record label, number and information on reissues, and whether the recording is in mono or stereo or is available as a compact disc (CD). Major composer, lyricist, and musical conductor are credited and cast members who sing on the recording are listed alphabetically. Each entry also lists all songs included on the album in the order they are performed on the record followed, when available, by the name of the performer(s). Entries conclude with additional composers and lyricists who also contributed to the score and an occasional note of interest to the researcher. A separate television chronology includes the network that aired the musical, while the studio cast chronology indicates the musicals for records included. The movie chronology identifies the studio which originally presented the film. An index to performers lists each alphabetically followed by the titles of all albums on which the artist sings. The technical index alphabetically lists composers, lyricists, and musical directors with the show album titles following. This impeccable reference along with Lynch's Broadway on Record (Greenwood Press, 1987) and Movie Musicals on Record (Greenwood Press, 1989) are necessary additions to college and university libraries as well as to the reference collections of larger public libraries.