I looked forward to this new recording, encouraged by the stellar casting and by the generally impressive qualities of today's Broadway cast recordings. Initial impressions were positive. The score had not been hacked about or rearranged in any major way, except perhaps for the Follies Bergere song which had been extended. However, I then noticed the glaring omission of one of the funniest and most interesting songs on earlier cast albums, "The Germans at the Spa". Is it in this revival of the show and simply omitted from the CD? For whatever reason the song has been omitted and it remains unfortunate.

More generally the new recording has some desirable features. I liked Antonio Banderas. I thought he made a convincing Guido and coped admirably with the demands of the score. I had seen his segment on the telecast of the TONY AWARDS and had been impressed. It is also beautifully produced both sonically and in the CD packaging and presentation. Some of the women shine and I agree that Jane Krakowski is absolutely outstanding. I also agree that the role of Luisa comes across as hard and unfortunate. I will be in the minority but I was also unimpressed with Chita Rivera. Her Liliane lacked the variety and fineness of touch of her predecessors in the 1982 Broadway recording and the Australian recording.

I disagree with some of the others who have written suggesting that NINE is anything other than a top draw Broadway show. I have long thought it one of the cleverest, most musical shows of recent times. This recording shows why it may be that, but it does so less satisfactorily than the Raul Julia 1982 and the Australian 1988 versions.


An all-star spectacle   June 20, 2003
Frankie (Los Angeles, Ca. United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

WHAT A GREAT CD! This revival has a lot to live up to due to the expectations of a top-notch cast and every performer gives there best. Owning all three cast recordings, I can say vocally, Antonio Banderas is the Best Guido compared to Jonathan Pryce and Raul Julia. He has a rugged sexiness in his voice and his irisistable charm to many women is very believble. As Carla, Jane Krakowski is amazing. She has obviously trained her voice a lot since Grand Hotel. Her range is incredible, as the role of carla demands, and her take on the character is sexy, funny, better than Anita Morris, but not quite as strong as Becky Normand in the London Concert Cast or Alice Ripley in the recently released Maury Yeston Songbooks (Also released by PS records). Mary Stuart Masterson shines in the role of Luisa, Guidos long suffering wife. She Sings "Be on your own" the best I've ever heard it performed. Chita Rivera and Myra Lucretia Taylor also give show-stopping performances. With a rich score, lucious orchastrations, and a talanted and beautiful and sexy cast NINE is finally brought to the glory it deserves.


Definitive NINE, a must have recording TEN STARS!!!!   June 19, 2003
George Dansker (New Orleans, La United States)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This is the recording for which I have been waiting 20 years! I have always loved the music of Maury Yeston's NINE but have never been completely satisfied with any recording I had heard: not the original Broadway cast, the Australian cast or the Jonathan Pryce recording from London.

This brand new recording absolutely blew me away. Antonio Banderas is the greatest of all Guidos. He sings beautifully, with terrific musicality and superb diction, and gives a tremendous amount of soul, passion, and heart to his portrayal of Guido. Mary Stuart Masterson is heartrending and commanding as Luisa and also sings very well, her "Be On Your Own" is shattering in its dramatic effect, Jane Krakowski is fantastic and alluring as Carla, and Laura Benanti as Claudia must possess the most beautiful soprano voice on Broadway today. The duet between Benanti and Banderas "In a Very Unusual Way" is sublime and haunting. And to have Chita Rivera, who has 1000 watts of star power, as Liliane LaFleur is incredible luxury casting.

I saw the show about 1 month before I heard the cd, and I can say that the cd, conveys all the excitement, warmth and humanity of the highly praised and very successful Broadway production.

The cd is long, about 79 minutes of music, and there is a good use of spoken dialog to help convey the story for those not familiar with the show. It is a treat to get the complete "The Grand Canal" sequence, and one can see how brilliantly constructed is this scene. The cd booklet is beautiful, gorgeously illustrated and with (a rarity) the complete lyrics of all the songs. Sonically the cd is excellent, and special praise must go to the ravishing orchestrations (and excellent playing of the orchestra), as well as the extremely strong work of the other performers -- all who are excellent.

I know that Amazon only allows me 5 stars to rate this cd, but I would easily give it 10 if I could. One of the most important cast albums of the past 10 years!

Buy it -- you will love it, and return to it many times.