The murky sound quality on certain parts of certain tracks of the first disc does not bother one at all, because they don't affect the parts of the soundtrack you are supposed to be enjoying. However, once you get down to listening to the remastered soundtrack, it will be easy to notice the pristine sound that improves this issue over the others. (The fact about pristine sound also applies to the second disc.) However, once you get over with this problem, there are still more serious qualms. This release is obviously not really ABSOLUTELY complete, as ttere are some missing musical segments (the Act One finale waltzes based on Edelweiss and the deleted song How Can Love Survive, the Entr'acte, the children's dejected-sounding reprise of My Favourite Things with Maria making it better half-way through by joining in, and the folk festival reprises of Do-Re-Mi and So Long, Farewell.) In addition, the original versions of the Overture and the Preludium prayer sequence are not included, as they seem to sound better and more complete when separated rather than when allowed to seague into each other as in the original soundtrack, along with the complete wedding sequence, also not included here. Also, the price is quite expensive, as it's clear that record companies keep reissuing and improving certain albums such as this by adding previously unreleased music until they are perfect and complete - all at the consumer's expense. Once that's said and done, you can easily get down to enjoying this classic soundtrack in the splendour of a sparkling new digital remastering and new video transfers of this classic film.

To sum everything up, I still can say I feel happy and satisfied with this new reissue of the soundtrack, even despite some minor quibbles and snags, but I feel as if I will not stop rallying until I see the ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE version released and made available. Perhaps the Richard Rodgers centennial celebrations next year will provide the right impetus for the R&H organisation to get 20th-Century Fox and RCA Victor to release and reissue the soundtrack in its original album and expanded versions COMPLETE on 2 CDs, with the original album taking up one disc (with all the outtakes as fillers) and the COMPLETE expanded edition taking up the other - all at a twofer bargain price. Still, I will be more than happy to recommend this soundtrack to the beginning purchaser, and it still makes a wonderful, if extravogant, way to acquire a classic in a sparkling and attractive new dress.

BTW, I would suggest checking out the new Broadway cast recording of the show and purchasing it along with this equally excellent version, as it presents a top-quality performance and is like a stage production in the spirit of the film, to give yourselves an alternate view and a more conceptual performance of the show.


"I go to the hills when my heart is lonely..."   August 26, 2000
 43 out of 48 found this review helpful

This brand-new 35th Anniversary Edition of the classic 1965 film soundtrack features two discs in beautiful packaging. (Okay, the purple coloring on the discs is a bit much)... the CD booklet is filled with pictures and is wonderful. Disc 2 features extended versions of several songs and many tracks (mostly orchestral) not included on the 1965 soundtrack, and an interview with Richard Rodgers. What is the enchantment of "Sound Of Music??" Maybe it's because the film and myself both turn 35 this year, but it really has a lot to do with Julie Andrews as Maria. Like another customer wrote, I always think of Julie Andrews, and not Broadway's Mary Martin, as Maria. Also, Andrews' devastating 1997 operation that left her without a singing voice, adds a note of sadness to this recording (as well as Andrews' classic Broadway performances in MY FAIR LADY and CAMELOT) as we recognize what has been lost. I recently saw a disappointing stage production of "Sound Of Music" and returned to the film and this soundtrack with a sense of refreshment, renewal, and even inspiration.


Much improved, but could be better   February 20, 1999
 20 out of 24 found this review helpful

This 30th Anniversary edition of the soundtrack to the film version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is a significant improvement to the previous CD reissue. Julie Andrews is undoubtedly the star of the piece, enjoying herself in the role of Maria. She makes much of her songs by delivering excellent renditions. Christopher Plummer' s Captain Von Trapp, dubbed by Bill Lee, is adequate and convincing enough. Peggy Wood delivers a powerful rendition of "Climb Every Mountain." The supporting cast make excellent contributions, especially the sparkling children. This reissue improves upon its CD predecessor by correcting the distorted sound and the running order (which has been rearranged to better reflect the original film narrative.) The documentation is better and the colour photographs are better focussed. However, at 46 minuted, with no previously unreleased tracks, this is not generous. Considering this album to be the 30th anniversary edition, all the previously unreleased material should be included in this reissue. This material is only available in a special CD that comes with the film's 30th anniversary LD edition. Perhaps next year, the 35th anniversary of the film, RCA Victor might add the previously unreleased material to this album. Anyway, this is still part of the R&H discography.


Comments on the 2 disc collector's edition   October 2, 2002
 20 out of 21 found this review helpful

My review on the standard one disc soundtrack of The Sound of Music is somewhere here. This is to comment on the 35th anniversary 2-disc set. The first disc is devouted to the original soundtrack album, with the second featuring extra music not on the original album. There are alternate, longer takes of several songs with extra music heard in the film but not the original album. Second, there are several songs not on the first album, such as the Captain and Liesl's first rendition of Edelweiss (my favorite version as compared to the reprise at the Festival), the ball music, the Laendler, the chase music, and the reprise of 16 Going on 17. Thirdly, Richard Rodgers' schpeel.

Alas, even this album is not really "complete." Missing is the complete wedding music along with the waltz at the close of the first act, the one based on the unused song, "How Can Love Survive," from the stage version. Missing as well is much of the Festival music and the children's own singing of "The Sound of Music" and "My Favorite Things." And I think the Richard Rodgers thing on the second disc is kind of unnecessary. The album is so wonderful, though, that you don't even think of completeness when you're enjoying this.

All in all, though, the 2 disc set (on the RCA Victor label) is well worth the purchase. Sound quality is exceptionally good on both discs, and neither disc is marred with extraneous sound effects such as extra dialogue, hand clapping and foot stomping that plague the "expanded" editions of Oklahoma, Carousel, The King and I, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story.

If issuing expanded soundtrack editions using music-only tracks is possible with this film, then it should also be easily accomplished with the others in the R&H canon if Angel Records (which controls Oklahoma, Carousel, and The King and I) cared enough to ask. After all, they were all released by the same studio, 20th Century Fox. RCA has done a superb job in expanding this soundtrack from music-only tracks and perhaps even better examples are had with Turner/Rhino, which issues restored and expanded soundtracks from the great M-G-M musicals.

Overall, well worth the purchase and highly recommended!