Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) & Frederick Loewe (1901-1988)
My Fair Lady (1956)
A Musical Comedy in Two Acts adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion (1913) and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion (1938)
Eliza Doolittle – Scarlett Strallen; Henry Higgins – Jamie Parker; Alfred P. Doolittle – Alun Armstrong; Colonel Pickering – Malcolm Sinclair; Freddy Eynsford-Hill – Laurence Kilsby; Mrs Pearce – Julia McKenzie; Mrs Higgins – Dame Penelope Wilton
‘My Fair Lady’ Ensemble
Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
rec. 2024, Susie Sainsbury Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, London
Libretto included
Reviewed as lossless download
Chandos CHSA5358(2) SACD [130]
To my wife’s dismay, I have little interest in musical theatre. There are, however, a few exceptions, and My Fair Lady (MFL) is one of those. The original Broadway recording was one of the few records my parents owned so it obviously imprinted in my mind from an early age. But I’d prefer to think that the reason I love it so much is that it is because it is the supreme creation of the genre. In the notes, John Wilson quotes a member of the orchestra who sees MFL as the 20th century’s Marriage of Figaro – I wholeheartedly agree.I saw it in London’s West End in 2002 with Martine McCutcheon as Eliza, Jonathan Pryce as Higgins and Dennis Waterman as Eliza’s father; I consider it as one of the musical highlights of my life.
So I feel that I can review this new studio recording with some level of credibility. However, I recognise that it will be difficult to hear the great songs not sung by Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews (or Marni Nixon) and Stanley Holloway and make an objective judgement.
John Wilson conducted a concert performance of MFL at the 2012 Proms. With this new studio recording, his cast is almost entirely different, with Alun Armstrong as the only holdover from the Royal Albert Hall. The two new leads, Jamie Parker and Scarlett Strallen, are unfamiliar names to me but several in the supporting cast will be very familiar to anyone who has watched any British film or TV in the last forty years.
A recording of an opera or musical lives or dies on how well its big arias/songs are performed. This new recording prides itself on including supposedly every last note written for the stage version, but if Wouldn’t it be loverly is disappointing, then the majority of listeners are not going to be swayed by the extras, which include scene changes and other tidbits, plus discarded pieces.
Strallen sings well enough, but there are times when her accent slips, even before Eliza’s lessons begin. At one point in Just You Wait, among all the dropped Hs, Strallen sings “’Enry Higgins” which seems a trifle careless (I don’t think it is trying to show Eliza’s development, given it is only a single instance in the dozen times his name is sung). I Could Have Danced All Night is much better, but of course there should no longer be any Cockney accent by this point. Her standout performance is Show Me, which is perfect.
The part of Henry Higgins was specifically written for the non-singing Rex Harrison, which must make it tricky for someone like Jamie Parker who can sing. I’m pleased to report that he is quite exceptional, a true successor to Harrison. Similarly, Alun Armstrong does a fine job, not overshadowed by Stanley Holloway, With a Little Bit of Luck being a special treat. The chorus – the ‘My Fair Lady’ Ensemble – makes an outstanding contribution; the Ascot Gavotte is one of the highlights of the whole recording. Stalwarts of stage and screen Malcolm Sinclair, Julia McKenzie and Dame Penelope Wilton give some extra star quality but in roles that certainly don’t make full use of their talents. The other role is that Eliza’s suitor, Freddie, and here the rising young English tenor, Laurence Kilsby, shines in On The Street Where You Live. One of the Appendix tracks is the original version of On The Street, which features a sung “introduction” leading into the famous melody.
At this point, you may be wondering whether you need to add this set to your collection. The singing is mostly up to the standard of the original versions, but certainly does not supplant it, with the possible exception of the chorus. However, where this new set absolutely trounces the originals is the orchestral accompaniment. Firstly, we have the original scoring, with much more transparent textures, especially compared to the film. The small background details are revelatory. Of course the Chandos sound engineers have also played their part here.
So anyone who loves My Fair Lady does need to hear this, mainly because of the wonderful account of the instrumental music, and there is, of course, the aspect of the completeness.
David Barker
Previous reviews: John Quinn (September 2025 Recording of the Month) ~ Stephen Barber (October 2025)
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