Ragtime
(RCA Victor)
The Tony Award-winning score by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens for this grand and glorious Broadway musical receives the same high gloss and meticulous attention to detail as the stage production itself. Beginning with the intricate 10-minute ragtime chorale that opens the show and sets the stage for all the events to come, the score delivers ballads, anthems, patter songs and comic ditties, all performed by star soloists (Brian Stokes Mitchell, Peter Friedman, Marin Mazzie, Mark Jacoby, Audra McDonald) and the large ensemble with skill and heart. At the end of it is a special, short “`Ragtime’ Symphonic Suite,” conducted by John Mauceri and arranged by the show’s orchestrator (and Tony winner) William David Brohn. A 42-page insert provides cast and recording credits, background information on the score and complete lyrics for all the songs.
