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Original London Cast. This recording struck me very much by how different it is to the rest of Andrew Lloyd Webber's shows. Which is a good thing, but it also means that I don't find this recording quite as "listenable" as some of the others. However, that quickly changed after I'd seen the show! Still, with the really thick accents and the less melodic music, it may not appeal to you on the first listen. However, the performers (most of whom I'd never heard of before) are really good, and I found most of the music grew on me a lot since that first listen. So, if you're prepared to give it a bit of work, I would definitely recommend this CD - just don't expect to play it for background music!

Original German Cast. As the months have passed, I've grown very fond of the London cast recording, so I was really excited to get another recording of this show, and this CD is a great companion for the first one. The orchestrations are quite different here - more synthesizer, and stronger in a lot of ways, although you could argue that the more sparse sound of the London cast is more appropriate for the show. The cast is also very good, particularly John. At times a few of the girls seemed a little too "operatic" for the score, but overall, I really enjoy this recording, and can see myself listening to it quite often!

Or, buy the German recording at: Sound of Music