The cast recording of West End musical The Prince of Egypt allows the orchestra and ensemble as well as the leading cast to shine.
Filled with the same sense of drama and emotion that watching the production live, The Prince of Egypt original cast recording is an immensely powerful listen.
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From the immensely bold and commanding ‘Deliver Us’ that sets the scene for the story perfectly through to the heartbreaking ‘Heartless’, Stephen Schwartz’s score enhances all the emotions experienced by the characters experience as the plot unfolds. But it is also a score that drives the story forward in a powerful way as heard through numbers such as ‘All I Ever Wanted’ or ‘Always on Your Side’.
But it has to be said, that on the other side of this as the soundtrack progresses, elements of repetition, particularly in the lyrics, begin to creep in – which can mean that in places there comes across a lack of sincerity. It doesn’t happen very often but when it does it is noticeable as heard on ‘Never in a Million Years’ – which is a beautiful song but can rely too much on the same sentiments repeated.
This is only a minor distraction however in what is otherwise a solid soundtrack. Songs such as ‘Always on Your Side’ and ‘Make it Right’ perfectly capture Moses (Luke Brady) and Ramses (Liam Tamne) close bond but also their differences given the different directions that their lives take. Both Brady and Tamne’s vocals blend beautifully together to create a sense of just how they feel about each other in the different stages of their characters lives.
Elsewhere, other highlights include Christine Allado’s rendition of ‘Dance to the Day’ – a strong and charismatic performance but also captures the crystal clear delicacy of Allado’s vocals that ensure she never loses control over the song despite the power behind the lyrics. Meanwhile, the haunting rendition of ‘When You Believe’ (a song that is very much appropriate for the times we are currently living in) doesn’t fail to provide goosebumps.
It is an album that is filled with power, drama and emotion that Stephen Schwartz manages to expose in the power of his music and lyrics making this a stunning listen.
By Emma Clarendon
The Prince of Egypt cast recording is available to download now.
Rating:
‘An immensely powerful listen’: @LoveLdnLoveCul’s gets goosebumps listening to the new cast recording for @composerstephen’s @ThePrinceOfEgyptUK ★★★★. #albumreview #ThePrinceOfEgypt
