The idea of a Boston Tea Party is just a catch-phrase upon which to hang a typical
Arthur Fiedler
& the
Boston Pops
program. But there is some unity in an album that dares to place the music of
Lehar
(The Merry Widow Waltz, The Count of Luxembourg Waltzes),
Nicolai
(The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture),
Vaughan Williams
(Fantasia on "Greensleeves"), and
Balfe
("The Bohemian Girl Overture") alongside the likes of "Hernando's Hideaway," "Moonglow" and the theme from Picnic. After all, the pieces are from shows of some sort -- be they operas, operettas, films, or Broadway hits -- and
Fiedler
never bothered to discriminate between them. In any case, the waltzes have a relaxed grace and hard-charging qualities, the overtures are handled with Bostonian energy and poise. And it is a pleasure to hear the high-toned way in which the theme from Picnic and "Moonglow" have been symphonically woven into the same line; it turns out that they share the same chord structure. The mellow, spacious-sounding stereo LP version of this album became a prized
RCA Victor
"shaded dog" audiophile collectible. ~ Richard S. Ginell