When I'm Calling You

Commonly listed under her name because she gets first billing, Living Era's When I'm Calling You is a collection of nine songs sung by soprano Jeanette MacDonald (1903-1965), eight by baritone Nelson Eddy (1901-1967), and five duets (tracks one, two, six, sixteen and seventeen) which is perhaps less than those who take the album title literally would expect. Stars of stage and screen, both singers were operatically inclined, although MacDonald worked primarily as a movie actress before seeking and receiving classical voice training in an apparent effort to emulate Lily Pons. Macdonald's greatest authentic successes in opera mainly involved works by Charles Gounod (see track fifteen, the "Waltz Aria" from Romeo et Julliette); other composers and songwriters with whom she tangled include (as represented here) Franz Lehar, Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Nacio Herb Brown, Harry Von Tilzer and Richard Whiting. Eddy tackled some of these himself along with Giacomo Puccini and Georges Bizet; together the singers hogtied Rudolf Friml, Victor Herbert, and Gus Kahn. Accompaniments were committed by the usual suspects: orchestras operating under the direction of Nathaniel Shilkret, Ray Noble, Leonard Joy, and Robert Armbruster. Nelson Eddy was capable of kicking up quite a fuss (see "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp" and his marvelous handling of the "Toreador's Song" from Carmen). Punchiest of all is "The Mounties," a recording that almost certainly led to the creation of the cartoon character Dudley Do-Right and bears a stern resemblance to Eddy's over-the-top delivery on "Stouthearted Men." This is charmingly nostalgic stuff, much of it sentimental and precious beyond belief. ~ arwulf arwulf|