For the first time in nearly 60 years, Craft Recordings released the original recording of actor Christopher Plummer singing “Edelweiss” in the classic film “The Sound of Music.”
Plummer’s vocal parts were dubbed over by Bill Lee, whose voice was frequently used for dubbing, according to Rodgers & Hammerstein. Plummer was also the recipient of two Tony Awards from six nominations, according to Canada’s Walk of Fame. (RELATED: ‘Sound Of Music’ Star Christopher Plummer Dies At 91)
IT’S FINALLY HERE! 🥹 For the first time ever, nearly 60 years after the film’s release, listen to Christopher Plummer’s ✨ORIGINAL✨ vocals for “Edelweiss” in The Sound of Music. (ICYMI: he was dubbed by Bill Lee in the 1965 film.)
Watch the full clip: https://t.co/CJctXIDox7 pic.twitter.com/DP23VHgrJg
— The Sound of Music (@SoundofMusic) December 1, 2023
A new deluxe edition soundtrack set by Craft Recordings, which sold out on the day of release, includes five discs. The set also includes 40 previously unreleased tracks, and 11 never-before-heard alternate performances from the cast. The set also features in-depth liner notes by film historian and preservationist Mike Matessino, who was an associate of late “The Sound of Music” director and producer Robert Wise.
“The Sound of Music provides a window into the arcane world of voice doubles for screen musicals. It was a subject considered verboten until the whiskered kittens started to be let out of the brown paper packages in early 1964,” Matessino said in a press statement.
“On set, the tracks were played over speakers as the cameras rolled, with the actors singing to their own recordings,” he added.
“The songs would then be enhanced for the finished film, months later, with sound effects and dialogue added as needed. In some cases, the vocals and orchestra recordings remain unchanged, while in other instances one, the other, or both might be altered entirely. There are also occasions where small sections were tweaked after filming. Careful listeners, and especially those intimately familiar with the original album and film, will enjoy detecting these variations.”
“You will hear what you’ve heard before, famous songs with the mellifluous tones of Dame Julie Andrews leading the way, but the experience has been transformed beyond what the 1965 soundtrack album offered—with extensions to the songs, a brilliantly arranged underscore, and even some segments not used in the completed version of the film,” Matessino added.
The tracks include “The Little Dears,” “New Governess,” “The Gazebo,” and “Nocturne – Captain and Maria.” The original 16 tracks are also refurbished, available in standard digital, HD digital, and a Dolby Atmos mix. A Deluxe edition will also be released Dec. 1, including two CDs and a three-LP vinyl collection, The Wrap reported.