Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Sound of Music
2. Getting To Know You
3. Getting To Know You Suite a) Overture b) Wouldn't It be Lovely c) Let A Woman d) Just You Wait e) Poor Professor Higgins f) The Rain in Spain g) You Did It h) Show Me i) I Could Have Danced All Night j) I've Grown Accustomed to His Face
4. I Wish I Were In Love Again
5. A Cock-eyed Optimist
6. Bewitched
7. Hello Young Lovers
8. Crazy World
9. Living In The Shadows
10. Camelot Suite a. Camelot b. The Simple Joys of Maidenhood c. How to Handle a Woman d. If Ever I Would Leave You e. What the Simple Folks Do f. I Loved You Once In Silence g. Guinevere h. Camelot

Disc 2:

1. Edelweiss
2. I Whistle a Happy Tune
3. My Funny Valentine
4. Shall We Dance?
5. I Have Dreamed
6. On A Clear Day
7. Here I'll Stay
8. If I Loved You
9. Waltz Medley a) The Carousel Waltz b) Do I Hear a Waltz? c) It's a Grand Night for Singing d) A Wonderful Guy e) Out of My Dreams f) Oh What A Beautiful Morning g) This Nearly was Mine

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13737 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-21
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 100 minutes

CD Description
'At Her Very Best' is the ultimate collection of film and Broadway favourites from Dame Julie Andrews. These are some of the best-loved songs in the world of musicals and they allachieved their popular status thanks to phenomenal performances by Julie Andrews. The album features songs from 'The Sound Of Music', 'The King And I', 'My Fair Lady' and many more.

Customer Reviews

As the years roll by....
Dame Julie Andrews has had a magnificent career and this double cd is magnificent in its own way. It is very different - not much evidence here of the renowned four-octave range, but bear in mind Dame Julie was sixty years old when these recordings were made. Of course her voice is much lower and yes, she does struggle for some of the top notes, but overall the lack of perfection gives the whole thing a much more human feel. "Crazy World" will bring a tear to the driest eye. This is Dame Julie with a lived-in element to that wonderful voice. Enjoy it for what it is, Julie at sixty - not how she was at thirty. That said, I do agree that the title of the cd could have been better chosen.

Very misleading album title!
In the 1990s Julie Andrews recorded 4 albums for Phillips - a recording of the musical, The King and I, a recording of the stage show Victor Victoria, and 2 compilation albums, one of songs Richard Rogers had written the music for, and one of songs Alan J Lerner had written lyrics for.

This album is NOT a "best of", it is only a compilation of these 4 albums. Julie was about 60 when they were recorded, and her voice is much lower, she sometimes struggles a bit for the higher notes and the arrangements are very different. If you're looking for the clear soprano from "The Sound of Music", look elsewhere.

However, her voice does have a lovely mature tone in places (e.g. "My funny valentine") and there are some great up-tempo suprises, for example "I wish I were in love again". The song selection here is OK, but not what I would've chosedn.

But all in all, one to be missed. If you want to hear how Julie sounded later, go for Broadway - the music of Richard Rogers as probably the best of these later albums, as you can pick it up for around 2 or 3 quid from amazon. You may also want to try Victor/Victoria (the film soundtrack) from the 1980s. Or explore her other musicals where she sings with no comparison, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Camelot, and Star! being my favourites (you may have to get Star! on vinyl though). Lastly, you could try one of her earlier song-albums, Julie Sings or The Lass With The Delicate Air being the best (you're probably better off giving the others a miss).

Delightful
This double cd really contains the very best recordings Miss Andrews did during the 90's, before losing her singing voice. Her renditions are so heartfelt, her voice reveals such a warmth and depth, that, if you are not looking for a belter, but for a performer (an actress who sings) you won't be disppointed. Just listen to that simple folk song - "Edelweiss" - transformed, by her talent, into a sad exile song and don't be ashamed if a tear rolls by. It's a compilation of a mature Julie. She is not showing off her legendary four-octave voice. Instead, she is showing reflexive moods ("My Funny Valentine" is all violins and she sounds like a cello) and deep feelings, like in the gay anthem "Living In The Shadows". Not recommended for the common ears, but for the careful listeners.