Mrs Bennet despairs of ever marrying her five daughters off, especially Elizabeth whose strong opinions and direct manner are seen to be slightly scandalous. When Mr Darcy, a wealthy gentleman moves into their area, he initially clashes with Elizabeth, but as the two get to know each other romance quickly blooms...

First Impressions (1959) is a musical adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice with music and lyrics by George Weiss, Bob Goldman, and Glenn Paxton. The show originally ran for only eighty-four performances and starred Hermione Gingold as the mother, Mrs Bennet, a role which was elevated from a secondary position to the central role of the musical.

Once again Sony has produced a faultless recording of the show. As far as the songs are concerned, the show suffers from having no memorable, outstanding numbers. There is also an odd use of some of the instruments. Whilst, on a positive note, the show has tried to move away from the strings and strident horns which adorn too many Broadway shows, its use of a harpsichord is a strange choice.

The original story was set around the beginning of the nineteenth century, by which time the harpsichord had fallen out of favour to be replaced by the piano. Given that the Bennet’s were a gentrified family, it would be unlikely that they would have still owned such an instrument. This lack of experience with nineteenth century also extends to the show having a polka as the dance where Darcy and Elizabeth meet, even though the polka originates from central Europe. The combinations of these anachronisms mean that the show loses all feeling for the period in which it is supposedly set. When the show isn’t dabbling in such oddities the soundscape reverts back to horn and string.

As well as Hermione Gingold the show stared Polly Bergen, as Elizabeth Bennet, and Farley Granger as Mr. Darcy. There are eighteen tracks on the recording, the track listing is:

01 - 'Overture'
02 - 'Five Daughters'
03 - 'I’m Me'
04 - 'Have You Heard the News?'
05 - 'Polka / The Assembly Dance / A Perfect Evening
06 - 'As Long As There’s a Mother'
07 - 'Love Will Find Out the Way'
08 - 'A Gentleman Never Falls Wildly in Love'
09 - 'Fragrant Flower'
10 - 'I Feel Sorry for the Girl'
11 - 'I Suddenly Find It Agreeable'
12 - 'This Really Isn’t Me'
13 - 'Wasn’t It a Simply Lovely Wedding?'
14 - 'A House in Town'
15 - 'The Heart Has Won the Game'
16 - 'Dance'
17 - 'Let’s Fetch the Carriage'
18 - 'Finale'

If we ignore some of the odd musical decisions, we're still left with a show whose music is just above average, lacking as it does any really memorable numbers.

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Charles Packer