The album begins with a few measures of ominous instrumental and three blasts from a cannon. Then the sounds of water, rain, and ship bells pierce the relative quiet. Before long, “Alone” fully unfurls and the audience is introduced to the El Dorado players, speaking of when they met Edgar Allan Poe aboard a steamer on his way to New York and singing of Poe’s woe. For, unlike many cast recordings, the first for Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe is an experience of the show itself, rather than merely a collection of its songs.

Nevermore, an Off-Broadway production which finished its run in New World Stages last March, is a brilliant look at the life and death of Edgar Allan Poe. Written, composed, lyricized and directed by Jonathan Christenson, it blends facts from Poe’s life with details from his works. The book and its delivery have the cadence of poetry and the air of story-telling.

Obviously, much artistic license is taken in the overall story line; however, this is likely done purposefully, as the turn that the events take seem to reflect how Poe may have viewed his life while leading it. In other words, it is an exploration of the human condition rather than a strict retelling of fact. All, of course, filtered through the six El Dorado players as they lead Poe through his life, each playing a handful of different characters and serving a variety of functions.

This two CD album takes the listener on a journey through the majority of the show, flawlessly transitioning in such a way that makes it difficult to tell when one track ends and another begins. The seven cast members, Gaelan Beatty, Shannon Blanchet, Beth Graham, Ryan Parker, Garett Ross, Scott Shepley, and Lindsie VanWinkle, are at their vocal best. Perfectly in tune and time with one another, they make multi-part songs as complex and beautiful as one would expect from a cast of thousands. Graham is especially captivating, as she does vastly different voices for all three of her characters. In fact, if one listens only to the CD, one might think that three separate actresses play her parts.

Best of all, if you were not lucky enough to see Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe when it was still running at New World Stages, the album will let you know what you missed, but soothe you with a beauty of its own. And, if you have seen the show, it will remind you of the splendor that was watching it. Either way, fear not, for the show is looking into touring.

All in all, the album is an impressive, polished work. The music is operatic, exciting, and, especially if you are a fan of Poe, entertaining. For examples, they have many excellent videos on Youtube, the most recent of which is “The Raven.” The album itself costs $22.98 on Broadway Records and is worth every penny.