This is a comprehensive list of all of the commercially released recordings made by Orson Welles. Welles is heard on many recordings that were not intended for commercial release and for which he was not compensated.
Drama Release date Original recording date Title Format Label Notes 1938 April 1938 The Cradle Will Rock Seven 12" 78 rpm records Musicraft Records (Musicraft 18) Slightly abridged version of Welles's 1937 Mercury Theatre production with narration by Marc BlitzsteinFirst original cast recording ever madeWelles, Orson, and Peter Bogdanovich, edited by Jonathan Rosenbaum, This is Orson Welles. New York: HarperCollins Publishers 1992 Lehrman, Leonard, Marc Blitzstein: A Bio-bibliography. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 2005. 1939 March 1, 11, 21 & 25, 1938 The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Five 12" 78 rpm records Columbia Masterworks Records (M-325) Highlights from the Mercury Theatre stage production featuring original cast membersIncidental music by Marc BlitzsteinCast: Orson Welles (Brutus), Joseph Holland (Caesar), George Coulouris (Marcus Antonius), Martin Gabel (Cassius), Hiram Sherman (Casca), John Hoystradt (Decius Brutus), John A. Willard (Trebonius, Volumnius)Released with Twelfth Night on Pearl CD in 1998 1939 July 27, 28 & 29, August 23 & 25, September 7 & 14, 1938 The Merchant of Venice Twelve 12" 78 rpm records Columbia Masterworks Records (C-6) First of four releases in the Mercury Text Records series, phonographic recordings of William Shakespeare plays as adapted by Welles and Roger Hill in The Mercury ShakespeareMusic by Elliott Carter, singing by Adelyn Colla-Negri, guitar by Julius WexlerCast: Orson Welles (Narrator, Shylock, Prince of Morocco), Joseph Holland (Antonio), Eric Mansfield (Salarino), Norman Lloyd (Salanio, Launcelot Gobbo), Edgar Barrier (Bassanio, Prince of Arragon), Guy Kingsley (Lorenzo), Sidney Smith (Gratiano), Brenda Forbes (Portia), Sarah Burton (Nerissa), Erskine Sanford (Old Gobbo, The Duke), Virginia Welles (Jessica), George Duthie (Tubal), Richard Wilson (Salerio, Stephano), William Alland (Balthazar) 1939 June 14, 16 & 17, 1938 Twelfth Night Ten 12" 78 rpm records Columbia Masterworks Records (C-7) Mercury Text RecordsMusic by Marc BlitzsteinCast: Orson Welles (Narrator, Malvolio), LeRoi Operti (Feste), George Coulouris (Orsino), William Alland (Curio), Richard Wilson (Calentine), Jane Gordon (Viola), John A. Willard (Sea Captain), Eustace Wyatt (Sir Toby Belch), Elizabeth Farrar (Maria), Will Geer (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Phyllis Joyce (Olivia), Guy Kingsley (Sebastian), Erskine Sanford (Antonio), John Straub (Fabian), Edgerton Paul (Priest) 1939 June 28, 29 & 30, 1939 Julius Caesar Eleven 12" 78 rpm records Columbia Masterworks Records (C-10) Mercury Text RecordsMusic by Bernard HerrmannCast: Orson Welles (Narrator, Marcus Antonius, Caius Cassius), Edgar Barrier (Julius Caesar, Octavius Caesar), Walter Ash (M. AEmil Lepidus), John Berry, (Publius, Popilius Lena, Volumnius), George Coulouris (Marcus Brutus), Everett Sloane (Casca, Artemidorus), Guy Kingsley (Cinna the Conspirator, Lucius), Arthur Kennedy (Trebonius, Flavius, Titinius, Clitus), Erskine Sanford (Ligarius, Pindarus), Richard Baer (Decius Brutus, Cinna the Poet), Seymour Milbert (Metellus Cimber), William Alland (Marullus, Young Cato), Virginia Welles (Calpurnia), Margaret Curtis (Portia), Stephen Roberts (Lucilius, Messala) 1940 April 17, 18, 20, 23, 24 & 26, 1940 Macbeth Nine 12" 78 rpm records Columbia Masterworks Records (C-33) Mercury Text RecordsMusic by Bernard HerrmannCast: William Alland (Narrator, Donalbain), Orson Welles (Macbeth), Fay Bainter (Lady Macbeth), Robert Warrick (Banquo), Erskine Sanford (Duncan, The Porter, Siward, Seyton), George Coulouris (Macduff, Angus, The Doctor), Edith Barrett (Lady Macduff, Gentlewoman), Edgar Barrier (Malcolm), Sam Edwards (Fleance, Macduff's son), Richard Wilson (Lennox), Richard Baer (Ross, Young Siward), 1945 August 23, 1944 The Song of Songs (Which Is Solomon's) 12" 78 rpm record Decca Records (29157) Welles reads a fragmentary wedding idyll from the Bible 1945 August 31 & September 9, 1944; August 20, 1945 In the American Tradition Three 12" 78 rpm records Decca Records (A-394) Welles reads Thomas Jefferson's first inaugural address (March 4, 1801), Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address (March 4, 1865), Woodrow Wilson's address to the Peace Conference in Paris (January 25, 1919), Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first war address before Congress (January 6, 1942) 1946 August 21, 1945 The Happy Prince Two 10" 78 rpm records Decca Records (DA-420) Welles's adaptation of the story by Oscar WildeMusic by Bernard Herrmann, conducted by Victor YoungCast: Orson Welles, Bing Crosby, Lurene Tuttle"It wasn't released for a year because neither of us would take first billing. In the end, they had to toss a coin just to get the thing out." (Orson Welles) 1946 (April) August 30 & 31, September 8, 9, 11 & 13, 1944, September 19, 1945 No Man Is an Island Five 12" 78 rpm records Decca Records (A-439) Welles reads a collection of immortal speeches on the interdependence of manAuthors include John Brown, Lazare Carnot, John Donne, Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln, Pericles, Daniel Webster, Émile Zola 1951 Abraham Lincoln LP record Decca Records (DL 8515) Writings by and about Abraham Lincoln, read by Welles, Carl Sandburg, Walter Huston and Agnes MooreheadMusic by Lehman Engle and Victor Young 1953 June 1939 Julius Caesar Two LP records Entree (EL 52) Reissue of Columbia Masterworks Records C-10 1958 August 1944–September 1945 No Man Is an Island LP Record Decca Records (DL 9060) Reissue of Decca Records A-439 1959 A Lincoln Treasury LP record Decca Records (DL 9065) Reissue of material from Decca Records DL 8515Includes The Lonesome Train, a drama in folk music form with Burl Ives, narrated by Earl Robinson 1964 (December) April 1938 The Cradle Will Rock LP record American Legacy Records (T1001) Limited-edition reissue of Musicraft Records 18 1967 June 1939 Julius Caesar Two LP records Lexington (LE 7570/7575) Reissue of Columbia Masterworks Records C-10 1969 1969 The Begatting of the President LP record Mediarts Records (41-2) Satire of Richard M. Nixon written by Myron Roberts, Lincoln Haynes and Sasha Gilien, narrated by Welles 1972 1969 The Begatting of the President LP record United Artists (UAS-5521) Reissue of Mediarts Records 41-2 1976 Great American Documents LP record Columbia Masterworks (USA 1776) Readings by Welles, Henry Fonda, Helen Hayes and James Earl Jones; music by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard BernsteinWinner, Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording 1976 October 18, 1966 Blitzstein: The Airborne Symphony LP record Columbia Masterworks (M34136) Commissioned in 1943 by the United States Army, officially dedicated to the Eighth Air ForceA history of human flight narrated by Welles, who performed the same role at the work's acclaimed premiere April 1, 1946Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York PhilharmonicWilliam Jonson conducting the Choral Art SocietyAndrea Velis, tenorRecorded at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center 1979 The Gift of Christmas: Army of Stars LP record The Salvation Army (KM 4395) Narration by Welles, music by the Roger Wagner Chorale and Sinfonia Orchestra 1982 1982 Battle Hymns LP record Liberty Records Welles narrates the track "Dark Avenger" by Manowar. 1983 1982 "Defender" LP record Music for Nations Welles narrates the single by Manowar. The song was remade in 1987 and the narration was reused and tweaked. 1983 The Gift of Christmas: Army of Stars LP record The Salvation Army (KM 11576) Music and readings by Welles, James Stewart, William Conrad, Greer Garson, Michael Landon, The Roger Wagner Chorale 1984 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young 7" single record Max Records (43057) Song by Jerry Abbott, lyrics read by Welles, music by The Ray Charles Singers and the Nick Perito Orchestra 1984 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young 12" single record GNP Crescendo Records (GNPS 1206) 1984 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young 7" single record Indisc (DIS 7738) 1984 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young 7" single record Splash Records (SP 29) 1985 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young 7" single record GNP Crescendo Records (GNP 834S ) 1987 1982 Fighting the World CD Atco Records Welles narrates the track "Defender" by Manowar. The song is a remake of the single version that was released in 1983 and where the narration was used originally. 1987 1976 Tales of Mystery and Imagination CD Mercury Records Welles narrates two tracks on the 1987 remixed version of The Alan Parsons Project album: specifically on "A Dream Within a Dream", and on the extended prelude of "The Fall of the House of Usher". 1988 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young 12" single record Compagnia Generale del Disco (INT 15367) 1996 1984 I Know What It Is To Be Young AudiocassetteCD single GNP Crescendo Records (GNPD 1407) 1998 April 1938 Marc Blitzstein: Musical Theatre Premières Two CDs Pearl (GEMS 0009) Reissue of The Cradle Will Rock (Musicraft Records 18)Includes No for an Answer (1941), Dusty Sun (1946), The Airborne Symphony (1946, narrated by Robert Shaw) 1998 April 1940 Macbeth CD Pearl (GEM 0011) Reissue of Columbia Masterworks Records C-33 1998 June 1938 & March 1938 Twelfth Night and The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Two CDs Pearl (GEMS 0020) Reissue of Columbia Masterworks Records C-7 and M-325Includes Fun with Mr. Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors (1947), narrated by Charles Coburn 1998 July–September 1938 The Merchant of Venice Two CDs Pearl (GEMS 0029) Reissue of Columbia Masterworks Records C-6Includes excerpts of Macbeth by Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson (1941) 1999 June 1939 Julius Caesar Two CDs Pearl (GEMS 0015) Reissue of Columbia Masterworks Records C-10Includes Maurice Evans performing four scenes from Richard II (1937) and the "England" speeches from Richard II and Henry V (1941) 2000 October 18, 1966 American Masters 2: Bernstein Century CD Sony Classics (SMK 61849) Includes remastered reissue of The Airborne Symphony from Columbia Masterworks M34136 2001 1944–45 Dramatic Readings CD Pearl (GEM 0109) Reissue of In the American Tradition (Decca Records A-394), No Man Is an Island (Decca Records A-439) and The Song of Songs (Decca Records 29157)
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