The Broadway cast recording is closest to the Broadway version, obviously :P, whilst the 2001 Danish Tour (now deleted) is closest to the Original London production, or the 2008 Concert with Menzel, Pascal, Groban etc.
The Broadway cast recording has been deleted for several years now at the request of the authors.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
"deleted" is a term I haven't heard applied to cast recordings before..can you elaborate on that :S?
Interestingly I saw a shrink-wraped Chess Broadway in a store the other day, expensive though.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
It just means they aren't making it anymore and cant make any more if requested.
But yes, the 2001 Danish one is probably the best if you can get ahold of it. It is the same show that was used in the concert, but with out the bad audio and bad Idina
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27199361@N08/ Phantom at the Royal Empire Theatre
At first, the Danish one was reissued with several tracks deleted because they didn't have the proper authority to release these songs publicly and then it was discontinued altogether.
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
The Danish recording is fine, but it's just hard to recommend it because it's devoid of all personality. Idina Menzel ruined so much of the 2008 recording. Pick your poison.
Oh, Deleted simply means the CD (or book or whatever item) is deleted from the catalog and no longer in print. Dealers often buy up sealed copies of recent deletes in bulk, sit on them a few years then sell them at inflated prices.
It used to be that if a recording were deleted, this was about the only way to get it. That's all changed now. Many items that are no longer in print on CD can still be purchased as downloads. True you don't get the booklets and other CD packaging but at least you can hear the music.
But some items - like the Broadway CHESS - are deleted for reasons other than weak sales and in this case the authors do not want the Broadway version done any more. (I have the script from Samuel French, which I suppose is also no longer available.)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Must we turn a simple question into Idina-bashing?
kchenofan's computer is broken right now. This is her fridge. Now, you can leave a message, but say it slowly, so I can write it on a post-it note and stick it to myself.
When discussing what Chess recording to buy, it's relevant to consider the quality of the performances on the CD (or in Idina's case, lack thereof). So I agree with Yes :).
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I'm not normally one to focus on the negative but I have to here...Idina is just not good as Florence. Her diction, especially on Nobody's Side (oy, if I had a dollar) is crap!
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
The Australian recording is also very close to be a full recording
Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist.
Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino.
This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more.
Tazber's: Reply to
Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
One thing some people don't realize is that the original London production was different from the concept album (one big change being Story of Chess being moved from the end)
Not that I would reccomend it, but the Swedish one has a new song sung by Svetlana that's quite haunting, but I have no idea what it's about. It is also on DVD and there was talk years ago that that would be the version to come to Broadway, I'm glad it isnt, it was just boreing visually and they changed it up alot, like placing end game near the start of act 2.
There is also a Swedish Concert version sung in English, but that is basically the same as the London Concept.
I love the Danish one for songs like the Press COnference, TV INterview, Soviet Machine and all the little connecting bits of music. I only wish the CD booklet had some imaged of the actual show, would be cool to see how it looked.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27199361@N08/ Phantom at the Royal Empire Theatre
As for recordings of the show: I highly recommend starting with the original studio recording. Then if you want a guide to the show as it is now, listen to the newest recording with Groban and Menzel (and then cry). You might also try to get the DVD/CD of the Swedish production, which in my opinion is the only one that ever came close to getting the book right. Yes, certain pieces of music are used differently (most noticeably the music from "Endgame") but for the most part the changes work. If you'd like a synopsis of this version, I'll be glad to stick one here.
Since it hasn't been mentioned, the current release of the Danish Tour Cast Recording is missing some material that was present in the first release. It's just some instrumental stuff for the most part, and maybe a little of the recitative. As a consolation there's an entertaining remix of "One Night In Bangkok" at the end.
So, I suppose, there is CURRENTLY no entirely complete recording of CHESS available. Remember, the Tour Cast Recording has some stuff (like "Der Klein Franz", etc.) that was cut from the concert starring IDINA.
I hope the new Broadway production cuts down some of the recitative and puts in one of the new songs from the Swedish production, or perhaps a new one altogether. The end was never quite right, unless it was the complete "Story of Chess". Bennett had it right, as always...
A quick search for "Chess" on their site only offers the Nelson script (and a really ugly pink on gray logo; I hope that's not what they make people use to promote the show!)
I have the concept album which I think is great, but I usually listen to a bootleg I have of the live concert version with Groban, Pascal, Julia Murney, etc.