Chess (1988 Original Broadway Cast)
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Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDFormat: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: RCA
Soundtracks:
- Prologue
- The Story of Chess
- Where I Want to Be
- How Many Woman
- Chess Hymn
- Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility)
- You Want to Lose Your Only Friend?
- Someone Else's Story
- One Night in Bangkok (Part 1)
- One Night in Bangkok (Part 2)
- Terrace Duet
- Nobody's Side
- Anthem
- Hungarian Folk Song
- Heaven Help My Heart
- No Contest
- You and I
- I Know Him So Well
- Pity the Child
- Lullaby (Apukad Eros Kezen)
- Endgame
- You and I (Reprise)
Free Music Notes for Chess (1988 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: An Unlikely Must-Have
Hit: 5 Stars
Who'd have thought that members of ABBA would serve as the masterminds behind such a powerful and exciting score? Mamma Mia is fun, but Chess is album you must hear! Chess tells the story of love and obsession with classic songs like "I Know Him So Well," "Anthem," "Nobody's Side," and of course the 80's dance-hit "One Night In Bangkok." With such an enjoyable track list, it's a shame that the musical never took off in the US, closing after less than 100 shows on Broadway.
If you are considering purchasing Chess, you have probably already noticed that you have several recordings to choose from. This show has a long history, and with each reincarnation comes many changes. There's the Original London Concept Recording with Murray Head and Elaine Paige, this Broadway Cast Recording, and the most recent Chess concert with Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, and Adam Pascal. While this recording may be the least known of the three, I am here to tell you why I prefer this to all others.
The original Concept Recording is extremely famous on the other side of the Atlantic. It has a very different feel from the Broadway cast in that it plays more like a collection of 80's New Wave dance songs and ballads (which is certainly fun in its own right!) than a cast recording. This recording relies on the vocal prowess of its impressive cast to power through every song without the back-up vocals and the abundance of synth effects. It makes the recording seem more personal; more moving.
Ultimately, it is the cast that is the selling point on this CD. David Carroll demonstrates his sheer power in "Anthem," in my favorite rendition. Philip Casnoff plays a coy and enjoyable Freddie, preferable to Murray Head only because I can't get over how much it sounds like Head recorded his vocals from a distance and through a megaphone, (although is version of "One Night in Bangkok" cannot be beat). But it's Judy Kuhn who gives this recording the five stars. Stunning is the only word to describe her. In my eyes, each of her songs is the definitive version. I know Brits may find this blasphemous, but as great as Elaine Paige is, I almost always seem to prefer her American counterparts. For Evita, give me Lupone. In Cats, I prefer Betty Buckley. And in Chess, I've yet to hear any actress play Florence with the passion, the grit, and the power that Judy Kuhn brings to the table.
I realize that I am recommending the recording that may be the most difficult to obtain. If you cannot find this version, the London recording is a great second option. The concert is great, but it lacks the enthusiasm of the other two. I have many Broadway/London cast recordings on CD, and though this CD may seem like an unlikely candidate, it has become one of my favorites. A must-have for any Broadway lover!
Chess (1988 Original Broadway Cast) Poster
It was a success in London but a bomb in New York in 1988, but Chess's cult reputation has only grown over the years--quite a feat for a dramatic musical about love and cold war politics at a chess tournament! While Tim Rice's lyrics aren't too shabby, Chess owes it all to the team of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, a.k.a. the BB in Abba. Their score has the drama that makes for good musical theater, and it doesn't shy from canny pop hooks either. "One Night in Bangkok" was a hit in Europe, while Judy Kuhn particularly shines on the poignant "Nobody's Side." Indeed, Chess is full of superb numbers that basically fall into two types: instantly memorable and growing-on-you memorable. --Elisabeth VincentelliBroadway & Vocalists Music CDs
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