The Pirate Queen (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
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Music CD Cover
Composer: Alain BoublilComposer: Claude Michel Schonberg
Performer: Stephanie J. Block
Performer: Hadley Fraser
Performer: Linda Balgord
Performer: Marcus Chait
Performer: Jeff McCarthy
Performer: William Youmans
Edition: Music CD
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 2007-07-03
Music Label: Sony Classics
Soundtracks:
- Prologue
- The Pirate Queen
- Woman
- My Grace
- Here on This Night
- The Waking of the Queen
- Rah-Rah, Tip-Top
- The Choice Is Mine
- Boys'll Be Boys
- The Wedding
- I'll Be There
- A Day Beyond Belclare
- Sail to the Stars
- Entr'acte
- Enemy at Port Side
- I Dismiss You
- If I Said I Loved You
- The Role of the Queen
- Pirate Queen, musical play: Act 2. Scene 4. Cistercian Abbey in Clew Bay. The Christening
- Let a Father Stand by His Son
- Surrender
- She Who Has All
- The Sea of Life
- Woman to Woman
- Finale
Free Music Notes for The Pirate Queen (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: The Fourth Great Boublil & Schoenberg Musical
Hit: 5 Stars
I had the pleasure of seeing Pirate Queen both in Chicago 2006 and on Broadway in 2007. While I was disappointed that the cast album is only one CD long instead of two, I was quite surprised by the high quality of the recording and the amount of music packed onto the disc (25 tracks). This is a must-own for any fan of musical theatre, and the most exciting new musical to open in the past several years.
As a musician, I enjoy the chance to hear Schoenberg's musical style evolve through the years, starting with his solo French pop album, his first musical, La Revolution Francaise, and then the big three, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and Martin Guerre. Pirate Queen is a worthy addition to that impressive body of work. As I listen to PQ, I enjoy hearing moments where a little feature of his style reminds me of one of those other pieces. But I can also hear how his writing has evolved; PQ is full of action, but it's imbued in placed with a subtle hint of melancholy that rivals the most touching moments of the other big three shows (much of this is due to the use of a flatted 6th scale degree, which is a recurring musical motif of the show). I'll mention a few key points here:
1. Overture: much as in Miss Saigon, here local color is added to the score through various Irish instruments. The overture sounds very Irish, yet still evocative of the original slow introduction of Martin Guerre (London version).
2. Entracte: it's all instrumental, and when I saw it in the theatre audience members were sometimes talking over it, but this is the most exciting music in the score. It's in 5/4 time, with plenty of 4/4 and 2/4 measures thrown in to keep it sounding on-edge. Wild, tempestuous music. The 5/4 time signature reminds me of the amazing overture to La Revolution Francaise -- although I like the PQ entracte even more.
3. Woman: this "girl-power ballad" has a unique sound compared with most of Schoenberg's other work, although the build up to the climax follows his trademark strategy of letting the orchestra play the main melody and while the singer comes in later and sings in counterpoint for a few measures. It's my favorite musical device of Miss Saigon, Les Miz, and Martin Guerre, and it shows up here too on the words "I'm meant to fly, sail unrestrained..."
4. I'll Be There: a huge bring-down-the-house torch song for a tenor. It's closest in structure to Why, God from Miss Saigon, including a rather exciting bridge section (here with a lot of electric guitar) and the 2/4 measures of descending bass notes leading into each chorus. This song is nearly perfect -- I just which it were longer (it's 3:16 but feels over far too soon). Schoenberg uses electric guitar melody rather sparingly, but it shows up in just a few key points in Les Miz, for instance, and features quite prominently in this song, sometimes in unison with the string section.
5. If I Said I Loved You: This is a gorgeous love duet in act 2, with some amazing harmony. It really builds in passion, and makes nice subtle use of that Irish sound in the orchestrations.
6. Sail to the Stars: This Act 1 finale is an exciting, intense chorus number. It doesn't compare with the end of Les Miz Act 1, both nothing really does. Instead it's a melancholy but intense funeral scene, and is surprisingly effective.
7. My Grace: This is sung by the Valjean father-figure in the show, and it sounds a lot like a song missing from Les Miz. But it has a unique PQ sound to it, with the flat 6 scale degree. It's extremely moving.
8. Here On This Night: Originally this was my favorite song in the show, although If I Said I Loved You recently stole the #1 spot. This is the main happy love duet from an early part of the show. A classic Boublil & Schoenberg love song, with a sound that makes me feel as if I'm at love on a ship under the stars. Like the best of their love songs, the melody starts on scale degree 2 over the tonic, like Sun and Moon from Miss Saigon.
9. She Who Has All: The most unique aspect of this show is the harpsichord + high operatic soprano role for the Queen. It's an amazing performance, not too much vibrato, so even non-opera fans can enjoy it. This track is a duet between the two lead women of the show, so we get a Broadway singing voice in duet with the opera soprano. Amazingly, it works very well. I can't believe Schoenberg combined these two sounds so effectively in a duet near the climax of the show. Impressive! The duet Woman to Woman also has some of this quality. And the rest of the queen songs have a great early-music harpsichord sound fused with the modern musical orchestra.
10. The Wedding: mostly orchestral (with some chorus), this is a big Irish step dance number. It has a great sound for Irish step music fans; it sounds pretty classic but more bass-heavy, like The Chieftans fused with a rock band.
11. Boys'll Be Boys: this is like Master of the House meets Gaston, only I don't like it as much. Sort of disappointing, but it's an important and funny number.
12. The Sea Of Life: a nostalgic song towards the end of the show, this sounds like what Turning in Les Miz should have been. Turning was always my least favorite part of Les Miz, but Sea of Life is incredible. In a subtle thematic move, the opening melody is the same as the solo flute in the original London opening of Martin Guerre, with a slightly different rhythm and added accompaniment. Even more surprising: probably just by coincidence, the middle of this melody includes 8 notes (with different rhythm) from the "victory" music from Pirates of the Caribbean 3.
All in all, highly recommended!! My only complaint (besides it's premature closing on Broadway for no apparent reason) is really that we can't hear all the additional material that 2 CDs would give us, such as Grania's father's death scene (a modified reprise of My Grace, sort of like the scene at the end of Les Miz), and a very pretty Lullaby Grania sings to her son in Act 2.
The Pirate Queen (2007 Original Broadway Cast) Poster
The Pirate Queen, with a score by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg (Les Misérables, Miss Saigon), took a critical beating when it opened on Broadway, but as this catchy cast recording demonstrates, that reception was really unnecessarily harsh. Set in the 17th century, the show (which closed after only 85 performances) tells the story of Grace O?Malley (Stephanie J. Block), an Irish ship captain and pirate who defied Queen Elizabeth I (Linda Balgord). The combination of that setting with the fact that the producers also brought us Riverdance means an overall Celtic flavor. But fans of Boublil and Schönberg should not fear. The duo delivers plenty of the over-the-top, super-emotional power ballads they?re famous for--it?s hard not to wonder what Celine Dion would make of songs such as "Woman" or "I?ll Be There" (the latter sung by a man, but no matter!). Special kudos to Balgord, whose deliciously campy stage portrayal of Elizabeth I comes across well on "The Waking of the Queen," "The Role of the Queen," and two harpsichord-driven, vibrato-laden duets with Block, "She Who Has All" and "Woman to Woman." Also of note to fans of traditional singing is the participation of Áine Uí Cheallaigh (known from Riverdance) on several tracks. --Elisabeth VincentelliBroadway & Vocalists Music CDs
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