Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net
 


       Musicals.Net Forums -> Chess
Cadriel

For reference: new lyrics from 2008 concert

Since there's not a lyrics booklet with the CD or DVD of the 2008 concert, I want to start a thread going through some of the variant lyrics. There aren't too many, but they are there. Because it was fairly drastically altered, I'll start with the complete "Talking Chess":

Quote:
FREDDIE
This is the one situation
I wanted most to avoid

ANATOLY
Then what on earth are you doing?
You could be better employed

FREDDIE
No, please hear me out
I think I can help

ANATOLY
If it's about Florence, i'm warning you

FREDDIE
No, it's not about her, your wife or your kids
Or money or Walter or Molokov

ANATOLY
What the hell is it?

FREDDIE
I want to talk chess

ANATOLY
*Chess?

FREDDIE
Something i've noticed in Viigand
It's his King's Indian Defense
One of the lines he's been trying
Doesn't completely make sense

ANATOLY
I - I don't understand

FREDDIE
I told you his King's Indian -

ANATOLY
No I don't understand why you're helping me

FREDDIE
Because I love chess
Does nobody else?
Jesus, sometimes I think I'm the only one
How can you let mediocrity win?

ANATOLY
What about Florence's father?
My wife and my children -

FREDDIE
You've let them all down already
Win or betray yourself too
You don't want those shits
To get what they want

ANATOLY
They'll get what they want
They always do

FREDDIE
No - they won't if you win
Be true to the game
The one thing you know you can count upon

ANATOLY
What about florence?

FREDDIE
The one thing is chess!

ANATOLY
*Chess.

FREDDIE
*How can you let mediocrity win? You have one chance left. Win for chess. You were five-one up, now it's five all. Get a grip.

(Lines noted with * are spoken.)
Cadriel

New verse in "Endgame" sung by Freddie:

Quote:
How straightforward the game
When one is free from distraction
When your only concern
Is laid out so clearly before you
Sixty-four squares
They're the reason you know you exist
EverythingMusical24

Could you post the new lyrics to Quartet?
Jekkienumber24601

They're the broadway version with some lame attempt to bring Molokov in underneath like in the london version...


Oh and Talking Chess is missing an f-bomb.
kaelidancer

Quote:

They're the broadway version with some lame attempt to bring Molokov in underneath like in the london version...


Oh and Talking Chess is missing an f-bomb.


I'd have to listen to it again, but I'm pretty sure this is all they did:

In the broadway version, the Arbiter and Molokov have the following exchange:

Quote:
ARBITER
I call this tune, no one's immune
to my power once in that hall

MOLOKOV
In that case I must ask you why
You now preside over a brawl


In the 2008 concert, we go straight from Anatoly's "I hope he pays you what you're worth" to Florence's "I'm not getting rich..." So I believe these two lines are inserted underneath this sequence, London-style. But I'd have to listen to it again to figure out if they kept the lyrics exact...
EverythingMusical24

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the Broadway version! What are the lyrics at the end when they are all singing? The only part I can completely make out is Florence's, and I can only understand sections of the others.
kaelidancer

It's a fugue, but there's not much in the way of substance, they're just repeating previous lyrics (not neccesarily in an order that makes any sense) to create something that sounds more interesting than it actually is.

Here are the individual parts:

Quote:

FLORENCE
It is very sad to see
Sad to see a
game that once used to be a model
of calm and tranquility
sad when it becomes like any
other sport
just a battleground,
a battleground for ideologies
it's very sad to see the ancient
and distinguished game that used to be a
model of decorum and tranquility
become like any other sport
like a battleground for rival ideologies
its very sad
so sad to see


Quote:

ARBITER
It's so sad to see
a game that really should be
like a model of decorum become
just like any other sport, a battleground
for rival ideologies to slug
slug it out
slug it out
it is very sad
so sad to see
it's a
battleground for rival ideologies
it becomes
a battleground for ideologies
a battle ground
it's very sad
to see a game
a battleground


Quote:

ANATOLY
Sad
it is very sad to see
this distinguished and old game
that used to, that used to be
tranquility
has become
battleground
slug it out with glee
any other sport like a battleground
sad to see
so sad to see a
model of decorum and tranquility
just like any other sport how sad
to see
how the game that used to be
tranquility
a battleground


Quote:

MOLOKOV
How sad
to see
a distinguished
game that always used to be
like a model of decorum
and of pure tranquility
it is very sad to see the
old distinguished game that used to be
model of tranquility
when it becomes a battleground
then it is very sad
it's very sad
when this ancient game becomes
a battleground


And then, all together...

Quote:

ALL
... a place to slug it out with glee!


Those are the parts as they're written in the Broadway book. If they were changed for the concert, I certainly didn't notice. So I'm 95% sure that it's exactly the same.

Again, not much in the way of substance, but I'm sort of fond of it as a musical diversion.
Jekkienumber24601

They skipped that part but had molokov sing "In short we rise above your guy's tantrums, dramas, dirty tricks." And then the arbiter didn't sing his line. All in all I thought this was the worst version of the song. Original London and Danish recordings have been the best. The lyrics of the Danish, with the musicality of the original is what people should strive for.
EverythingMusical24

Thanks for the lyrics! I like the diversion too Very Happy A perfect version for me would be with the danish lyrics for the first part and then the Broadway ending.
Cadriel

EverythingMusical24 wrote:
Thanks for the lyrics! I like the diversion too Very Happy A perfect version for me would be with the danish lyrics for the first part and then the Broadway ending.

The Danish lyrics are the ones actually used in London, in this case. Personally, I'm a fan of the Stockholm version. Broadway misses out on the fact that Molokov does not shut up until the end of the song, which is the whole point to begin with. The round sounds pretty but is lyrically meaningless, which I'm not a fan of at all. Stockholm punctuates Molokov with Florence basically tearing into him in the center of the song, after which Molokov doesn't miss a beat and keeps talking. Wonderful theatre.

The worst directorial concept for the round was the American Tour. I swear to you, they stand there and stir tea. Not that they did anything visionary in the Broadway production.
Jekkienumber24601

I hate the fugue. With such sophisticated lyrics in the whole show why do people suddenly resort to stupid incoherent sentences just to try to make the song sound like a showstopper. It seems out of place in the show and I hate how every version does it. The real song with the rounds the whole time is much more rewarding and complex.
alcockell

Umm - the mountain duet went through a heck of a rewrite as well (OK - I'm thinking concept album)
alcockell

One question to Jenko etc.. what was all that staccato stuff at the end of the Press Conference? Is this version available to buy as a libretto?
Thom_Boyer

The Chess London libretto, which was the basis for the 2008 concert, was available to buy at Dress Circle (http://www.dresscircle.com) for quite some time. It me still be available there; I'm not sure.

The lyrics are also posted at Squareone.org -- specifically near the bottom of this page: http://squareone.org/Chess/london.html

That segment at the end of "Press Conference" is just a variation on the original end of the song, I would assume re-arranged to accommodate Idina Menzel's screech on "profession," and much like that note in "Nobody's Side," I hate that too. Chess is best when the diva moments are kept in check.
Jekkienumber24601

Agreed. Like Idina taking Walter's stuff in US vs USSR and Freddie's stuff in Rock Merano
Thom_Boyer

Jekkienumber24601 wrote:
Agreed. Like Idina taking Walter's stuff in US vs USSR and Freddie's stuff in Rock Merano


You know, every time I try to block those from my memory... Wink
       Musicals.Net Forums -> Chess
Page 1 of 1