Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows- Page 3
Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
#50re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 3/15/06 at 2:57pmThere's a moment a moment during Carousel, in "If I Loved You" where Julie and Billy are talking, and the music underneath him when he says , "You look up at me with that little kids face.."...oh god, it makes me melt...its gorgeous
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#51re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/27/06 at 10:57am
And to continue, how about the orchestrations for THE WEDDING SINGER?
Irwin Fisch really knew what he wanted when he orchestrated it (especially since he programmed all the synth and drum sounds). The synth-bells in "Someday" and "Not That Kind of Thing," as well as the clapping, R&B horns, and Simmons drums in "Single," as well as all the hard synthleads and Brian May-style triple-layered guitars in "Saturday Night in the City." Really authentic stuff.
The horn arrangements on TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA and HAIR are genius as well.
How about every moment of OKLAHOMA or SOUND OF MUSIC? I love those charts.
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
#52re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/27/06 at 5:19pm
My favorite piece of a score is in Les Mis when Valjean is explaining who he really is to Marius... and that's like, the only "song" in the show that is never recorded. However they rearranged the "Who Am I" theme, I LOVE it!!
Oh, and of course, the opening of Les Mis just can't be beat. That is one of the most captivating first bars I have ever heard!
#53re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/27/06 at 6:25pm
I absolutely LOVE when the orchestra explodes in the Epilogue of Caroline, or Change. "Child! Chiiiiiiiild!"
I love the orchestra all through that show. Like after Caroline's final "FLAAAAAT!" where she slides back up.
-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
#54re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/27/06 at 6:40pm
In "Why?" in Martin Guerre, all three characters finally come together on the line, "...to find someone and somewhere where I can passion, and a lover, and gentle friend." It's gorgeous. I can never listen to those few seconds just once.
EDIT: Now that I think about it, this moment is much more of a vocal arrangement/harmony than an instrumental orchestration, but still.
Updated On: 11/27/06 at 06:40 PM
RuprechtJr.
Featured Actor Joined: 6/22/05
#55re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/27/06 at 7:22pm
In my vocal score of "The Secret Garden", of which I think has the best orchestrations, the woodwind orchestrations are as follows:
Woodwind 1 (Flute/Piccolo/Recorder/Pan Pipes/Penny Whistle)
Woodwind 2 (Oboe/Oboe d'Amore/English Horn/Heckelphone)
Woodwind 3 (Clarinet/Soprano Sax/Flute/Recorder/Piccolo)
Woodwind 4 (Bassoon/Bass Clarinet/Bb Clarinet)
I think that is the most demanding, to have one person be able to play 4+ instruments. Does anyone else have crazy woodwind/reed orchestration doubling? Also, Josh Freilich, you seem to have played keys for many shows...My instrumentation list for "Secret Garden" doesn't list ANY keys, but throught the score it shows that there are at least two keys parts. Do you know the number of and types of keyboards? Rhodes/Synth/Pno etc...?
#56re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/27/06 at 7:47pm
Looking back to the Golden Age, from the 1940's to the mid 1960's, the names of the orchestrators Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang should be singled out. Bennett orchestrated most if not all of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals and Lang orchestrated so many musicals in a likable, brassy, tight pit band sound. Even his flops sound good today on CD. Tomorrow I will try to make up a list of Lang's shows. And Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler should not be forgotten for their work on GYPSY, with Ramin collaborating with Leonard Bernstein on the orchestrations for WEST SIDE STORY as well.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
Updated On: 11/27/06 at 07:47 PM
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#57re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 11/28/06 at 2:47pm
I never played in "Secret Garden," but I do know this: in the version that people do now, there are 2 key books. The first one is probably piano, sitar, and harpsichord (because that's the only keyboard part in the show depicted in your score), and the second is most likely harp and guitar.
You're right, Gypsy9. Ramin and Ginzler should NOT be forgotten, and neither should Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang. In fact, because Bennett was so into the stringy stuff, and Lang was all brassy, I guess it explains why they worked together for "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot."
Surprising no one mentioned Irwin Kostal. He did brilliant work for stuff like "Mary Poppins," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," and "Forum." He also ghosted for "The Music Man."
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#58re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 6:37pmMany of the orchestrations in MOST HAPPY FELLA are lovely to listen to. My favorite part is the whole beguine-like instrumentation in "Fresno Beauties."
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
#59re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 6:41pm
the orchestrations of "Buenos Aires" in the London EVITA revival, especially the dance break.
i also love the orchestrations in "Saturday Night in the City" from THE WEDDING SINGER as you said earlier, Josh. i especially loved the introductory music in the song- totally amazing, haha
My 2007/2008 Season:
Grey Gardens (7/5)
110 in the Shade (7/6)
Mary Poppins (7/7)
Xanadu (7/7)
Deuce (7/8)
Spamalot (7/8)
Jersey Boys (8/25)
The Year of Magical Thinking (8/25)
Mauritius (11/2)
Young Frankenstein (11/3)
Rock 'N' Roll (11/3)
Pygmalion (11/4)
Mauritius (11/10)
Mauritius (11/21) Mauritius (11/21)
Sunday in the Park with George (3/6)
South Pacific (3/7)
Gypsy (3/8)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (3/9)
#60re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 6:42pm
"Ragtime" and right now, I am in love with the Overture from
"110 In The Shade" !!
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#61re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 6:49pm
I know people complain about how dated they're sounding (apparantly the type of early synth used for the keyboard is impossible to replicate nowadays even) but I think Tunick's orchestrations for the original Company are THRILLING. Using the "Vocal minority"--three women in the pit, the busy almost pop like sound to much of it and yes that keyboard--I love it. It sounds like I picture New York sounding in 1970--the Tunick new paired down orchestrations (as best heard on the Roudnabout recording) sound lifeless in comparison and I think the Doyle orchestrations are clever but sound less like a bustling city of strangers than a clinical dentist's surgical appointment.
(Of course Tunick used a lot of similar techniques from the score that got him the job--Promises Promises which likewise has thrilling, pop minded orchestrations)
E
Updated On: 6/3/07 at 06:49 PM
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#62re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 6:51pmThe "Bobby Baby" section of Another Hundred People.
#63re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 6:58pmI agree Eric. I LOVE Tunick's orginal orchestrations for Company. Thery're fantastic.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#64re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:01pm
I can see why people love them or hate them--that keyboard sound is SOO idiosyncratic and prevalent but I love it.
The bobby bubbi bit in Another 100 People is amazing--another example of Tunick's brilliance (Sondheim mentions being floored when he first heard this as it wasn't in his piano acore) is during Being Alive when the orchestra plays some of SOmeone is Waiting.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#65re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:10pm
One person underated I believe is Danny Troob--his major work has been with Alan Menken but it's gorgeous--those Disney scores are all scored within an inch of perfection. And even the work he did on the incidental music--gorgeous stuff.
Less underated but often forgotten is Fosse's fave orchestrator--Ralph Burns. His style of course was perfect for Fosse who loved little percussion flourishes but just listen to Sweet Charity/Pippin/Chicago back to back to back and you notice how truly brilliant he was. Cy Coleman of course helped with the charts for Charity and it was hide idea to add a slightly rock element with that electric bass (the first time it was used in a pit) which makes it just wonderful I think.
I'd love to know a complete list of who orchestrated what for Chorus Line. Tunick says in ta Bennett book about how Bennett wanted him to do the full show but they simply couldn't afford to hire anyone for it all so Tunick agreed, in his off time to do what he could (he ultimately did Ballet and Nothing among others). Bennett really wanted Ralph Burns for One, which was meant to sound like a Burns style number but in the end Burns only ahd time to do the final verse and chorus I believe.
Of course I think ALL of these orchestrations were redone by Tunick for the revival (not sure...) though, I kinda prefer the original hodgepodge of style
E
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#66re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:20pmWasn't there some special deal with the West Side Story orchestrations? I remember reading in Seacrests Bernstein book that he chose the orchestrators from the world of movies or somethign as they were friends of his--i don't think they had had much Broadway experience before. Kostal of course went on to do the original Forum orchestrations which I find far more interesting than Tunick's more typical ones for the revival (Kostal's have interesting choices like, I believe, no violins). Don Walker also showed he was up to the challenge evn in his old age with an interesting score with Anyone Can Whistle--love the "Tchaikovsky as performed by a circus band" concept behind the scoring of the Cookie Ballet and how he holds off on using Trumpets until the final blast of There WOn't be Trumpets
#67re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:49am
I love a lot of the orchestrations in the German Hunchback. Particularily in "On Top of the World", "Einmal", and of course the opening is even better in the stage show. All the layers piling on top of each other, particularily the strings and upper woodwinds, so beautiful. The opening has those brilliant "hidden voices" lurking beneath that add so much drive to the piece.
That movie has some divine orchestrations in "Topsy Turvy Day". They just didn't seem to translate into the stage show. I was disappointed when I heard that recording the first time.
misschung
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/18/07
#68re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:29am
On the subject of Disney - I love the title number of Beauty and the Beast and the horns at the very beginning of the Little Mermaid before Fathoms Below - gorgeous.
Sweeney Todd - in "Poor Thing" I think its a flute that sort of wanders in after the strings right when Angela Lansbury says "and he was beautiful" The first time I heard that I listened to it about twenty times.
In Rent, during "Christmas Bells" I love how the trumpet comes in at the "hey lover boy, cutie pie" line and how it accompanies the "I'm willin, I'm illin" harmonies and continues through to the end
The morning star always gets wonderful bright the minute before it has to go --doesn't it?
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#69re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/4/07 at 2:12pm
I second, third, fourth, fifth, and/or sixth everyone who said the Tunick orchestrations for COMPANY were brilliant. They're probably the best they are.
And I also second EricMontreal22 for talking about Danny Troob's orchestrations for all the Disney films he's done, as well as anthonycbaron for talkin about Michael Starobin's orchestrations for HUNCHBACK. All this talk about them makes me more excitedf to hear the new LITTLE MERMAID orchestrations as Troob sees it. All I got were various fragments on the official site. I'm excited!
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#70re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/4/07 at 4:45pm
AH I didn't knwo Starobin did the new orchestrations for Hucnhback in Germany--I'm a big fan of his work but he always surprises me. I assumed they were Troob
Isn't Little Mermaid's soundtrack orchestrated by someone else--it was before Troob worked as much with Menken? Or am i mistaken?
E
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#71re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/4/07 at 4:51pm
Yes, LITTLE MERMAID was originally orchestrated by Thomas Pasatieri before Danny Troob started orchestrating for Alan Menken.
I bet the horns in "Under The Sea" (2 trps./1 tn. sx./1 tbn.) were arranged by Robby Merkin.
Also listen for Doug Besterman's and Michael Starobin's orchestrations for A CHRISTMAS CAROL. They sound absolutely beautiful!
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
#72re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/4/07 at 8:22pm
Personally I find some of the Xmas Carol orchestrations to be a bit overbearing. The really heavy brass sound sometimes muddles the melodic line. Menken is a melody composer, and some of the orchestrations of Christmas Carol take away from his melodies.
Although, the Stage Show orchestrations are DIVINE compared to the telemovie... So boring, like all of Disney's Menken Orchestrations, just far far less interesting.
heil myself!
Chorus Member Joined: 5/30/07
#73re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/5/07 at 4:56pm
Some of my favorites from THE PRODUCERS:
-Overture- The first "Prisoners of Love" section. If you listen, there's just SO MUCH going on; no section is playing the same notes. It's wonderful. There's also a great part in the "Along Came Bialy" part where there's a deep horn blast and timpani hits. It sounds very funny and kind of cartoony.
-When You Got It Flaunt It- The big, brassy notes for Ulla's kicks.
-That Face- Part in the dance break that's very in your face, it seems to say, "Let's show 'em what we got."
-Springtime for Hitler- (Among many other things) There's a huge orchestra blast right after "Everything is SHOW-BIZ!"
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#74re: Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows
Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:13pm
Yes, Doug Besterman was a genius!
Someone had to mention his glorious orchestrations for THE PRODUCERS at some time or another. They were something to sing and dance about!
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
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