Hello! This is a series of instrumental tracks completed in January 2016 for Act I of the Broadway script version of the musical Chess. The goal of this project was to create a complete recording of all the musical cues utilized in the original production that was accurate to its original orchestrations, arrangements, and tempos. Accompanying this file should be two folders (.MP3 and .WAV format) of instrumental tracks for the entirety of Act I (Act II forthcoming, est. Spring 2017). Each track features the original orchestrations by Anders Eljas, with tempos and arrangements synced to the April 28, 1988 opening night soundboard of the original Broadway production (as well as the Original Broadway Cast Recording and a later May 1988 audience recording of the show). Each track should be accurate to the printed materials of the show, with discrepancies listed below. The tracks were notated using Finale 2014 (with sound banks from Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 and a DX7 soundfont) and mixed via an outside audio editing software. Pertinent details as follows:
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1. 01 – PROLOGUE / 02 – FREDDY’S ENTRANCE 2. 02A PRESS CONFERENCE 3. 03 – WHERE I WANT TO BE 4. 03A – WHERE I WANT TO BE – PLAYOFF 5. 04 – ARGUMENT / 05 – MERCHANDISERS 6. 06 – DIPLOMATS 7. 07 – OPENING 1ST GAME / 07A – CHESS #1 8. 08 – QUARTET 9. 08A – AFTER QUARTET 10. 09 – THE AMERICAN AND FLORENCE / 09A – SOMEONE ELSE’S STORY 11. 10 – THE GOLDEN BANGKOK / 10A – ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK 12. 10B – BANGKOK PLAYOFF 13. 11 – TERRACE DUET 14. 11a – WHO’D EVER THINK IT 15. 12 – CHESS #2 16. 13 – FLORENCE QUITS / 13A – A TASTE OF PITY -1-
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17. 14 – NOBODY’S SIDE 18. 14A – NOBODY’S PLAYOFF 19. 15 – DEFECTION – PART 1 20. 15a – DEFECTION KEYBOARD CUE 1 21. 15b – DEFECTION KEYBOARD CUE 2 22. 16 – DEFECTION – PART 2 23. 17 – REPORTERS 24. 17A – ANTHEM
The numbers and titling on each track for the most part matches the printed score, with a couple exceptions. As Chess is a show with a good deal of numbers segueing directly into one another, numbers are tracked separately based on applause, scene breaks, or other pauses, and numbers that directly segue are tracked together. Discrepancies in track listing are as follows: -
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The number “Who’d Ever Think It”, here numbered 11a, is in the score continuous with “Terrace Duet”, and indicated to start at the end of that number. In the original production, however, the two numbers were separated by applause, and as such have been tracked separately. The Defection Sequence is notated in the score as one continuous piece, numbered 15. Due to peculiarities with the piece described below, it is here divided into four separate tracks, labeled 15, 15a, 15b, and 16 (number 16 is absent from the printed score, presumably being the placement of the song “East/West”, cut during previews).
The original Defection Sequence is a somewhat complex bit of underscoring, consisting of two distinct sections—the first is a series of percussion vamps on conga and shaker, punctuated by two keyboard figures to be cued at key points in the scene by the conductor, and the second a more structured bit of underscoring. To recreate the feel of this scene, the first section is divided into three parts: “Defection Part 1” is the series of percussion vamps, running roughly the length of the scene as presented on Broadway (about three and a half minutes long), with the two keyboard figures getting their own tracks that can be played at the listener’s discretion. “Defection Part 2” is the second, more structured part of the song, and plays out as it did on Broadway. An alternate Defection Sequence is included in the “Alternate Tracks” folder, playing the entire first half with keyboard cues as it played on Broadway.
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Also included in is a set of “Alternate Tracks”—alternate versions of particular numbers included here mostly for the sake of completion. The specific reasons for each number is as follows: -
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“Terrace Duet”, like “Mountain Duet” before it, was altered on stage from the original concept album arrangement during Anatoly’s entrance midway through the song (beginning with “listen I hate to break up the mood…”). Where the concept album contained four measures of 7/4, the stage versions truncated it to four measures of 5/4. For reasons of personal taste, the extra beats were restored to the instrumental in the official tracklist, and the score-accurate arrangement of the number is included here. “Nobody’s Side” was similarly altered in the stage versions from the concept album, with the final verse being truncated by three lines. Those lines were restored to the instrumental in the official tracklist, with the score-accurate arrangement of the number included here. The lyrics for this restored chorus is as follows: Never be the first to believe, Never be the last to deceive, Nobody’s on nobody’s side! Better learn to go it alone, Recognize you’re out on your own, Nobody’s on nobody’s side! Additionally, the orchestration of this number in the official tracklist was modified for reasons of personal taste, with the original orchestration preserved in the score-accurate arrangement. In creating this alternate track, an alternate mix of the playoff was also produced, and included here as an additional curiosity. An alternate “Defection – Part 1” is provided, combining both the percussion vamps and keyboard cues, that was synced to the full Defection Sequence as performed in the original Broadway production. If combined with “16 – Defection – Part 2” in the official tracklist, the entire underscoring to the original Defection Sequence can be constructed.
Chess was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (Music), Tim Rice (Lyrics) and Richard Nelson (Libretto). The original production was directed by Trevor Nunn and produced by the Shubert Organization, 3 Knights Ltd. and Robert Fox Ltd. The rights to perform the material are held by Samuel French, Inc. These tracks were made for personal, noncommercial use, and should not be used in any official production of Chess without the express permission of Samuel French, Inc. and the tracks’ creator. These tracks are under no circumstances to be exchanged for monetary value, and should be used only for educational or personal use. Thomas Hartwell
[email protected] -3-
