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re: "New Songs"?! =D

Posted by:
Jsteinfan 01:11 pm UTC 03/07/17
In reply to: re: "New Songs"?! =D - rockfenris2005 11:13 am UTC 03/06/17

Ryan,

This is a great post! You should repost it under it's own dedicated thread! It deserves it!

-J

> 'Tanz' to me is a masterpiece from beginning to end, all
> two and a half hours of it or however long the CD actually
> is (the show is slightly longer naturally as there were a
> few interludes and scene changes that they didn't include
> on the CD, which you can see why.)
>
> Beginning to end, just a masterpiece and a total emotional
> rollercoaster, from the explosive 'Overture' (going to
> refer to titles by English names), just pulling you into
> that world (like another long running successful musical,
> if not THE long running successful musical "Phantom"),
> like watching "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones". You're right
> there, hurled into the Gothic atmospheric action. The
> 'Overture' gives way to a blizzard and I just love that
> little scene with Alfred and how the music builds up at
> the end and just soars. Gives me chills, maybe even just
> thinking about it.
>
> Love the comedy of 'Garlic' and all the moments with
> Chagal, Magda and Rebecca. The humour in the original show
> felt very clover and woven into the story, unlike the
> Broadway version where there's a dancing clove of garlic
> and a penis-shaped sponge, and oh to be a total vampire
> you have to be sucked as dry as a mummy's scrotum. To put
> it graphically.
>
> Love how Chagal reminds me of Tevye from "Fiddler on the
> Roof", another musical I really like, and love that
> connection it sort of has for me. 'Don't leave Daddy' is
> both funny and poignant in my opinion. 'A girl as
> beautiful' contrasts from beautiful love duet, with Alfred
> and Sarah exploring their feelings for one another, to the
> other events that are going on in the different rooms, and
> the vampires outside waiting just somewhere out of sight.
>
> Loveeee that feeling when Krolock comes out of the shadows
> and starts singing 'Original sin', bursting into the
> chorus of 'Total eclipse' which just soars, and then they
> pull away again with Krolock slinking back into the
> shadows. Then they contrast the atmosphere with the
> comedic goings on of Chagal Magda and Rebecca the next
> morning, culminating in the patter song with Professor
> Abronsius which I just love. I also love Gilbert &
> Sullivan which is what it reminds me of, like "I'm the
> very model of a modern Major General".
>
> Love the seductive tune to 'You're really nice' between
> Alfred and Sarah, and Sarah coaxing Alfred into letting
> her use the bathtub, and he goes outside and watches
> through the keyhole, and... perfect time for Krolock to
> come down through the ceiling singing the rest of
> 'Original sin' inviting her to the ball. That's the kind
> of thing, again, that I just didn't really get from the
> Broadway version of the show. It all seemed to be cleverly
> interwoven, humour mixing with romance and Gothic
> atmosphere and in just the right way. It's just the length
> of the piece I suppose that would prove to be the issue,
> which I think they've worked with pretty nicely on the
> whole.
>
> I've said this before, but it's worth saying a hundred
> times, but the chorus for 'Braver than we are' alone is
> one of Jim's most haunting ecstatic melodies. It's
> literally breathtaking. It leaves you feeling breathless
> and emotionally overwhelmed, like you've just seen
> something incredibly beautiful. Loved how it developed
> later on into the full epic version, with everyone singing
> at the end. I can see WHY they moved that closer to the
> end of act one in the Broadway version, because it has the
> climactic feel, but I prefer the German.
>
> 'Death is such an odd thing' actually kind of expresses
> for me that numb feeling you kind of get after someone's
> just died. The music just goes there and then it lifts you
> as well as it develops and goes on. I love the big note
> she hits at the end and how Chagal frightens her and the
> music just goes right off as he bites her. We go from
> soaring sensuality to more comedy with Abronsius and
> Alfred. Again, the humour here was so much better.
>
> Love every minute of 'Bless the night/man' and 'Come with
> me' at the end. Love how the vampires always keep
> referring to 'Turn around bright eyes' from 'Total
> eclipse' a theme that keeps coming back, along with
> 'Original sin' and 'The storm'. That's really great.
>
> 'Total eclipse' in Act Two just feels made for this show.
> The acronym for 'Total eclipse' is even TEOTH which nearly
> makes TEETH so 'Vampires'. That works.
>
> 'Carpe Noctem' for me is like Jim's phenomenal study of
> Walpurgis Night, like Disney's earlier triumph with 'Night
> on Bald Mountain' in "Fantasia". It even has that same
> kind of haunting emotional ending with the 'Carpe Noctem'
> reprise, like with 'Ave Maria'. I love that.
>
> Oh, I could go on... Love how the crypt sequence "hints"
> at 'Who needs the young?' but doesn't quite "go all the
> way" with it, and even adds a bit to it as well. It does
> get a bit reprise-heavy around this point though, but the
> music just feels so engaging and the drama, that you don't
> even really mind, or at least I don't.
>
> Love, love, love 'Eternity' with all the vampires coming
> out. Like 'Fantasia' with "Carpe Noctem", this makes me
> think of the March of the Winkies scene in 'Wizard of Oz"
> haha, crossed with Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video.
> Krolock comes out at the perfect point singing to the
> 'Objects in the rear view mirror' music and it just
> soars.
>
> To me, they actually feel like different songs, but just
> with the same/similar (it's not exact) tune in common, and
> I always could have lived with that I suppose.
>
> One of the most breathtaking moments in the ENTIRE
> Steinman canon in general HAPPENS AT THE BALL. PLEASE. If
> I'm going to get bitten by a vampire, especially in front
> of a room full of elaborately costumed guests in a Gothic
> fairy tale castle, JUST MAKE SURE THE ORCHESTRAL PLAYS
> 'TOTAL ECLIPSE' OK. I'll be very disappointed if they
> don't! I'm not joking!!!
>
> Love Krolock's explosion at the end, with the music going
> haywire. 'Braver' (reprise) is even more breathtaking and
> in my imagination if that was a movie, I can see a shot of
> the white snow with just a sudden splash of blood, a
> ribbon of blood in the snow while the orchestra just
> soars.
>
> What can I say about 'Dance of the Vampires' (finale)? It
> was the perfect end for a masterpiece show. I think in
> time eventually it WILL be more recognized for the success
> that it is, in composing storyline direction set design
> performance, all the other elements. Everything just came
> together like the perfect storm. That's what I think. It
> reminds me of 'Phantom' because I thought that happened
> with 'Phantom' too.
>
> Also, as a cast recording in itself, it's an absolute
> masterpiece too. It's so well produced, so well captures
> Steve's orchestrations which are a listening experience in
> themselves, so captivating so intricate so multilayered.
> It fills you full of appreciation for the arts in the way
> that early Disney does. It's a true triumph of a show.
>
> > Jim's lyrics usually have a double edge to them and are so
> > intricately worded that it is pure musical theatre encased
> > in a rock and roll façade.
> >
> > But musically, when arranged and orchestrated correctly he
> > is phenomenal. I don't speak German but I can listen to
> > the Tanz over and over just for the music - the last 15
> > minutes are one of the most flawless pieces I've ever
> > listened to.
> >
> > So for me with Bat, if the music is right the rest will
> > just fall into place.
> >
> > > Frying Pan???!!!
> > > Sounds great, no matter what song.
> > >
> > > To me its still the music that makes Jims genius shine
> > > the brightest (surprise, surprise).
> > > And they do it damn well on stage.
> > >
> > >
> > > > On facebook:
> > > >
> > > > Andrew Polec
> > > >
> > > > Well. I should clarify and say we've made one song a lot
> > > > longer and rock n roll intense!


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Previous: re: "New Songs"?! =D - rockfenris2005 11:13 am UTC 03/06/17
Next: Thoughts on Bat - Steve10086 06:11 pm UTC 03/04/17

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