Chess

Thanks! 

And some very dodgy dancing in the background.

Mmm I'm not impressed with Ramin at all. All his notes are off key except (sometimes) the long straight "Moo's" at the end of a line.

As for all of them, they are overdoing it. They need to understand that this music and material is already very intense, so treating each word, note and syllable with such exaggeration and also separating many sung words from spoken words, sometimes multiple times in 1 line, and then when the next syllable is sung they make it extremely exaggerated, makes it feel very tiresome, overly dramatic, posturing and unfortunately feel more fake and less real and intense.

People need to learn that this material should be approached in a more natural way. More respect for the sung lines and the audience will engage much more. There is a reason why they are singing, because this art form is about sung thoughts. More than 75% of the lyrics and music should not be sung in a soap opera way (speaking/bleating) in someone else's face in a way too literal and exaggerated way and pretend that that gives the essence or intention more power. It does not. The essence should not be that literal. There is a higher power in this art form. Less literal soap opera, more natural opera feeling.

Here is a clip with some good examples of that. The naturally sung scenes are much better acted too. Because acting through song is an interaction of both, not a separation. The naturally sung notes work as emotion evoking factors. Not the forced/separated/fake ones.

I agree with Dave25...these Chess concerts are so oversung. In this clip I feel that the ladies do a good job sticking to the score. Ramin and Raul are a bit out of control. Going off the rail with riffing is kind of tacky, TBH. Just stick to the score. If you have to - modulate here and there but please don't deviate to a point when the song becomes unrecognizable.

I like the new orchestral arrangements in the DC version, and US vs USSR/Diplomats at the top of the show works much better.

In fairness I typed that mid-song when he hadn't spoken. I can just about distinguish their accents. Obviously similar though they are 

They're all capable.  We need a strict MD in there to keep them under control and make them cut the nonsense.

*still trying to be optimistic*

Ball's vibrato and vocal tics are far more disturbing than any riffing that might occur.

Let’s just hope she keeps her finger out of her ear. 

Just when you thought the game was over...



That’s how it should be sung!

True that he's worse when making decisions for himself in concert settings, but it's always a risk in a live performance. Wood was a perfectionist, and of course wanted it played in a certain style, but she always had the option of a second take.

I have been listening to the recording made at the Royal Albert Hall in 2008 and hope the orchestra at the ENO will be up to same standard. Groban and Menzel's voices complemented each other. I hope that will happen with our singers here too. Wish we had Bedella as Molokov.