Chernjam, Aspects of Love...

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 8:45am

Chernjam,

I heeded your advice (finally!) and picked up a copy of ASPECTS OF LOVE Digitally Remastered today. I've only ever heard (most of) the songs from concerts and etc., but wow. It's different for Lloyd Webber! I don't really have time to go into it, but it definitely surprised me.

I got Starlight Express in the same day, so that was a funny contrast: his worst score, IMO, to his best.

Thank you

Although I did feel that Act Two was a little slow

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 8:49am

ugh, Aspects of Love sucked....in my opinion his worst.....except for 'Love Changes Everything"........it truly was, for me, an effort to get through it

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 8:54am

I must admit, Act Two was a little boring. But I'm used to sitting through opera's and really long stuff (like Ring Cycle) and I'd been told great things about it. I actually think it's his most integrated and mature score, nothing like Cats and Starlight Express. Phantom was the beginning of all this 'good' writing, after Superstar and Evita, but this is streets ahead of Phantom IMO.

Of course, however, I respect your opinion and see where you're coming from

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 12:57pm

I love JCS Sunset and Evita, but I really think I'll like this score. Where did you find the digitally remastered and how much was it?

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 7:28pm

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't expensive (like is usually the case with Lloyd Webber CR's)

It should be, or thereabouts, the price of your average CD, but not what you'd pay for a double. It's because of this I bought it, and the fact I was curious about it.

It definitely requires patience. If you're expecting something like Cats or Phantom, you won't find it here. I found it to be more like a chamber opera, although there were still too many reprises for my liking

[jo]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 9:24pm

It is actually much cheaper than the original version ( look for it at both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk) - it's a double CD and a full libretto is included. Photos from the souvenir program of the show are also included - and between that and the libretto, you do get quite a complete picture of the stage production. This is a through-composed musical and the recording provides you a total stage experience, with your eyes closed. The voices are excellent - the singing and acting performances are shining and provides you with the different moods in this musical -- lyrical, romantic, poignant, and almost Sondheimesque

Jo

[Feathah]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 9:45pm

Join our discussion here! :)
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=888086&dt=44

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 10:44pm

Feathah, I'm heading over

Jo, re: the libretto. I got one of those with Sunset Boulevard, because an older guy was serving me at the music-store. When I went up to pay for Starlight and Aspects he just put the CDs in and that's it. I thought it was because that was all they had.

I got home, checked the sticker on the front and yes it said: "includes libretto etc." I'm not that phased, since you can find the transcripts on the web, but do you think it's worth going back and asking for it?

[jo]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 11:02pm

Yes, I think you should ask for your copy of the libretto. It includes photos from the Broadway production interspersed among the lyrics and script and helps in visualizing the production. The front, back and inside back cover features the art pieces from Giulietta's apartment ( including " the only genuine Matisse" )...Plus, it is very handy as it fits right inside the box.

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/6/06 at 11:05pm

rockfenris2005 -- Hey thanks! I didn't see your message and happy that my recommendation could make someone else happy!

Aspects still remains one of my all time favorites, and this remastered edition hasn't left my "play rotation" in a while.

"There is more to Love" is one of my favorite songs. By the time it got to broadway, it had become a duet with Rose and Giulietta - and there was a few more "reprises" of that tune in Act II (I think the scene with "The Wall" was cut - either there or on Tour)

Like Woman in White - this is a score that, like a fine wine, takes time to appreciate. Worth the time getting to know it though.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/7/06 at 4:46am

I'll go back for that libretto-thing tomorrow. It sounds interesting...

I heard that the added number, for Broadway, was TELL HER NOW. It was for the character of Giulietta (sic?). But on the CD she already sings a piece with that lyric in it. So what is the new song? A previous theme or new?

I'm curious to hear more about the changes. The only thing I'd change, after my second listen, is get rid of Journey of a Lifetime. The whole circus thing is irrelevant. If you cut that out it doesn't take anything away from the story. Also, Falling should be much longer. You could do great things with that.

And the ending... urgh.

Why end it with Love? It should be Anything But Lonely.

P.S.

What's the scene with The Wall?

[jo]

Posted: 3/7/06 at 7:00am

LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING performs the role of the musical overture in the opening scene -- it is a musical journey of someone who has experienced love in its many aspects...fittingly, it closes the show. In the opening scene, Alex and Giulietta wait for their train and Alex reminisces about their lives in this song. "Love, love changes...." What follows is really a flashback - which is the whole storyline. In the end, as they leave together, he ends his reminiscences with the last notes from the same song ("...never be the same")!

Very dramatic and very effective!

I also think FALLING should have been a longer song. Beautiful a capella sounds and wonderful harmonies.

Journey of a Lifetime does sound jarring. But it performs the role of breaking the mood when the family goes to the circus ( which led to George's angry reactions to Alex and Jenny's playful moods...possibly provoking the fatal heart attack). Maybe another song could have been written for this part - but it would still have to be different from the various musical themes of the show which are repeated in recitatives and reprises.


Jo

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/7/06 at 7:33am

"The Wall" is the scene in second act that goes

"Now that's what I call a wall it's a masterpiece... it's Picaso - except it's straight..."

There wasn't any additions of music to broadway (from what I've read) just some rearrangements and shifts of things (ie There is more to love becoming a duet)

the ending... good point. Lloyd Webber tries to remain faithful to the source to a fault. And at the end of this roller coaster- does anyone have a really satisfying ending to this? Alex running off with Rose? Giulietta? Jenny? Rose and Giulietta try to find out what the secret is of the Woman in White? (couldn't resist...)

I think I read that originally Aspects ended with Giulietta and Alex's post Anything But Lonely recitative and then "Hand Me the wine and the dice" and it ended with that. In Previews they felt it was an "unsatisfying ending" and gave Ball his final high note... tying the beginning and ending together.

Jim

[Piazzaslight]

Posted: 3/7/06 at 7:42am

I have another satisfying ending to all this: Since Rose is so unsympathetic and selfish, how about Alex pulls a cord and a giant chandelir falls down on her? (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Getting seious, I also love this score. I find it long and boring, though. I think that's because it has to jump to so many locations in such a limited amount of time. Other than that, it's up with there with THE WOMAN IN WHITE, EVITA and THE BEAUTIFUL GAME as one of ALW's best and most complex scores.

Updated On: 3/7/06 at 07:42 AM

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/8/06 at 1:30am

Yes, at the Sydmonton Festival the show (originally) finished with Hand me the Wine and the Dice. They wrote the extra song, Anything But Lonely, later on.

According to IMDB, a movie is in development. No offense, but Andrew is having a lot of guts tackling this in the cinema. Who on earth is going to sit there and watch an opera on the screen? I know it's been done, with movies like Carmen and etc. (there's a whole heap of them), but would it have a market today? They'd have to make drastic changes. Either that or simply shoot it in the style of Cats, Joseph, Superstar....

* Jo: now that you mention it, I think Love does work that way. But since I don't have the libretto I mistook Alex as singing that to Rose in the final scene or something. Interesting...

I'll definitely go after The Beautiful Game, only for the chance of having the Phantom 2 melody (I was one of the few who supported the Phantom sequel. Eeek. As long as it wasn't the terrible Forsyth version :S)

Someone here said, but I can't remember, that FALLING is recycled in WOMAN IN WHITE. Where?

[blaxx]

Posted: 3/8/06 at 1:54am

Is there are a recording with "There is More to Love" as a duet?

[jo]

Posted: 3/8/06 at 3:49am

>Yes, at the Sydmonton Festival the show (originally) finished with Hand me the Wine and the Dice. They wrote the extra song, Anything But Lonely, later on.<


In the original novella by David Garnett from which the play is based, the ending appears like this --


******************************
"Giulietta: But I always thought your love for Jenny was a sublimation of your desire for revenge on George and your passion for Rose.

Alexis :You are entirely and absolutely wrong. I love Jenny for her own sake and my love for her has never had anything to do with either of them. When she was a child we were perfectly intimate and I could be happy without wanting physical love in my life. Now she is growing up and during the change from child to woman the relationship has become impossible.

Giulietta: So, you are giving me warning that I must look out for squall in 5 years time?

Alexis: I hope Jenny will be in love with someone of her own age then.

Giulietta: I suppose you think you do hope it. And I'm quite sure you don't...

Set down the wine and the dice
And perish the thought of tomorrow "

*****************************


The last two sentences, I suppose, reflect the philosophy of the bohemian writers of that time in British society ( David Garnett was a member of the men and women of arts and letters who believed in a bohemian lifestyle, referred to as the Bloomsbury group, of whom the most prominent member was Garnett's sister in law, Virginia Woolf).

To live in the present and forget what the future brings ...


Jo









Updated On: 3/8/06 at 03:49 AM

[jo]

Posted: 3/8/06 at 3:57am

I think the IMDB movie plans have been posted there since like forever - LOL. While RUG says it would like to film all of its works, I don't think there have been any recent announcements that back up any filmization of this musical. I think their most recent announcement ( from ALW himself) has been the film project for SUNSET BOULEVARD, which Webber was kind of hoping would get off the ground last year. But nothing seems to be happening there, too.

FALLING is such a distinctive song and melody - I cannot imagine in what part of THE WOMAN IN WHITE it has found itself again. Maybe I just didn't recognize it?

Jo