Favorite orchestral harmonies in shows

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 4:59pm

What are your favorite orchestral textures/harmonies in shows?
If any, what are your favorite orchestral harmonies that tie in counterpoint with the vocals?

I know it's a crazy question, but there's somebody who has a good part in a show for the orchestra.

Like take for example, I particularly love the orchestrations for the CD of Falsettoland and how they mix with the vocals (like in the end of "The Year Of The Child"), as well as the orchestrations for the stage version of Mary Poppins. I don't know maybe it's just me. I like the piano stuff that each of the two keyboardists have. Crazy grouping, but it sounds cool to have both keyboardists playing piano instead of one on piano, one on synth. I also am a big fan of the LitP orchestrations as well as Seussical and Beauty and the Beast.

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:04pm

- Most of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals: Almost all of the songs in Carousel, King & I, Flower Drum Song, The Sound of Music.

- Almost all of the songs in West Side Story

- Oh, I forgot Miss Saigon - duh...my avatar!

Updated On: 2/18/06 at 05:04 PM

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:16pm

so hooked on playing the orchestrations to "Sound Of Music", loved playing the harp part on my synth - a lot of fun

love the BIG BRASS BLASTS in "Bloody Mary" in South Pacific.

[showinoff]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:29pm

Josh, I am so glad that you appreciate these things. Welcome to the board! Oddly enough, being a singer, I tend to listen to to the vocal arr. so this post had me thinking, and going back to old cast recordings.

Updated On: 2/18/06 at 05:29 PM

[MarkCohen]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:32pm

The one that comes off the top of my head is the double trumpet part in "The Ballad of Booth" around the "Damn you Johnny! You paved the way." I love the revival orchestrations.

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:49pm

I really like all of 42nd Street, but especially the dance break in "Dames".

[jv92]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:51pm

I like the part of "Another Hundred People" in Company where the brass goes
Da-da
Da-da
Da-da-da-da
Da-da
Da-da-da-da
(It's very similar to the Bobby-Bubby) part.

Something like that. It's toward the end, but it sounds great. Watch the cast album DVD for it!
Updated On: 2/18/06 at 05:51 PM

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 5:51pm

I love The Light in the Piazza's, but especially in Passeggiata, towards the end (I am work here in the tie shop...). The orchestrations are just beautiful. It makes me wish I had taken Band or an instrument class.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 6:19pm

Yes...I notice that.

That's so cool.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:16pm

I totally agree about West Side Story. Some of the pure orchestra songs don't sound pretty, but they aren't supposed to like "The Rumble." The harmonizing is so perfect to accomodate what is happening on the stage. Lots of the dance breaks also mesh great with vocals, like in "America" and "Cool." And the slow songs like "Balcony Scene," "Somewhere," "I Feel Pretty" and especially "One Hand, One Heart" combine the orchestra with the voices to make such gorgeous sounds. OHOH in particular has a gorgeous flute/clarinet harmony.

Ooh, also many in Miss Saigon. The instrumental endings of "Last Night of the World," and "I Still Believe" are gorgeous and dramatic, and the instruments play an important part in essentially all the songs.

Other favorites:

A New Argentina-Evita
Memory-Cats
Phantom of the Opera-Phantom of the Opera
Dance of the Robe-Aida
Facade-Jekyll & Hyde
Maybe This Time-Cabaret
Easy As Life-Aida
Stars-Les Miserables
One Day More-Les Miserables
Empty Chairs At Empty Tables-Les Miserables
Rain-Once On This Island
Pray-Once On This Island
Angel of Music-Phantom of the Opera
New Music-Ragtime
Wheels Of A Dream-Ragtime
Fable-Light In The Piazza (La Passegiata as well )
A Bit Of Earth-The Secret Garden

Actually, most of the songs in The Secret Garden have gorgeous orchestrations.

No One Mourns The Wicked-Wicked
the end of Defying Gravity-Wicked

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:20pm

I must add Masquerade, everything about it I can't get over on the cd

[Kimmygonbefamous]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:33pm

Basically.....all of "Piazza".

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 10:49pm

I gotta agree with you, I specifically love the strings at the end of "Say it Somehow" and how they mix with the harp.

Come on, any brass guys here?

I'm a REAL sucker for the orchestrations for DRS, Chorus Line, The Producers, Kismet, Candide, WSS, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and Full Monty.

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 10:55pm

Josh, do you have this recording?
Boublil and Schonberg's Symphonic Pieces - Les Miserables Symphonic Suite and Miss Saigon Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 10:56pm

No.
From what I hear, I would love to get it. Miss Saigon for piano and orchestra.
I NEEEED TO DO THAT!

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 11:25pm

"Boublil and Schonberg's Symphonic Pieces - Les Miserables Symphonic Suite and Miss Saigon Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra"

Both pieces are in one recording. Go to the link below for a sample.

Album

Updated On: 2/18/06 at 11:25 PM

[iliketheater]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 11:39pm

I just saw Parade yesterday & I was nearly distracted by the score. The way the tension formed in the orchestra went so perfectly with the tension onstage, everything went together beautifully. Wonderful job done by JRB.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 11:57pm

I also find the orchestrations in WICKED very impressive.

What I find the most intriguing is the guitar technique known as the "E-bow". You hear it in the beginning of "As Long As You're Mine," and interspersed throughout the rest of the show as well, to give for an "eerie" sound. The orchestrator, William David Brohn, also used the "E-bow" for the stage orchestration of MARY POPPINS, since it has a more darker edge to it.

For more info on how it sounds like, see this website: www.ebow.com

[iliketheater]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 12:03am

I agree! I don't know the technical terms, but Wicked is another score with wonderful moments in it(regardless of what many people say about the actual show).

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 12:06am

Josh, I am indeed a big fan of brass. I do like Cullen and Lloyd Webber's orchestrations for Sunset Boulevard.

An as far as prominent orchestrators go, I really like Doug Besterman.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 12:08am

Jackie's Last Dance from Lippa's Wild APrty. When the flutes play "Queenie Was a Blonde," specifically.

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 12:11am

And how could I forget "You're nothing Without Me" from City of Angels!

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 12:17am

You're looking at another Besterman fan.
He actually went to my camp (French Woods Festival).

If you like him that much, have you heard some of his new charts for the Producers film? They're awesome! They bring back some of the old charts for movie musicals like Best Foot Forward or On the Town. I miss those.

Yeah, I second "You're Nothing Without Me", especially at the beginning how the piano doubles the synth. It's cool.

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 12:26am

Yes I have heard the charts for the film, and I'm very impressed. I particularly like I Wanna Be A Producer (the intro, oooh!), as well as Betrayed and King of Old Broadway, but most of all "Guten Tag Hop Clop". There are some moments I just have to rewind again and again.

I think Doug was let down by a hasty recording job on the Broadway Cast recording.

For someone so young to have put out so much great stuff, I'm very impressed. I think there are many more great sounds to come from this chap.

Josh, I'll add you as a myspace friend if thats ok.

Updated On: 2/19/06 at 12:26 AM

[ThunderCat8]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 6:36am

My favourite orchestral harmonies are definitely in Ragtime. When I hear the soaring music, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Listen to the first 25 seconds of the Courtship (right after Your daddy's son). It is Gorgeous!

On another note, I think Ragtime also has the best vocal harmonies in any musical. It is so textured and gorgeous all the way through. Love it love it love it!