#76
Posted: 1/17/16 at 9:31pm
Did you get your CD or is that review just based on the songs they released? Has anyone received their CD yet?
Hunchback Album — Page 4
#77
Posted: 1/17/16 at 11:39pm
I'll agree that the songs released so far sound terribly rote and sleepy; just oddly disconnected. Does this have to do wth re-recording the album after the first go was botched?
#78
Posted: 1/17/16 at 11:46pm
Did they rerecord the whole album? I thought they just rerecorded certain small portions which isn't unusual.
#79
Posted: 1/17/16 at 11:50pm
I heard it was a lot (hence delays) but I have no specifics.
#80
Posted: 1/18/16 at 9:12am
I found this conversation on youtube, I thought it might be of some interest:
Amazing show. The orchestrator of this (Michael Starobin) is the father of one of my friends. Nice guy. Also, of course, a genius.
Responder · 5
Orchestrators never get enough recognition. I'm not sure if this is the same guy that has done other orchestrations for Alan Menken or not, but they've all been brilliant! That's my favorite part about Disney staged musicals. The orchestrations are magical and brilliant! Tell your buddy that he rocks my face off!
Responder · 1
It's usually Danny Troob. Michael has only orchestrated Hunchback (film and show) and the songs from Tangled (Danny did score) for Alan. But he also orchestrated Sunday in the Park with George and Once On This Island, among many other shows.
Responder ·
+Brian Ricciardi As well as the original 1990 production and 2004 Revival of another Sondheim musical, "Assassins".
Responder ·
I forgot about "Assassins." There's also the reworking of La Boheme that he did, with saxes and stuff. That was in the 80s, I think.
Responder ·
Joseph Falabella Hace 4 semanas
I have to admit some of the orchestrations in this new adaptation are awesome. but the orchestrations in most of the numbers lacks the fire of the German production.
Responder ·
Brian Ricciardi Hace 4 semanas
There was a huge problem with funding the pit (due to the 32 voice choir), and Michael doesn't use string patches. Still, for a string quartet, two reeds, trombone, 2 horns, trumpet, percussion, and keys, it's really lush.
Responder · 1
Joseph Falabella Hace 4 semanas
+Brian Ricciardi i found that interesting too that they had two choirs... But I agree it is good for what they had to work with.
Responder ·
Brian Ricciardi Hace 4 semanas
+Joseph Falabella It definitely made sense in the context of the show, given how chant-based the score is. What Michael told me was that he fleshed out the strings with the Hauptwerk Organ patch. He was actually very critical of the grand scale choral writing, and felt that it should have been a very small ensemble performing multiple roles, similar to the theatre of the period.
Responder ·
Updated On: 1/18/16 at 09:12 AM
#81
Posted: 1/18/16 at 9:44am
Sounds like Starobin's a smart cat. The choirs are lovely, but excessive.
Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05
Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05
Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28
#82
Posted: 1/18/16 at 1:00pm
I assume the excessive choir was likely a major deciding factor in the decision making that lead them to not bring this production to Broadway. The rest of the show was relatively minimal compared to other large musicals but the two choirs would have probably cost a fortune on Broadway. Personally, I would have been fine with the ensemble singing the choral chants and if they wanted to "sweeten" the vocals and make them sound more boisterous in the theatre they could have done so and it wouldn't have been that different from what most of the other musicals are doing on Broadway now.
If Michael Starobin really did want a smaller ensemble/choir there are moments when I can definitely agree. Perhaps it will sound better on the CD or in a higher bit rate but the end of the "Esmeralda" track for example, even with all the work they do in a studio to separate each section and master the audio appropriately, still sounds very muddy. The chorus is overpowering the orchestra and the individual singers, but again the sound quality will likely be a bit better on the actual CD.
If Michael Starobin really did want a smaller ensemble/choir there are moments when I can definitely agree. Perhaps it will sound better on the CD or in a higher bit rate but the end of the "Esmeralda" track for example, even with all the work they do in a studio to separate each section and master the audio appropriately, still sounds very muddy. The chorus is overpowering the orchestra and the individual singers, but again the sound quality will likely be a bit better on the actual CD.
#83
Posted: 1/20/16 at 11:23pm
Just wanted to let you all know, per Sh-K-Boom's Facebook page, Sirius XM On Broadway will be broadcasting the full album tomorrow evening ahead of Friday's release at 8PM/ 5 PT with a replay at 11PM ET/8 PT! Also for those who aren't a subscriber, you can set up an online account with a free trial. Exciting!
link to the post: https://www.facebook.com/ghostlightrecords/?fref=ts
Updated On: 1/20/16 at 11:23 PM
#84
Posted: 1/21/16 at 12:45am
My CD won't be here until Friday so I'm probably going to end up buying it on iTunes at midnight. That is if they ever release it.
#85
Posted: 1/21/16 at 12:20pm
CATSNYrevival said: "My CD won't be here until Friday so I'm probably going to end up buying it on iTunes at midnight. That is if they ever release it."
I'm confused. Why wouldn't they? I ordered the CD from amazon and it is currently on the way, according to the tracking. All they've released so far are a few preview songs. The release date was always set as tomorrow (well, since they moved the date back, it's been tomorrow).
#86
Posted: 1/21/16 at 12:30pm
The release date was delayed once. Maybe twice? I can't remember. In some ways it seems as if we've been waiting for this recording since 1999. That was the only reason I said if.
#89
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:09am
It showed up early on iTunes. Yay! I'm on Heaven Light and love it so far. Really great! So happy. I saw this in Berlin in 2000 and have been dying for an English cast recording since. Finally!!!
#90
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:20am
Listening to it now on Apple Music. Love it so far...saw it in Berlin years ago and have the German cast album. Nice to have it in English. I still love the Disney soundtrack recording, too. Have to have it for Bette's "God Help the Outcasts"...
#91
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:23am
It's also on Spotify.
I wish I had kinder words. I was as big a proponent of this material as anyone. I hoped that just the music would make for a good experience, but there's no getting around the issues of this iteration. The album is a reminder of what a huge step back Hunchback took in the American production. The voices are sometimes sleepy, but generally good; they're not the issue. Everything is blunt. Little excites. The "and then this happens" narration is still embarrassing and deadly to the drama. The liturgical chorus motif is still dramaturgical poison. Much is left out of the recording, much left in is tepid. It's a damn shame that nepotism and sloppy thinking brought us this apparently final version of such promising music and narrative. It died on the way because it didn't work and it's still what we're stuck with.
Updated On: 1/22/16 at 12:23 AM
#92
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:26am
The sound is unbelievable. I really have no complaints except that they didn't record even more of the music. It would have been nice to have the "Rest and Recreation" reprise but there's literally no space left on the disc for any more music so to have included that they would have had to leave something off and I can't think of anything that is included that I could do without. It's a near perfect cast album.
#96
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:44am
The one musical bit I really miss is when Clopin introduces the "Esmeralda" theme
#97
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:49am
Having seen the movie when it first came out, I remember how powerful the German production was. It was very dark, though...which is inherent in the source material. Odd choice for Disney, but I'm glad they did it as it gives us this beautiful score.
#98
Posted: 1/22/16 at 12:54am
The album is currently #1 on the iTunes Soundtrack chart and #5 on iTunes Albums overall. Not bad for a few hours...
#100
Posted: 1/22/16 at 1:13am
Done. Fantastic. So happy. I had to listen to Esmeralda at least 5 times in a row before moving on. I haven't liked a cast recording this much at first listen since BOM. Bravo.
Updated On: 1/22/16 at 01:13 AM
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