So, I Saw A Little Night Music (a month and a half behind the world) — Page 2

Operagod1, it seems to me that with eight musicians, you can't help but have dull and lifeless. Assume two of the players are carrying the rhythm, that leaves just six players for the meloriy and counter-melody. Where can the richness and color possibly come from? We all know how complex this score is. In order to produce the harmonics, you would need to be using three of the six musicians at any given time, so now you're down to three players to both carry the melody AND produce "the color?" Forget it. The only way these reduced bands can work is if they ditch the strings and go all woodwinds, doubling like crazy, and a trumpet of two and a trombone. Then you have a brassy sound, so that won't work either.

I just don't see how this score can be done justice with eighjt people in the pit (unless the strings are pre-recorded. Are they?)

I have a friend who is one hell of an arranger and he often visits this site. I'll ask him.

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Let Jonathan Tunick, the original arranger and orchestrator explain it all to you:


http://books.google.com/books?id=90jK8A_nzqUC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=broadway+orchestra+minimum+number+of+players&source=bl&ots=OiDWr_jqqC&sig=dqOpHFbTg7Qly1kf4ljiSZEtNbY&hl=en&ei=FwZOS_SbBpTYsQOFwZnQBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBYQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=broadway%20orchestra%20minimum%20number%20of%20players&f=false

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Updated On: 1/13/10 at 12:49 PM

"but the re-working for Nunn's concept ruins everything (for me and for MANY of the NYC actors that have seen the show."

I didn't realise this production was for actors only.

Someone should have told me. I wouldn't have gone to see it.

Yeah, but look at what you did to the effing thread. Ugh.


.... For what it's worth, I absolutely loathed Ramona Mallory but I LOVED the revival (as a whole). The audience eats up Angela and so did I.

Their music & vocals sounded beautiful and Leigh Ann was amazing. A wonderful day spent in the theatre - no debate or doubt about it.

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The shouty B was a choice of Mr. Nunn and Mr. Murray asked of Hunter as early as his first audition, and apparently also a choice used in the Menier production. Nunn purportedly sees the note as a climax point of Henrik's frustrations which should thus be closer to a shout than a tenor float. Hopefully that solves a little bit of the mystery. It is a brave choice for sure, if not necessarily a smart one, or one that focuses on the cello solo, as Sondheim originally intended.

I never said that it was only for actors. I also see why others might have it enjoyed it more than I did. I WANTED to adore it, I kept waiting to adore it, but it never happened. Now, it's live theater and I might have seen a bad show. It happens, but I don't think so... it's the concept it did not enjoy. I had a house seat in row four (maybe that was a disadvantage?)and as a show, it never took me in......... that's all. If it worked for you, then that's great!