Spring Awakening's Score: Changes in the Orchestrations

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:43pm

I understand that there were SEVERAL changes in the orchestrations for Spring Awakening. The most noticeable changes were in Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise) and The Song of Purple Summer. In the London production they added a harmony for Melchior in 'Whispering' and a reprise of Totally F*cked, not to mention that they took out the cello in 'The Word Of Your Body' (why? That cello is so pretty). What other changes were made for the score and were most of them added for the tour (I know for a fact that the 'Whispering' harmony was added recently).

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:47pm

The Song of Purple Summer changes were added on Broadway. I love that version of the song so much more, it's stunning and I wish we had it on the cast recording.That and the BOOM BOOM BOOM in Mama Who Bore Me Reprise.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:54pm

The orchestrations for Mama (Reprise) are DRASTICALLY different. There is a heavy use of guitar and upright bass (which is not present on the cast recording) and in the middle there is very deep percussion (also, not in the OBCR). The BOOM BOOM BOOM's in the Broadway version was so some sort of heavy drum, but for the tour (and london production) they used an upright bass for the boom boom boom's (a very annoying change).

You can here the differences here
OBCR:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Qfhjd7IY8&feature=channel_page

Current Version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jJHCtQYpYE&feature=PlayList&p=AAAA6A154D15173D&index=42


ETA: They actuall changed the 'booms' to an upright bass later on in the Broadway run. My bad.

Updated On: 7/19/09 at 03:54 PM

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:58pm

I prefer the tour version to any other. *shrugs*

The obcr is just not a good representation for me. Even the little things like the song order is changed. (Guilty Ones before Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind)

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:01pm

That always confused me. Did Act I originally close with Sadness/Blue Wind, or did Act II originally open with Sadness/Blue Wind

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:17pm

They just changed the song order for the CD is all.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:30pm

That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard...that makes no sense. Sometimes, these creative teams amaze me...

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:35pm

I'm sure someone can tell it better than me... people have different explanations ranging from it either being a mistake because the CD was so rushed or that Duncan Sheik wanted it that way so that you didn't get two slower tempo songs together. He wanted "I Believe" to be followed by an uptempo number, but even that doesn't make a lot of sense to me because there are other places on the CD where two slower tempo songs come together in sequence.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:43pm

My belief is that the album was rushed in order to be available ASAP and they didn't have time to incorporate the mass amounts of changes to both the score and the lyrics.

As for the new additions to the tour, I absolutely love the new part written for Melchior in "Whispering." I think it adds something really beautiful to the song. And as for the minor changes to the tour/London production's orchestrations, I think they're more out of necessity than for artistic purposes. Like the use of a bass instead of a drum for the beginning of the MWBM reprise. One less instrument to incorporate maybe? I don't know.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 5:05pm

I like the obcr Mama reprise better then the current, maybe it's just the singing

[claudioislove]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 5:14pm

I adored the version of Song of Purple Summer that I heard when I actually saw the show (4th to last performance, oh yeah ;D). I really wish that was the one on the album.