The Instrumental.

Today, I have been listening a lot to Love Never Dies (again) and can't get over how beautiful "The Aerie" is.

It's yet another piece in my file of other instrumental pieces from musical theatre.

I was wondering if you guys had some favourite pieces of instrumental music in musicals and what they were?

Updated On: 6/7/10 at 02:56 PM

Ooh, how about the opening of Act I and the end of Act I in Sunset Boulevard?

- The overture to LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. Ignore the "aaaaaaaaahs", I think it counts.
- Chess, from CHESS, particularly when it breaks into the tune for the bit in Endgame that goes #Nothing you have said/is revelation#.
- the Mayerling Waltz in ELISABETH. Only really works in dramatic context, but love it nonetheless.
- the overture to the SWEENEY TODD film. What do you mean, it's a song with the lyrics removed? It's been far too long since I last watched that actually...
- (don't mock me) the PHANTOM overture. I know, I should have better taste.

I'm going to broaden this out to "favourite orchestral/accompaniment parts of songs" because I am TOTALLY obsessed with a couple of these:

- the second verse in Goodbye Until Tomorrow from THE LAST FIVE YEARS where Cathy sings #Finally yes/finally now# etc. The piano/string parts in this are almost orgasmic. Only a slight exaggeration.
- the chorus in Colour and Light from SUNDAY... in both the Carr and the original orchestration. IT'S POINTILLISM AS MUSIC. SO AMAZING. Particularly when it goes #look at the air, Miss# DADA DADA #see what I mean...#.

Grapes of Roth (PROMISES, PROMISES)
Dance at the Gym (WSS)
Rich Man's Frug (SWEET CHARITY)
Tick, Tock (COMPANY)
Bolero d'Amore (FOLLIES)

I second CHESS, although I also love the choral introduction to Endgame

the list goes on....