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Downloaded the new Chess På Svenska album off of KaZaA today, as I’m still waiting for mine in the mail. I’m giving it a first run-through right now, so what follows is a live commentary I’m writing while taking a break from a paper. I’m not going to expound on the story changes for this one. I know that the majority of you readers wouldn’t consider this to be Chess, even. This brief, track-by-track, “live” commentary focuses strictly on the music.
1 – Ouvertyr (Overture): This sets a dark, foreboding mood for the piece. I hope it’s exploited. As for the music itself – think the Champion Chorus from the London “Endgame” followed by a VERY extended “Story of Chess” intro with new variations.
2 – Historiem om schack (The Story of Chess): Aww, Anatoly’s singing to his kid. Tommy Körberg, oddly enough, sounds to be the master he’s hyped up to be when singing in his mother tongue.
3 – Där jag ville vara (Where I Want to Be): This music box sounds colder than ever – gorgeous. Props to Anders Eljas and Benny Andersson on these arrangements. The orchestrations have never been so vibrant. And Mr. Körberg actually blends with the backup singers! Oi!
4 – Merano (Merano): I sense a number of cuts that have been kind to the song. Gone is the ponderous intro to the song and the whistling interlude. The arrangement indicates a German marching band accompanying the singers. Very nice. Anders Ekborg handles his “What a Scene!” segment with style, and Helen Sjöholm makes her first appearance in the second verse of said segment. I love this woman’s voice, and she seems to be channeling Florence qualities nicely. There are also some new counter-melodies in the keyboards…or maybe they’ve just never been brought out before. I’m liking this.
5 – Anatoly och Molokov (Anatoly & Molokov): Ooo! Darkiness! And Per Myberg’s Molokov seems a good presence, and more importantly – not stereotypical!
6 – Ungern ’56 (1956, Budapest is Rising): Speechless moment… The orchestral/choral interlude here is a magnificent piece of scoring. It feels cinematic…soooo sublime. I have no words for it except “brooding, evocative.” Combine those two. The scene works, shockingly!
7 – Lämna inga dörrar par glant (Nobody’s Side): Interesting new arrangement, and Ms. Sjöholm carries the song with style.
8 – Jag vill se schack (The Arbiter): This track is a friggin’ riot! I’d never considered someone Rex Harrison-ing his way through this song, but it works. Cool techno working of the song itself, too.
9 – Chess (Chess Instrumental): You know what I’ve been saying about the orchestra? It holds.
10 – Kvartett (Quartet): Not sure how I feel about Florence’s “Budapest is Rising” reprise in the middle of the song. Maybe it would work better if I knew Swedish, but it seems jarring, and the Arbiter’s inability to sing seriously does not work here as it does in his own number.
11 – Inte Jag (Someone Else’s Story): Finally – Judy Kuhn has a listenable version of the song to stand alongside her own. It probably helps being in another language.
12 – Möte på en bro (Mountain/Terrace/Bridge/Parking Garage Duet): An instrumental version of “Embassy Lament” is making a bizarre appearance at the beginning of the track. It works as a string quartet. Those awful lyrics aren’t there! As for the song itself, no complaints – luch orchestration, etc. It doesn’t make me like or dislike the song anymore than I already did. Very cool choral section I’m hearing right now, though, and Tommy Körberg, finally, after 18 years playing the role on and off FINALLY stopped his damned yodeling on the last note of the “beguine” segement.
13 – I mitt hjärtas land (Anthem): I’m not sure if anyone can say anything about this one. Mr. Körberg has been singing this song since I was an infant; he sings it when he’s drunk, I’m sure – that would explain the New Zealand concert, anyway. The point is – he’ll still be singing it in his coffin, whether you want him to or not. If you like his Anthem, you’ll like this. If you don’t, you won’t. I’m personally indifferent.
14 – Florence lämnar Freddie (Argument/How Many Women): Cool “Prologue” music that introduces the track (and the second act), nice “chase music” guitar work. But you have to face that the song itself is a mess. It always has been. VERY cool segue into the next track, though. I won’t spoil it.
15 – Ven ser ett barn (Pity the Child): Anders Ekborg may sound a bit too operatic for some tastes here, but I don’t mind so much. I’m liking this album for its change of pace from standard “Chess” truths. Very open arrangements here, as though the music itself is projecting Freddie’s emotions onto Fox Sports. Hmm…that statement will make more sense when you hear it.
16 – Ni dömer mig (music: Endgame): Somehow, what used to be “Endgame” ended up here. But I am not here to judge that decision. It probably makes more sense in the context of the book…which this production has, oddly enough. All the performers are in top form for what’s here, though. Again, no complaints. The chorus is amazing.
17 – Om han var här (Heaven Help My Heart): Very popish arrangement that doesn’t really work for this song. It seems too light. Ms. Sjöholm sings it well enough, but this is the first time on this album that the orchestra has actually hindered one of the performance. Maybe I’m just used to the OBC.
18 – Han är en man, han är ett barn (no English equivalent): This song is absolutely beautiful. There being no English equivalent, there’s obviously no basis for comparison Chess-wise, and while I’m not a big fan of new Svetlana material, I don’t object to having this gorgeous material on record. Josefin Nilsson delivers a powerhouse performance on this track.
19 – Vem kunde ana (The Deal/No Deal): Love that guitar. Very refreshing for one of the “rock” sections to show up here. All the principles shine through beautifully, as they’ve been doing. And Tommy Körberg again shows some style by holding himself back.
20 – Drömmar av glas (You & I): There’s a new intro here – a very long segment of ethereal underscoring; again, it feels like a film. And I’m using the word “film.” This is a compliment! Now with Helen singing it feels like an unreleased track off of “Kristina.” And this isn’t exactly a bad thing – trust me. It’s a delight to listen to. Half of the suspense is figuring out when the familiar “You & I” starts. And when it does, it’s still beautiful – much more intimate than it’s been on previous *cough* concept album *cough* recordings.
21 – Jag ville se schack (Arbiter – reprise): It’s still techno; it’s still Rex Harrison-ed by Rolf Skoglund; it’s still fun.
22 – Jag vet vad han vill (I Know Him So Well): I was never a big fan of this song. The only version that ever “got” me was the OBC one. Josefin Nilsson doesn’t have the same magic here as in her solo number. It’s nowhere near as bad as it was in that preview concert clip that the official site hosts (
http://www.chessthemusical.com – it might be best not to view said video clip), but it’s not great. Inoffensive, easy on the ears, but nothing to sway my opinion one way or the other.
23 – Glöm mig om du kan (no English equivalent): Per Myberg’s performance of this magnificent ballad is almost enough for me to consider the cut of “US vs. USSR” from this production. Looking over a translation of the lyrics, this provides a glorious insight into Molokov’s character (the title translates to “Forget Me if You Can,” in case you’re wondering). It’s about a man who regrets leaving behind a wife to join the KGB, but he is hardened in his old age. Instead of using this story to persuade himself to let Anatoly go without anything happening to his family back home, he simply uses it to remind Anatoly of duty – beautiful, conflicting, and a vague hint of “You & I” that keeps popping up.
24 – Capablanca (Chorus of Champions): No surprise here – it’s the chanting. It’s cool to listen to in the background, and in this production, it’s used as underscoring. So…I guess it kinda makes sense in that context.
25 – Drömmar av glas/Historien om schack (You & I – reprise/Story of Chess): I never liked the idea of combining these two songs for the finale. But again, that would put it in its dramatic context, and I swore I’d try not to do that (though as you can see from previous comments, it was kind of inevitable). No surprises here. Both soloists do a fantastic job, and it ends the album well.
Overall, I’d recommend this one, so long as you already have a Chess recording, preferably the OBC. As far as utilitarian purposes of recordings go, this one is smack in the middle, before the OBC and Danish, and above the Concept and Gothenberg Concert. As far as pure listening pleasure, I rank it just below, and in some places next to, the OBC.