I agree to this whole thing. The point of the musical is to see how people crack under pressure. Freddie cracked and lost in the first act, Anatoly showed a darker side of himself but still won. It shows how power can corrupt. Freddie, who was already corrupt after being world champion for years, and Anatoly as he rises to success. I personally prefer West End to Broadway any day. It shows the "you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain"
It's called "Endgame." I absolutely adore it in this version! it is the highlight for me of the whole musical. I agree, I think this musical is something special. I had to upload it so I could see so many other people enjoy it as much as I have. I unfortunately know no one in my life who likes it.
The way this builds and builds, and finally overflows with emotion--the lyrics, and the symphonic accompaniment, the unexpected chord progressions, the building intensity, their acting--the whole thing is simply magnificent. It really expresses, musically, what goes on emotionally and relationally in such situations.
This is what's happening in Anatoly's mind. The Svetlana & Florence here are not the actual people, but what he's imagining they think of him. His conscience, if you will.
The director somewhat tries to make this clear by cutting to Viigand at 1:13 continuing to play and the match continuing as normal. And he cuts to the board again several more times to keep this convention going. Granted, in a true film rather than stage format it could be shown even more clearly. ;)
That said, it does seem to make Anatoly almost a superhuman chess player that he can be undergoing this existential crisis in his head and still play a flawless championship match, to the point that it's almost funny when his physical self returns to the board and seems to deflate Viigand in one well-placed move.
After attending a real life World Chess Championship, there is a whole level to this musical that I did not fully appreciate until I experienced the real thing first hand.....the drama, the intensity....the real chess is so much more.....focussed .....and YES couples broke up mid-game in the audience while the x2 Grandmasters played on oblivious to anything outside of the 64 squares! It was brilliant!
I know this is an old conversation, but I thought I could contribute. The very first lyrics from the Russian in this song gives away his entire character. The listener is not meant to sympathize with him at all. "Some are vicious, some are fools, and others blind to see in me, one of their kind". It is an absolute mistake for the listener to take any sort of positive lesson from the character of Anatoly. I believe he was always meant to stand as a warning to the audience.
The costume department did a great job telling the story. We have Anatoly and Svetlana dressed all in black as on their side of the chessboard. Freddy of course in white. And the white queen Florence here is romantically involved with the black king, that's why she has that giant-ass black flower on her white gown that has POCKETS
I love this so much. The cast is brilliant. Thankyou so much for filling my past few weeks with the musical version of the Cold War. Who needs revision when you have Chess?!
Man all three of their voices together, and that last 'never' by Groban. Could (and do) listen to this over and over. Also really don't get so many people bagging on Groban's acting. He was playing a character who is cold and stiff...that's what comes across. Maybe it's just because the others are so emotive that it stands out? I think they're all great, thanks for sharing!
supersery, are you sure? There is another way to look at it. *IF* Walter is telling the truth about trying to get people out of Soviet prison, (and if not, what other motivation would he have) then clearly he is the only one in the group other than Florence with any kind of important goal. Molokov is just playing politics, the others are just playing a game, but Walter, ah, HE has a job to do that counts. Likewise, Florence's overlapping motivation (get father out of prison) is clearly more important than the motivations of the chess players- when Freddie and Anatoly BOTH decided that winning a chess game is more important than that, (In "Talking Chess") Anatoly clearly joined Freddie is obsessive-land, and is emotionally lost, which is made clear in this piece, I think. *Ok, Svetlana, though not a lead character, has a real goal too- the well being of her children. And again, Freddie and Anatoly put that as a lower priority than the game.
Walter is definetely playing political games... get some people out of soviet prisons is just one of the many things he is doing and one of the deals he gets done with Molokov and that's why he is trying to sabotage the game. The american and the russian I agree are obessed with the game and emotionally confused, but they still keep their humanity, while Molokov and Walter never seamed to be human or to care about anything-anybody else. It is very clear at the end of the play, when Walter clearly defines Florence (and the others) life as only a game.
Oh my gosh that last song (what is it called?) the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up on end - music like that - I can't remember the last time I felt this way - the music and storyline from the whole show is so amazing - but that last song above - I was weeping with emotion, - I always loved ABBA but now to me Benny and Bjorn are musical Gods!
You are referring to the Broadway version. This second half isthe original way they wrote the musical when it was first performed in West End. They added a couple of songs, but otherwise kept it intact. I actually prefer this version, even though it makes Anatoly a bit of a jerk. I think he is still a sympathetic character despite his huge flaws. I do wish they had kept the same lines from the original version in some of the songs. It was deemed too politically incorrect, but it added depth.
Thank you so much for putting this on youtube! I now own the dvd, but I never would have found 'Chess' at all- if not for the time you took to do this.
I have to admit, I hate the way they changed the entire second half of the storyline of this show. The song Endgame used to be a duet between Freddie and Anatoly in their final chess match for the championship and Anatoly purposely throws the game out of love for Florence and the desire to let her be with her father. This version makes Anatoly look like a jerk and Freddie's vocal presence is sorely missed. :-(
nikkiaktrez agreed! More tragic and tear jerking. I love David Carroll’s Anatoly, he was so intense and sensitive. Why even create an argument with the women in this scene and look like a jerk? Keep the Freddie and Anatoly rivalry going! And keep Florence and Anatoly deeply in love and in sync
No, THIS is the real version! It’s based on the original West End plot (with the addition of only 2 songs). The 2nd act you are referring to is from the Broadway version which was done some years after the original and suffered huge plot modifications, such as ‘Endgame’ becoming a duet between Freddie and Anatoly. In the Broadway version, Anatoly loses by his own will so that Florence can meet her father and therefore Freddie is the winner, but in the original version (and this one which is fully based on it) it’s Anatoly who wins because his love of chess is stronger than any other political mediocrity which corrupted the game. Even though he wins, he eventually decides to return to his country so that Florence can also meet her father. In my opinion, this version works better as it denounces political influence on any game.
Tymala1 The Broadway version came after and was full of awful changes. THIS is the real version (based on the original West End stage musical). Trumper lost his title to Anatoly at the end of Act 1 and then he retired from chess to become a TV reporter working for Walter. Act 2 takes place one year later and Anatoly is playing his title against Viigand, a new Soviet opponent trained by Molokov.
Chess Opening song = 2:15 in i klippet börjar det The Story of Chess Långsamma 4/4 x7 = intro två instrumentala melodi delar Aaaaah delen börjar 4/4 ×71 = 7 instrumentala meldoier = intro And in the end we see the game that started by mistake in hindustan understood in the made by watters now one The Refeeres Lines after the song: The world chess fedaration, of wich I have the hounour of being president, anouncess that the next world championship will take place here in Merano, Italy. The current world champion Fredrick Trumper of the United States of America will defend his title against Anatoly Sergievsky of the Soviet Union. The first player to achieve six victories will be declared champion. The first game will begin on March 27th 1979, welcome world to Merano. Merano Reporters song Fast bit interlinking with Florence bit lyrics = What did I conclude, his out of his streak His finally, caught up between you and me, his no opponent, as he described, infact he shouldnt have come here, he should have resaigned 3x His no ones friend, he shouldnt have come here he should have resaigned, Anatolies first song USA vs Russia song Cheerleader song Chess Game.1 = theme Key: Dm, Gm, Cm, Fm Massor kromatiskt Reporters song.2 Trumper song Global televisons = lines Florence song = Maybe Im on nobodies side The meeting at the mountain top song Chess Game.1 = theme Key: Dm, Gm, Cm, Fm Massor kromatiskt Great Britain/London keyholders song Reporters Anthem Heaven help my heart Bangkok Russian party song Global television guys small song Anatolies wifes song Pity the child I know him so well All chess players name song Aaaaah Tal Lasker Steinitz Alekhine Botvinnik Smyslov Spassky Euwe Karpov Fischer Petrosian Anderssen Capablanka Kasparov Morphy Capablanka Chess Game.2 = theme Take my blueses red Anthem outro
+Signe Volanti (Aquila) I think it means take my blues as red. For example when you are blue and down you feel crappy, but in this case it's like take my blues as red meaning that you are feeling worse than blue. You feel like your blues are turning red and red is the color of the worst kind of pain you can feel. At least that is how I see it.
+Signe Volanti (Aquila) If you say that someone can "take it as read," you mean that they can accept it as true without bothering to check on it. When he says, "take my blues as read," he means that she can simply assume he's sad without his having to tell her how sad he is. So a full meaning would be something like "Hey, let's just assume I'm all broken up about this, but I'm not going to give a long speech about it." The pun of "read/red" is clearly intentional as well, a bit of wordplay on Tim Rice's part.
Andrew Stevens's interpretation about the 1st meaning of "read" is spot on. The pun on the other wordplay "take my blues as red", I've always taken to mean that Anatoly believes neither Svetlana nor Florence truly understand him. He is blue, but they take him as red: that is, they have totally misinterpreted his intentions and actions. Considering that he later sings pointedly, "you never understood," and goes on to echo, "Never! Neverrrrr!", etc., that seems to support my interpretation of the "blues as red" lyric. And of course, it's Rice being unable to resist the double meaning.
WOW SO awesome, happiest listening Josh SO over all outstanding echoed incredibly magically soft voice genuinely gives me chill. Makes Gloria SO happy, happier, happiest listening this music early morning. WOWwwwwww gives me more activation, energetic, inspired, motivated QUITE SO active AWAKE, alive, still breathing listening Josh WOWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww SO extra ordinary echoed quite excellent, perfect, most truly quite over all MOST OUTSTANDING voice I love Josh so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr WOWwwwwwwwwwwww We thanks God we are ALIVE Amen. :)
@@a._wesker Judy Kuhn and Sissel performed together as Florence and Svetlana in a concert version of Chess back in 1989. Murray Head and Tommy Körberg (the original Freddie and Anatoly from the concept album and the original West End production) performed along with them. You can find it on RU-vid.
Brielle C you disagree that she's incapable of hitting the note without swooping? Evidence is right here. IMHO Kerry Ellis wipes the floor with her tone and phrasing
decent performance but if you just watched Tommy Körberg singing it in another video... it's a little cold coffee.. and on top i really do not get Idina Menzel's voice. To me it hurts.. sorry.
They represent the chess pieces moving on the board as the game continues between Viigand and Anatoly. They close in on him toward the end, that's the moment Anatoly had to make the difficult choice of winning or throwing the game. They are kind of annoying, I agree, but they are the chess pieces.
No, no... I think it’s quite symbolic. I love that they symbolize the chess pieces, but I also love how they edge in on Anatoly at the end, putting more and more pressure on him.
