My review of the 'Marie Antoinette' CD
First things first. Why is this CD only 39 minutes! All other Kunze-Levay first albums are at least an hour. Maybe the Bremen people don't have as much money as the VBW? Of course the VBW isn't rolling in money either or they'd surely have produced this show first.Someone somewhere had better be saying "gesamtaufnahme!" I want a complete recording!
This is my first exposure to the score (other than YouTube stuff). I didn't get the Japanese album because I don't like Takarazuka. I know some of you on my f-list love it, but I don't for several reasons. The principle one being I like to have both men and women's voices in my musicals.
All that said, I love this show. At first I thought I didn't like it as much, but then it worked its magic. The music has jammed itself into my brain and it won't leave. I have a couple complaints about some of the songs not ending as strong as others: "Gott sieht uns zu" (God sees us too) and "Warum muss ich sein, was Ich nicht bin?" (Why must I be, what I am not?). But even those songs end fine, I just want more, I guess.
The only song I don't really like is "Ich weine nicht mehr" (I cry no more) But that may just be Sabrina Weckerlin's singing; it isn't very good here. She does really good for most of the album. Although, I did see a video on YouTube of her loosing vocal control on the end of "Blind vom Licht" (Blinded by the light).
Another shock: A new Kunze-Levay musical but no Uwe Kröger! Kunze probably wrote the Duke of Orléans for him but things didn't pan out. *g*
My other big complaint isn't really directed at the show. But I'm vexed that the novel appears not to be available in English (I did read Sena Jeter Naslund's "Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette" to get in the mood). This means I have to use my limited German to figure out more specifics about what is going on -- I can get the gist but I want more! There is an extensive synopsis in the CD booklet, but I can't find a translated version of it online.
But back to the show. One things that impressed me is the growth of the characters. There's quite a change in Marie Antoinette between the ditzy "Langweilen will ich mich nicht" (I don't want to be bored) and the more mature "Das Einzige, was richtig ist" (??? What is singularly right ???). Even Louis XVI, who is portrayed as a dunce for most of the show is given a surprising deep -- and very moving -- song near the end of the show: "Warum muss ich sein, was Ich nicht bin?" (Why must I be, what I am not?)
A couple of the songs (YouTube):
Blind vom Licht der vielen Kerzen (Blinded by the light of many candles)
Margrid's (Sabrina Weckerlin) bitter comparison of the conditions of the rich and poor (this is a good version, not the bad one I mentioned earlier)
"Das Einzige, was Richtig ist" (??? What is singularly right ???)
Marie Antoinette (Roberta Valentini) writes her friend Count Axel von Fersen (Patrick Stanke) to pour out her fears and concerns.
"Warum muss ich sein, was Ich nicht bin?" (Why must I be, what I am not?)
Louis XVI (Tim Reichwein) reflects how unsuited for the role of king he is. He wishes he could have had another life.
And just because ...
Weil ich besser bin (Because I'm better)
The Duke of Orléans (Thomas Christ), Louis XVI's conniving cousin, doesn't suffer from low self esteem ;-)
This is my first exposure to the score (other than YouTube stuff). I didn't get the Japanese album because I don't like Takarazuka. I know some of you on my f-list love it, but I don't for several reasons. The principle one being I like to have both men and women's voices in my musicals.
All that said, I love this show. At first I thought I didn't like it as much, but then it worked its magic. The music has jammed itself into my brain and it won't leave. I have a couple complaints about some of the songs not ending as strong as others: "Gott sieht uns zu" (God sees us too) and "Warum muss ich sein, was Ich nicht bin?" (Why must I be, what I am not?). But even those songs end fine, I just want more, I guess.
The only song I don't really like is "Ich weine nicht mehr" (I cry no more) But that may just be Sabrina Weckerlin's singing; it isn't very good here. She does really good for most of the album. Although, I did see a video on YouTube of her loosing vocal control on the end of "Blind vom Licht" (Blinded by the light).
Another shock: A new Kunze-Levay musical but no Uwe Kröger! Kunze probably wrote the Duke of Orléans for him but things didn't pan out. *g*
My other big complaint isn't really directed at the show. But I'm vexed that the novel appears not to be available in English (I did read Sena Jeter Naslund's "Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette" to get in the mood). This means I have to use my limited German to figure out more specifics about what is going on -- I can get the gist but I want more! There is an extensive synopsis in the CD booklet, but I can't find a translated version of it online.
But back to the show. One things that impressed me is the growth of the characters. There's quite a change in Marie Antoinette between the ditzy "Langweilen will ich mich nicht" (I don't want to be bored) and the more mature "Das Einzige, was richtig ist" (??? What is singularly right ???). Even Louis XVI, who is portrayed as a dunce for most of the show is given a surprising deep -- and very moving -- song near the end of the show: "Warum muss ich sein, was Ich nicht bin?" (Why must I be, what I am not?)
A couple of the songs (YouTube):
Blind vom Licht der vielen Kerzen (Blinded by the light of many candles)
Margrid's (Sabrina Weckerlin) bitter comparison of the conditions of the rich and poor (this is a good version, not the bad one I mentioned earlier)
"Das Einzige, was Richtig ist" (??? What is singularly right ???)
Marie Antoinette (Roberta Valentini) writes her friend Count Axel von Fersen (Patrick Stanke) to pour out her fears and concerns.
"Warum muss ich sein, was Ich nicht bin?" (Why must I be, what I am not?)
Louis XVI (Tim Reichwein) reflects how unsuited for the role of king he is. He wishes he could have had another life.
And just because ...
Weil ich besser bin (Because I'm better)
The Duke of Orléans (Thomas Christ), Louis XVI's conniving cousin, doesn't suffer from low self esteem ;-)