Chess in Concert (2 CD)

Comment: I just don't care for the music. I did not realize what this cd would be and am sorry I purchased it.

Comment: a gift for the wife of someone who is the chess nerd. He liked it better than she. He had suggested it as a gift for her since Josh Groban is one of the artists.

Comment: I originally ordered the DVD of this off of Netflix, mainly I admit because of Kerry Ellis, who actually kept me watching the whole show because I just kept waiting for her to finally show up. Surprisingly for me, I actually began to enjoy the rest of the show and the voices of Josh Groban and Adam Pascal. I was happy to see that Kerry Ellis did not disappoint in her performance, and I actually watched the DVD again to get more of the idea of the show and enjoy the other actors and characters and grew to really like the story and the music.

So, I decided to buy the CD, not because I didn't enjoy the DVD, but because I wanted to be able to listen to the music in my car. Unfortunately, I felt the sound in the CD is not as good as in the DVD, though it may be that I just didn't notice it in the DVD. What is glaringly obvious for me though is that the way the voices were recorded almost added a lisp, most obvious with Kerry Ellis's Someone Else's Story. Now, I have heard Ms. Ellis live and knew that she did not have a lisp when she sang and was shocked to hear this, and began to pay attention more to the rest of the recording and began to notice that a lisp was also added to some of the other actors as well. Though the music is still just as wonderful, this fact is a little distracting until you just decide to push through it and ignore as much as you can.

Though I usually do not like to put down actors, I do have to say that Idina Menzel's performance did take away some of the enjoyment for me. Though she did have her good moments, her strain in hitting the high notes and what I have begun to believe is a much higher volumed microphone to ensure that she didn't get drained out began to get annoying. Though I enjoy Idina Menzel as a performer and as a singer, and greatly respect her, I wish they would have cast an actress more suited to the vocal range of Florence instead of going for a big name.

Comment: I guess I'm just stuck back in the 80s, but I still prefer the original to this one. I don't like most of the changes that have been made. I love Josh Groban, but he just wasn't convincing in this role. Idina Menzel is atrocious. Her screeching may be fine for a wicked witch but didn't work for a smart, sophisticated romantic role.
The graphics were also a bit corny.

Comment: I rarely purchase whole albums anymore, but I'm quite glad I did for this one. It has replaced Les miz as my current musical obsession. The songs catch in my head; even when I'm just crossing the street to go to the store, I whip put my iPod and start it up. While the musical phrases are well tied together, the songs themselves are unique. Josh Groban's rich voice is mesmerizing. Idina Menzel is fabulous as always, and Adam Pascal's performance crackles with energy. Best music I've bought this year. I also recommend the DVD though I do not yet own it.