Elphie
.:.BoZ.:.
As long as people are going to call you a lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it?
Posts: 1,435
|
Post by Elphie on Apr 15, 2004 21:21:48 GMT -5
My band teacher once told me he'd never let us try any Andrew Lloyd Webber because ALW is the hardest music to perform, because of the many key changes. I was just listening to a fairly butchered version of "Phantom of the Opera" and wondering what are the hardest songs for performers to do? Is something like Phantom considered a challenge to actual performers or is it just something my band teacher made up? Range-wise and lyrically, I mean, what are the hardest songs to perform and why?
|
|
|
|
Post by ElphieatShiz on Apr 15, 2004 21:27:27 GMT -5
I wouldn't think ALW songs would be hard to perform. Of course, I've never played any from the score. I have some sheet music books (like Phantom) and those are pretty easy. I don't know what the hardest songs are to perform, but the hardest one I've had to perform was Song of Love from Once Upon a Mattress. That song has like 12 key changes. And it goes quickly. But it was fun. It's good to have a challenge.
|
|
|
|
Post by FaeAtShiz on Apr 15, 2004 21:36:57 GMT -5
I don't know what the hardest songs are to perform, but the hardest one I've had to perform was Song of Love from Once Upon a Mattress. That song has like 12 key changes. And it goes quickly. But it was fun. It's good to have a challenge. That song was so hard b/c it had like every possible key a song could have. The band director thought maybe we could play one of the easier keys over and over, b/c the song repeated in different keys. She thought maybe the actors wouldn't notice, and maybe they wouldn't have. That would have been so funny, and the actors, if they noticed, would think their pitch was off. llam. Every ALW song I've played, and I've played a band arrangement, wasn't very hard, and I played it on the flute, usually the toughest part. I don't know about singing, though. |
|
gypsy
.:.BoZ.:.
Who's the mage?
Posts: 825
|
Post by gypsy on Apr 15, 2004 21:52:16 GMT -5
I'm glad I have no idea how to read music and understand what key changes and all that stuff is. Maybe if I was musically educated, I would know how hard a piece is. But I like having no idea. It makes everything so much easier...in a very complicated way.  -gyps |
|
Letty
Sorceress-In-Training
Posts: 277
|
Post by Letty on Apr 15, 2004 23:06:40 GMT -5
lol I have nooo idea how to read music either..I get so confused and frustrated..ok and when people talk about belting high F's and stuff like that i have no clue what they are talking about..  |
|
Elphie
.:.BoZ.:.
As long as people are going to call you a lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it?
Posts: 1,435
|
Post by Elphie on Apr 16, 2004 0:56:13 GMT -5
I wouldn't think ALW songs would be hard to perform. Of course, I've never played any from the score. I have some sheet music books (like Phantom) and those are pretty easy. I don't know what the hardest songs are to perform, but the hardest one I've had to perform was Song of Love from Once Upon a Mattress. That song has like 12 key changes. And it goes quickly. But it was fun. It's good to have a challenge. Hee hee, Phantom easy? What song are we talking about here? Oh wait, are we talking vocal or band? Cuz playing "Phantom of the Opera" on a Bflat Clarinet is hell on earth for key changes. Don't get me wrong, it's my absolute favourite song to play cuz it's challenging, but the key changes are crazy! Oh, and Everything's Alright is bad for changes too ;D Hmm I don't have Once Upon a Mattress... will have to check that out... |
|
|
|
Post by Elphabaluv on Apr 16, 2004 5:46:18 GMT -5
Well Steven Sonheim stuff isn't the easiest and most piano players can't play them, or at least for auditions. The stuff from Wicked is pretty hard...Phantom too...a lot of stuff out ehre actually...Rent is some of the better stuff, although even it has its moments
|
|
|
|
Post by ElphieatShiz on Apr 16, 2004 7:47:07 GMT -5
Hee hee, Phantom easy? What song are we talking about here? Oh wait, are we talking vocal or band? Cuz playing "Phantom of the Opera" on a Bflat Clarinet is hell on earth for key changes. Don't get me wrong, it's my absolute favourite song to play cuz it's challenging, but the key changes are crazy! Oh, and Everything's Alright is bad for changes too ;D Hmm I don't have Once Upon a Mattress... will have to check that out... I play the flute and they always put flute music in flats, I guess to make it easier. Sometimes the music is in sharps, but that's not too bad. I played Once Upon a Mattress in the pit for my high school's spring musical, so I don't know if you can find the music. |
|
|
|
Post by Elphaba on Apr 16, 2004 8:03:12 GMT -5
Hee hee, Phantom easy? What song are we talking about here? Oh wait, are we talking vocal or band? Cuz playing "Phantom of the Opera" on a Bflat Clarinet is hell on earth for key changes. Don't get me wrong, it's my absolute favourite song to play cuz it's challenging, but the key changes are crazy! Oh, and Everything's Alright is bad for changes too ;D Hmm I don't have Once Upon a Mattress... will have to check that out... Agreed. I was playing some ALW stuff on my flute and it is DIFFICULT man. there are many key changes that suck. i wouldn't say ALW is the most difficult to sing, but he's probably up there |
|
|
|
Post by chenofano on Apr 16, 2004 10:54:08 GMT -5
Well Steven Sonheim stuff isn't the easiest and most piano players can't play them, or at least for auditions. The stuff from Wicked is pretty hard...Phantom too...a lot of stuff out ehre actually...Rent is some of the better stuff, although even it has its moments I defintley agree that a lot of stuff out there is pretty hard. But RENT is a little easier. Songs like "Out Tonight" and "RENT" are pretty easier to perform, but then again some of the songs are really hard. Wicked does have it's tough moments, mostly Idina's belty stuff. I find the beginning of "Defying Gravity" harder than the end, you have to have so much control in that song. |
|
galinda724
Winkie
its good to see me isn't it? ::giggles:: think pink!
Posts: 107
|
Post by galinda724 on Apr 16, 2004 16:54:21 GMT -5
well, question, or we talking about singing or playing? once the question is answered, ill put my two cents in
|
|
|
|
Post by Elphaba on Apr 16, 2004 21:45:16 GMT -5
Well performing can be singing and playing...
|
|
Elphie
.:.BoZ.:.
As long as people are going to call you a lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it?
Posts: 1,435
|
Post by Elphie on Apr 17, 2004 15:29:36 GMT -5
Both  I had to post the topic after I was watching the Andrew Lloyd Webber concert from Beijing- the one with the entire thing being put on by the dance company from Sydney. Frellin' amazing job for a dance company, considering how they only had three weeks to prepare. But anyways, there was a gal doing "Phantom" and she kinda... sucked. And it was the first time I noticed the difficulty of the music in it- all the ups and downs and stuff I'd never noticed before cuz you're just so used to hearing professionals do it and make it look so easy. Then I remembered all the trouble I had with ALW music in high school, so the topic was born. It's encompassing singing and instrumental, cuz like Elphaba said, performing can be both |
|
|
|
Post by Popular Glinda on Apr 18, 2004 20:12:01 GMT -5
Lots of stuff from Last 5 Years is hard, like in Climbing Uphill, there's a part when Cathy is like, thinking about her audition and its really like, off the beat and goes fast and slow and is all over the place.
yeah
|
|
I had to post the topic after I was watching the Andrew Lloyd Webber concert from Beijing- the one with the entire thing being put on by the dance company from Sydney. Frellin' amazing job for a dance company, considering how they only had three weeks to prepare. But anyways, there was a gal doing "Phantom" and she kinda... sucked. And it was the first time I noticed the difficulty of the music in it- all the ups and downs and stuff I'd never noticed before cuz you're just so used to hearing professionals do it and make it look so easy. Then I remembered all the trouble I had with ALW music in high school, so the topic was born. It's encompassing singing and instrumental, cuz like Elphaba said, performing can be both 
