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Hello!

This is a series of instrumental tracks completed in January 2016 for Act I of the Broadway

script version of the musical Chess. The goal of this project was to create a complete recording

of all the musical cues utilized in the original production that was accurate to its original

orchestrations, arrangements, and tempos.

Accompanying this file should be two folders (.MP3 and .WAV format) of instrumental tracks

for the entirety of Act I (Act II forthcoming, est. Spring 2017). Each track features the original

orchestrations by Anders Eljas, with tempos and arrangements synced to the April 28, 1988

opening night soundboard of the original Broadway production (as well as the Original

Broadway Cast Recording and a later May 1988 audience recording of the show). Each track

should be accurate to the printed materials of the show, with discrepancies listed below. The

tracks were notated using Finale 2014 (with sound banks from Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 and

a DX7 soundfont) and mixed via an outside audio editing software. Pertinent details as follows:

- 1. 01 – PROLOGUE / 02 – FREDDY’S ENTRANCE

- 2. 02A PRESS CONFERENCE

- 3. 03 – WHERE I WANT TO BE

- 4. 03A – WHERE I WANT TO BE – PLAYOFF

- 5. 04 – ARGUMENT / 05 – MERCHANDISERS

- 6. 06 – DIPLOMATS

- 7. 07 – OPENING 1ST

GAME / 07A – CHESS #1

- 8. 08 – QUARTET

- 9. 08A – AFTER QUARTET

- 10. 09 – THE AMERICAN AND FLORENCE / 09A – SOMEONE ELSE’S STORY

- 11. 10 – THE GOLDEN BANGKOK / 10A – ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK

- 12. 10B – BANGKOK PLAYOFF

- 13. 11 – TERRACE DUET

- 14. 11a – WHO’D EVER THINK IT

- 15. 12 – CHESS #2

- 16. 13 – FLORENCE QUITS / 13A – A TASTE OF PITY

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- 17. 14 – NOBODY’S SIDE

- 18. 14A – NOBODY’S PLAYOFF

- 19. 15 – DEFECTION – PART 1

- 20. 15a – DEFECTION KEYBOARD CUE 1

- 21. 15b – DEFECTION KEYBOARD CUE 2

- 22. 16 – DEFECTION – PART 2

- 23. 17 – REPORTERS

- 24. 17A – ANTHEM

The numbers and titling on each track for the most part matches the printed score, with a couple

exceptions. As Chess is a show with a good deal of numbers segueing directly into one another,

numbers are tracked separately based on applause, scene breaks, or other pauses, and numbers

that directly segue are tracked together. Discrepancies in track listing are as follows:

- The number “Who’d Ever Think It”, here numbered 11a, is in the score continuous with

“Terrace Duet”, and indicated to start at the end of that number. In the original

production, however, the two numbers were separated by applause, and as such have

been tracked separately.

- The Defection Sequence is notated in the score as one continuous piece, numbered 15.

Due to peculiarities with the piece described below, it is here divided into four separate

tracks, labeled 15, 15a, 15b, and 16 (number 16 is absent from the printed score,

presumably being the placement of the song “East/West”, cut during previews).

The original Defection Sequence is a somewhat complex bit of underscoring, consisting of two

distinct sections—the first is a series of percussion vamps on conga and shaker, punctuated by

two keyboard figures to be cued at key points in the scene by the conductor, and the second a

more structured bit of underscoring. To recreate the feel of this scene, the first section is divided

into three parts: “Defection Part 1” is the series of percussion vamps, running roughly the length

of the scene as presented on Broadway (about three and a half minutes long), with the two

keyboard figures getting their own tracks that can be played at the listener’s discretion.

“Defection Part 2” is the second, more structured part of the song, and plays out as it did on

Broadway.

An alternate Defection Sequence is included in the “Alternate Tracks” folder, playing the entire

first half with keyboard cues as it played on Broadway.

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Also included in is a set of “Alternate Tracks”—alternate versions of particular numbers

included here mostly for the sake of completion. The specific reasons for each number is as

follows:

- “Terrace Duet”, like “Mountain Duet” before it, was altered on stage from the original

concept album arrangement during Anatoly’s entrance midway through the song

(beginning with “listen I hate to break up the mood…”). Where the concept album

contained four measures of 7/4, the stage versions truncated it to four measures of 5/4.

For reasons of personal taste, the extra beats were restored to the instrumental in the

official tracklist, and the score-accurate arrangement of the number is included here.

- “Nobody’s Side” was similarly altered in the stage versions from the concept album, with

the final verse being truncated by three lines. Those lines were restored to the

instrumental in the official tracklist, with the score-accurate arrangement of the number

included here. The lyrics for this restored chorus is as follows:

Never be the first to believe,

Never be the last to deceive,

Nobody’s on nobody’s side!

Better learn to go it alone,

Recognize you’re out on your own,

Nobody’s on nobody’s side!

Additionally, the orchestration of this number in the official tracklist was modified for

reasons of personal taste, with the original orchestration preserved in the score-accurate

arrangement. In creating this alternate track, an alternate mix of the playoff was also

produced, and included here as an additional curiosity.

- An alternate “Defection – Part 1” is provided, combining both the percussion vamps and

keyboard cues, that was synced to the full Defection Sequence as performed in the

original Broadway production. If combined with “16 – Defection – Part 2” in the official

tracklist, the entire underscoring to the original Defection Sequence can be constructed.

Chess was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (Music), Tim Rice (Lyrics) and

Richard Nelson (Libretto). The original production was directed by Trevor Nunn and produced

by the Shubert Organization, 3 Knights Ltd. and Robert Fox Ltd. The rights to perform the

material are held by Samuel French, Inc.

These tracks were made for personal, noncommercial use, and should not be used in any official

production of Chess without the express permission of Samuel French, Inc. and the tracks’

creator. These tracks are under no circumstances to be exchanged for monetary value, and should

be used only for educational or personal use.

Thomas Hartwell

thomasmusicalinstrumentals@gmail.com