#Chess på svenska

[muppetjackrackham]

not friends, not lovers, but a secret third thing (cold war era chess rivals)

[pureanonofficial]

CHESS PÅ SVENSKA (2003)

[gay-edwardian]

it is. 1:05 here. I should not rewatch Chess på Svenska.

Right?

I should-

I should not.

.

[edisondoesstuff]

the problem with me watching the genius that is Chess på Svenska at the same time as Taylor releasing the train wreck that is tortured poets department is that I’ve had this unfortunate vision stuck in my head. anyway, graphic design is my passion and yeah I am creating a Tumblr blog for the purpose of sharing this.

[littlebluestars]

Maria Ylipää - Inte jag (Nästan unplugged S3 E3)

Text & music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice Translation: Björn Ulvaeus Keyboards: Lasse Piirainen

[antialiasis]

Chess på svenska

Wow, this one really is entirely different from the others. This is a Swedish translation of Chess from 2002, and I mean translation very loosely: half the songs here have just been repurposed to be about something entirely different and/or take place in some entirely different context within the plot, and the lyrics may or may not have any relation whatsoever to what the original lyrics were. ("I Know Him So Well" is just literally the exact opposite of the original song, Svetlana arguing that Anatoly needs structure and rules i.e. her and Florence that he needs freedom i.e. her.)

The bit where doing it in Swedish means they have to write new lyrics does give them a lot of creative freedom to restructure the story. An English version has to try to find some configuration of the existing songs and write its way between them, or else actually get Tim Rice to write entirely new lyrics. Chess på svenska knew the language change meant it didn't technically have to do that, and just really milked that for all it was worth in figuring out an entirely new way to tell something loosely like the base story using some of the same melodies (and some new ones).

This time around, Anatoly is the main-main character (he's played by Tommy Körberg, who was Anatoly on the concept album, and I do like his performance a lot). We start with him at home, singing "The Story of Chess" to his son after an argument with Svetlana, who already thinks he's cheating on her on his chess trips. There's only one chess tournament once again, in Merano, with Freddie as the champion and Anatoly as the challenger.

I think this was the best beginning of Florence and Anatoly's relationship in any of these. She really does vent her frustrations about Freddie to him (in a completely rewritten version of "Someone Else's Story", taking place after she witnesses Freddie with other girls at a club after "1956 - Budapest Is Rising"), and he's interested in her father, and he sort of pulls her with him when Molokov is distracted so he can go apply for political asylum. All in all I quite liked much of the first act here, the way it also gave focus to Florence's trauma and the way they connected and the generally effective staging, and was prepared to speak generally positively of it by the time of the act break.

On the other hand... where Chess in Concert's first act was far too slow, this one really dragged in act two. We spend a while on the romance drama, and in act two it all gets a lot blander and lengthier.

We start Act II by doing "Argument" from the concept album but as a totally rewritten argument between Florence and Freddie, which is fine. Then we do "Pity the Child", which is one of the songs that's just legitimately a translation, although it loses the whole parallel of the repeated "Just in case they said...", boo. Then we do an argument between Anatoly and Svetlana at their hotel (Molokov had her and their son just plan abducted and taken there) after Anatoly cavorting with Florence has been publicized... and we use "Endgame" for it, and it's partly a translation, has Svetlana berating him for only caring about himself and him telling her she never understood, etc. I was like huhhh, we're pulling out the super-dramatic climax song now? Okay, I guess it gets a reprise for the climax? But okay, cool, fine.

Then Florence does "Heaven Help My Heart", which is not really a translation but still fairly generic love song. Then Svetlana sings a new song, "He Is a Man, He Is a Child", about her relationship with Anatoly. Then we do a "Merano" reprise where Florence and Anatoly go out to dance somewhere and Freddie arrives extremely drunk to warn him off her because she's a terrible woman don't you know women are the worst (can't believe every version of this musical is wildly different from the others but apparently every one of them chooses to include Freddie's misogyny verse, even the Swedish version that has to move it to an entirely different spot in the plot in an entirely different song). Then we do a long sequence with some acrobats doing cool acrobatics while Florence and Anatoly gaze in each other's eyes. Then they do "You and I", as a generic love song. At this point I looked up at my husband and went, "So like, is the chess tournament still going on at this point?" Don't get me wrong, the acrobats are great, it's very artistic, but as far as the story goes we've just ground way to a halt by this point, in my opinion, and my attention was definitely wandering.

I think the problem is there isn't a good enough sense of actual emotional progression to all this - of course dramatic arguments can totally be gripping storytelling, but here it kind of feels like you could put these bits in any order or skip some and they'd all make the same amount of sense - it doesn't feel like anything actually changes for Florence and Anatoly because of Freddie showing up the way he does, or like Anatoly's argument with Svetlana affected his emotional state or informed how he acts in the dance scene, or anything. As a result, it feels like it's just kind of spinning its wheels here, doing scenes that are dramatic on their face but aren't actually progressing anything for the narrative.

After this the Arbiter does announce they're going to continue the chess match (what even is the Arbiter in this version, incidentally). After the rewritten "I Know Him So Well", Anatoly meets Molokov and asks when he'll get to meet his son, and Molokov tells him he's sure adopted the Western ideology of selfishness fast and you know what'll happen to your family if you stay in the West and if you know what's good for them you'll lose the next match and then rescind your defection. (Oh, and Molokov gets a song here about the wife he used to have whom he betrayed as a sacrifice for the cause.)

Then they do the match, under the "Champions" chorus, and Anatoly just... quietly loses. No "Endgame" at all other than the one during that argument near the beginning of the act! I actually managed to miss the moment he even lost and had to rewatch it to be sure exactly how it went (it's not even explicit whether he threw the match on purpose per se). It's quite an anticlimax compared to the bombastic high drama of "Endgame". I do get what they're going for with this, though, the quietness and the ominous choir reciting the champions in the background just making it all very small and sad, and we don't really need words here to know this Anatoly loves his son so much it was never a choice for him under Molokov's explicit threat - after that Molokov scene, this is the most effective this ending could be, and I think they made a good call doing it this way, given they went for that.

I like Anatoly and Florence in this version, although I feel like they get muddled and less distinct in the second act. Freddie here is the boring asshole version, never really humanized beyond the obligatory "Pity the Child", which isn't enough by itself to make Freddie feel like a compelling character. I found myself particularly disappointed in Svetlana, though, because she does get a significant amount of focus but never in a way that really makes her sympathetic or likable or interesting, as she's constantly just being pitted against Florence and Anatoly rather than truly getting developed as a person with her own independent existence and feelings that aren't about grr Anatoly and grr Florence. One of the things I liked about "I Know Him So Well" originally is that it's about Florence and Svetlana, who are theoretically romantic rivals, each being sympathetic to the other's point of view (even if they don't know it) - originally Chess doesn't pit them against one another at all, instead only having them echo and back up each other. Not so here, where Svetlana calls Florence a whore and "I Know Him So Well" is instead an argument where they're both going, "No, mine." I just enjoy that dynamic a lot less, and Svetlana just feels kind of one-dimensional.

So, all in all, I think this version had cool promise and did some cool things, Tommy Körberg was great, but it also definitely floundered in various ways particularly in the second act, in my opinion. I may write one more post of final synthesized Chess thoughts now that I've experienced all the main plot strains as far as I understand it.

[alwaysbeyondhope]

Chess fans!!

Since I’m seeing this absolute goddess in less than 4 hours (omg how is this real life I’m gonna dieeee) I thought I’d share what I believe is THE BEST staging of Nobody’s Side, featuring the INCREDIBLE Helen Sjöholm.

This staging has everything. It’s my favorite. Also she’s just so hot and I’m just so gay.

I will (hopefully) be getting my Chess lyric book signed by her after the concert tonight. And maybe a picture? And maybe (hopefully) not die from the emotions.

So here! Have some night club Nobody’s Side fun!

[acatinafancyhat]

Watched Chess på Svenska last night since people have been recommending it! Boy it was A Lot. My family has no respect for bonkers Swedish musicals so i'm just gonna vent the thoughts i had while watching it here. Beware of spoilers (though I probably haven't even noted half of the crazy shit that happened this show is really something else).

I had only seen RAH Chess in Concert and a few snippets of other versions going into this so that was my baseline, but in hindsight these two versions aren't really comparable since they're barely trying to tell the same story...

This is a little long I apologize i had many thoughts (: Also this formatting may or may not work, I'm about to find out.

Act I

- First impression: oh wow Chess has a plot now

- So Anatoly is the protagonist? Interesting.

- I like Swedish Florence she's cute? However Swedish Freddie has been on screen for five seconds and he already Sucks

- Ok I was NOT prepared for drunk florence singing nobody's side but turns out that's exactly what this musical needed

- Oooooohhhh Florence and Anatoly running into each other in the hotel could it be?? that this version?? actually invests in their relationship????

- Jean Jaques van Boren what a name, and he didn't even need one

- This arbiter is in a show all of his own look at the little man go he's so into it. Into what, I'm not sure.

- Wait is he flying on a wire because he's above the game is this symbolism

- Did Freddie... did he just... eat a chess piece?? I... what...??

- Aww hungover Florence is trying so hard to be dignified i'm already very up for her walking out on Freddie in this one.

- "the toads fall out of your mouth" heh idioms from other languages are the best

- Um this arbiter kinda gives me the creeps?

- Florence and Anatoly hanging out! bonding! not just running off into the sunset after being in the general vicinity of each other for 5 minutes!! (No offense to RAH Mountain Duet it's great and hating on Freddie together is a hilarious catalyst for their relationship but I'm actually getting invested here)

- Someone Else's Story is literally a different song but it works

- "husband" wait are Florence and Freddie supposed to be married in this?

- Sneaking away from Molokov ahahahaha

- oh sHIT YOU LEAVE THAT CHILD ALONE!

- And they are aware that there is no embassy in Merano yes thank you i did wonder about that like these places don't grow on trees how did they all even get there in RAH?

- Coming to the conclusion that everyone in Merano is batshit crazy

- And just realized that Walter isn't even here. Does he not exist? Has Sweden canceled the CIA?

- Swedish Mountain Duet is also a different song. Anatoly is very charming yet has lowkey Bastard vibes. Florence is clearly having a minor mental breakdown here maybe don't drag her into your midlife crisis? Oh well, at least he has some respect for her, unlike chess piece munching Freddie...

- But "She's my only friend" aw fuck now i have feelings about this asshole

- Anthem is good. Anthem is always good.

Act II

- Start of this act is already looking Intense

- Swedish Freddie is such a trainwreck my god.

- How To Lose a Girl in Ten Seconds the autobigraphy by Frederick Trumper

- "So you want to break up" FUCK the look on his face just killed me

- This Pity the Child is somehow more pathetic than other versions I have seen. And i mean that in the best way. He's hugging the pillow. Just wants mommy to love him. Fuck.

- So here's Endgame showing up early hmmm

- And here's Anatoly evolving from lowkey bastard into full on piece of shit. Has Svetlana done anything to deserve this abuse? Not to my knowledge, no.

- "You're an ass!" Sveta sweetie you are absolutely correct

- But at least he loves his kid I give him one (1) credit for that.

- I have mixed feelings about Heaven Help My Heart in RAH but it works much better here in terms of both timing and lyrics!

- Oohh new Svetlana song (heard of it but never heard it). Yes Sveta you TELL him.

- Merano reprise?

- Happy Florence!!! Happy Florence!!!! Happy Florence is adorable look at her precious smile!!!!!

- Aaaaand in comes freddie to fuck it up.

- (gets his kicks above the waistline but sure knows how to hit below the belt)

- "Take it easy, little friend" omg

- *aggressively clinging to each other while singing about how they never want to see the other person again* yep i'm dead

- This Freddie really has zero redeeming qualities AND YET

- oh random acrobatics? cool. i'm no longer surprised by anything that happens on this stage.

- Jean Jacques van Boren is back. I want to compare him to something but every time i see him my mind just goes blank in quiet horror.

- Svetlana strolling in to slay that cheating motherfucker

- Ok I support Sveta's rage always but I have to say i do not love this flipping of I Know Him So Well. I mean, what's the point? Why do they have to fight? It's not like it's Florence's fault Anatoly decided to run off (at least not in this version) since it was pretty clear from the beginning that him and Sveta weren't doing,, super great. The original song has its own issues but I stand behind the concept of Florence and Sveta bonding over their shared experiences with shitty men and especially this shitty man. Now it just makes me like both of them less. And it still doesn't pass the Bechdel test. Ugh.

- Molokov gets a Tragic Backstory because everyone needs one i guess

- It is not smart to fuck with the KGB. Anatoly appears startled by this.

- Side note this act has too little Freddie in it where's my epic rivalry where is the drama

- The way the stage is set up for the final match is pretty cool though

- This match feels a little anticlimactic but in a way that sort of works? Everyone's made their choices already? This is just the inevitable end to the tragedy and you can feel it.

- It does make the whole 'singing the names of previous champions' thing seem a little out of sync. We're past that, this obviously isn't about chess anymore.

- The circular ending is neat. The Story of Chess still doesn't fit the rest of the narrative. Again, very little actual chess in this.

- At this point I don't really care about Anatoly's feelings but Florence deserves better. Normally I'd say she deserves Svetlana but this Svetlana is kind of terrible so, hm, no. She deserves to be single and recover from her breakdown in peace i honestly don't want her to see any of these people again.

Well I definitely understand why this is some people's favorite version! The story's close to solid, and even though everyone's an asshole, they all have their moments of being... if not sympathetic, then at least just pathetic (looking at you Freddie) enough that the audience can give a damn. Personally i still prefer RAH, but then I did come here by way of Rent so I'm biased.

Anyway if you haven't seen Chess på Svenska yet go watch it, you will come out of the experience a different person but you won't have wasted your time :)

[gay-edwardian]

I was going to do this with the original version but I have more feelings about På Svenska.

(Also all the versions I am familiar enough with to have an opinion on below the cut)

I can't fully explain my enmity for the 2008 concert but I don't like it. I am including the 1989 concert version alongside the concept album.

handy chart to have on hand when judging or recommending a thing

[muppetjackrackham]

haven't talked about chess in a hot minute but i think we need to bring back some of the synthpop arrangements from the original concept album for songs like the arbiter and one night in bangkok because whatever benny and björn put in there is better than prozac

[pureanonofficial]

Are you happy with what you have managed to ruin?

CHESS PÅ SVENSKA

[alwaysbeyondhope]

reblogging from myself because fuck I’m in love. Less than a month until I see this gorgeous human in concert (again)

Helen Sjöholm as Florence

[littlebluestars]

HEY Y'ALL GUESS WHAT I BOUGHT

[alwaysbeyondhope]

oh my god now YouTube has chess på svenska with subtitles all in one video.

What is happening?? Is this a subtle marketing ploy to get us all hyped about it because something is coming soon? Because FUCK I want that so bad.

[commiefaggoth]

Thanks for the tag @faggottranssexual

Here are six albums I’ve had on repeat recently

1. Chess the musical

2. Various Positions - Leonard Cohen

3. Jesus Christ superstar

4. Chess på svenska

5. New Skin For the Old Ceremony - Leonard Cohen

6. British Steel - Judas Priest

Tagging: @miniwid @signeficunt @discofitta

:)

[pureanonofficial]

Extremely normal ways to break up!!

THE FUCKING PROBLEMSSSSSSSSSSSSS. THE WAY THEYRE HOLDING EACHOTHER WHILE SINGING SHIT LIKE I ONLY FEEL HATRED TOWARDS YOU. EXPLODING FOREVER?!?!