Ravenloft Music Review--"Jekyll & Hyde" - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ravenloft Music Review--"Jekyll & Hyde"

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
platinumwarlock
Dec 10, 2003 1:03:27 I just submitted this to the Fraternity of Shadows site, but I figured that you guys here might want a look at it, as well.

Jekyll & Hyde. Lyrics by Leslie Briscusse. Music by Frank Wildhorn.

I've been a fan of musicals ever since my aunt got me hooked on Phantom of the Opera when I was in 7th grade. Being able to tell a classic story with both spoken words and musical accompaniment has always impressed me, and led me to take up both acting and percussive orchestra in high school.

That said, most musicals don't really tend to fit into the Ravenloft genre. Most of the old Rogers & Hammerstein works are a little too chipper for the Realm of Dread. However, in this case, I'll make a big exception.

As you can probably tell by the title, this 1997 musical tells the story of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Dr. Jekyll invents a serum to split the human mentality, and ends up with more than he bargained for, leaving his friends and relatives to pick up the pieces. This story has already made its way into literature, in the form of Malken, Tristen Hiregaard's worse half, and in the form of the various alchemical solutions from Van Richten's Arsenal.

However, the musical rendition deviates slightly from this, focusing on the awkward love triangle between the Jekyll/Hyde character, who is pursued both by Emma Danvers (Jekyll's fiancee) and the feisty harlot Lucy, who simultaneously dotes on Jekyll for his humanity and lusts after Hyde for his pure animal instincts. However, this deviation allows for incredible depth in both female characters, adding to the story as a whole. In this sense, it's much an improvement.

However, you're not going to use this piece of music to tell a story in Ravenloft. No, that's for a DM. The reason I'm recommending this so highly is because the music itself, accompanied by stunning vocalist talent, works perfectly for instilling the mood in a fantastic Ravenloft campaign.

The first lyrical track "Lost in the Darkness" sounds Jekyll's plaintive cry at the bedside of his dying father. Robert Cuccioli does a fantastic job in this, as helpless emotion drips from his every word. It's simply a fantastic job on his part, which is reprised near the end of the CD at the beginning of the track "Confrontation"...more on that later, though.

The first choral track "Facade" has a quick, dark rhythm to it, perfect for night combat encounters. It could also be well used for chase-scenes and other high-tension operations. Use of both natural and mallet percussion works well here, and serves to instill a fantastic sense of dread. The reprises of this theme, however, are somewhat slower and lose some of its frantic edge in lieu of a heavier tone. These are also useful, but somewhat less so than the orginal "Facade" itself.

The real stars of the show, nonetheless, are its two female parts: Christiane Noll (playing Emma) and Linda Eder (playing Lucy). Their duo "In His Eyes" may be a little too hopeful for most campaigns, but the sound they provide is nothing short of exquisite and triumphant. Eder also truly shines in "Dangerous Games", where she sings with Cuccioli's Hyde. Combined with a fantastic background score, this song perfectly defines the fears of not only Lucy, but of Hyde himself, as his humanity still resides repressed in his sub-conscious. A fantastic job, here, by both. If your players don't get chills from this track, I'll be shocked.

Two more tracks must be mentioned, though, before I make my closing remarks. A second choral number "Murder, Murder" functions much the same as the earlier "Facade", but with a much different sound to it. Detailing Hyde's killing spree, it quickly goes from loud bursts of choral panic to the low tones of Hyde's menacing threats. If used appropriately, it can add quite a bit to the mood as your PCs travel through frightened towns--as I think now, it would work perfectly when running the new adventure 'Shadows of the Knife'. However, be judicious in your use of it.

Finally, at the climax of the piece, we have "Confrontation", where Hyde appears at Jekyll's wedding and the pair of personalities clash once and for all. I can truly think of few actors or singers that could have pulled off this contest of wills like Cuccioli has. Simply, it's a glorious job, which deserves quite a bit of recognition. I can think of few more perfect songs to compliment a climax to a campaign as this one.

I've always tended to shy away from using music in my campaigns that has lyrics or spoken words to it. As such, I tend to stick with such greats as Stravinsky, Holst, and the film scores of Howard Shore. However, "Jekyll & Hyde" is a true exception in my book. Its fantastic vocals, contained within a poignant, dramatic score, get me in the mood for Ravenloft every time. While it has just a few flaws, those are easily overborne by the massive amounts of great music contained on this disc.
I easily give it 4.5 out of 5 blood drops.
#2
zombiegleemax
Dec 10, 2003 7:21:53 Speaking of music I was searching around for stuff on Amazon.com and I found they have a "official" Dungeons and Dragons roll playing sound track. What on earth is it and has anyone here actually heard any of the music on it?
#3
william_cairnstone_dup
Dec 10, 2003 7:31:19
Originally posted by Platinumwarlock

Jekyll & Hyde. Lyrics by Leslie Briscusse. Music by Frank Wildhorn.
[/b]

I once saw a bit of one such musical but I think it was that guy who made "knight rider" (David Hassellhof ???) in the role of Jekyll. Am I wrong ? Has anyone else seen this, or was he just very much a like ?

W.C.
#4
zombiegleemax
Dec 10, 2003 7:56:36 Hey, Lildog.

I have the Red Steel and Savage Baronies boxed sets, would those be considered "official D&D music?"

They are D&D boxed sets that come with musical CDs unique to that setting, and they are pretty hot. Of course I've used these CDs countless times during my campaigns.

Don't know if that's what they're referring to on Amazon, but it's the closest thing I could think of.

peace!

MSD
#5
platinumwarlock
Dec 10, 2003 8:18:40
Originally posted by William Cairnstone
I once saw a bit of one such musical but I think it was that guy who made "knight rider" (David Hassellhof ???) in the role of Jekyll. Am I wrong ? Has anyone else seen this, or was he just very much a like ?

W.C.

Yes, David Hasslehoff (of both Baywatch and Knight Rider fame)was cast in a production of this musical. No, he is not on the cast recording that I reviewed.
Unless, I'm wrong, he played the role of Jekyll/Hyde, which is played by Robert Cuccioli in the official cast recording. While I haven't heard Hasslehoff's recording, I can pretty much guess that Cuccioli does the job much better.

Lildog--Yes, there is an "official" D&D soundtrack. It was put out over the summer by a group known as the Midnight Syndicate. They're not well known in the States, but they often take a great deal of influence from fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings, as well as from the stories of H.P. Lovecraft. I haven't heard any of the soundtrack, though, so I can't really give a review of it.
#6
zombiegleemax
Dec 10, 2003 9:43:32 Actually, believe it or not, Hasselhoff was a pretty amazing Jekyll and Hyde. I was expecting him to be terrible and came away quite pleasantly surprised. He did a great job of differentiating between the two characters with nothing more than his gait and facial expressions; the two generally had a different hairstyle, but he didn't depend on that. If there was a quick onstage transformation and Hasselhoff didn't have time to change his hair, there was still no doubt in your mind as to who was in control because of the way he acted it. I did find the girl who played Lucy a little disappointing, though, since her facial expressions seemed to be limited to "Cockney pluck" and "choking on an Altoid."

I'm not sure if the reprise of "Sympathy" is on the soundtrack--I've never listened to it--but if it is, I'd recommend that one as well. The juxtaposition of the sweet lyrics with the chilling way that Hyde sings it is unbelievably creepy and could be very appropriate for a moment of betrayal or revelation.
#7
platinumwarlock
Dec 10, 2003 10:02:20 I suppose that's good, then, that Hasslehoff was able to succeed in the role. I guess that just goes to show that he does have more talents than I had judged him for. Kudos to him.

Yes, "Sympathy, Tenderness" is on the cast recording. It was also a good track, but I personally didn't feel that it ranked as highly as some of the others. Just my preference, though. Overall, it's a fantastic musical and fits Ravenloft like a glove.
#8
belac
Dec 10, 2003 10:57:28 I've got one of the Midnight Syndicate songs that was available free for download. It's not too bad but I don't really use it much. (Even though I always use background music in RPGs.)
#9
zombiegleemax
Dec 10, 2003 11:15:01 That "Confrontation" tune? Oh yes. Oh yes indeed. The way it goes from soaring to snarling is utterly amazing....

"Dangerous Game" is another particularly noteworthy tune... "Will the ghosts go away/will she will them to stay/either way there's no way to win...."

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 platinumwarlock Dec 10, 2003 1:03:27	I just submitted this to the Fraternity of Shadows site, but I figured that you guys here might want a look at it, as well. Jekyll & Hyde. Lyrics by Leslie Briscusse. Music by Frank Wildhorn. I've been a fan of musicals ever since my aunt got me hooked on Phantom of the Opera when I was in 7th grade. Being able to tell a classic story with both spoken words and musical accompaniment has always impressed me, and led me to take up both acting and percussive orchestra in high school. That said, most musicals don't really tend to fit into the Ravenloft genre. Most of the old Rogers & Hammerstein works are a little too chipper for the Realm of Dread. However, in this case, I'll make a big exception. As you can probably tell by the title, this 1997 musical tells the story of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Dr. Jekyll invents a serum to split the human mentality, and ends up with more than he bargained for, leaving his friends and relatives to pick up the pieces. This story has already made its way into literature, in the form of Malken, Tristen Hiregaard's worse half, and in the form of the various alchemical solutions from Van Richten's Arsenal. However, the musical rendition deviates slightly from this, focusing on the awkward love triangle between the Jekyll/Hyde character, who is pursued both by Emma Danvers (Jekyll's fiancee) and the feisty harlot Lucy, who simultaneously dotes on Jekyll for his humanity and lusts after Hyde for his pure animal instincts. However, this deviation allows for incredible depth in both female characters, adding to the story as a whole. In this sense, it's much an improvement. However, you're not going to use this piece of music to tell a story in Ravenloft. No, that's for a DM. The reason I'm recommending this so highly is because the music itself, accompanied by stunning vocalist talent, works perfectly for instilling the mood in a fantastic Ravenloft campaign. The first lyrical track "Lost in the Darkness" sounds Jekyll's plaintive cry at the bedside of his dying father. Robert Cuccioli does a fantastic job in this, as helpless emotion drips from his every word. It's simply a fantastic job on his part, which is reprised near the end of the CD at the beginning of the track "Confrontation"...more on that later, though. The first choral track "Facade" has a quick, dark rhythm to it, perfect for night combat encounters. It could also be well used for chase-scenes and other high-tension operations. Use of both natural and mallet percussion works well here, and serves to instill a fantastic sense of dread. The reprises of this theme, however, are somewhat slower and lose some of its frantic edge in lieu of a heavier tone. These are also useful, but somewhat less so than the orginal "Facade" itself. The real stars of the show, nonetheless, are its two female parts: Christiane Noll (playing Emma) and Linda Eder (playing Lucy). Their duo "In His Eyes" may be a little too hopeful for most campaigns, but the sound they provide is nothing short of exquisite and triumphant. Eder also truly shines in "Dangerous Games", where she sings with Cuccioli's Hyde. Combined with a fantastic background score, this song perfectly defines the fears of not only Lucy, but of Hyde himself, as his humanity still resides repressed in his sub-conscious. A fantastic job, here, by both. If your players don't get chills from this track, I'll be shocked. Two more tracks must be mentioned, though, before I make my closing remarks. A second choral number "Murder, Murder" functions much the same as the earlier "Facade", but with a much different sound to it. Detailing Hyde's killing spree, it quickly goes from loud bursts of choral panic to the low tones of Hyde's menacing threats. If used appropriately, it can add quite a bit to the mood as your PCs travel through frightened towns--as I think now, it would work perfectly when running the new adventure 'Shadows of the Knife'. However, be judicious in your use of it. Finally, at the climax of the piece, we have "Confrontation", where Hyde appears at Jekyll's wedding and the pair of personalities clash once and for all. I can truly think of few actors or singers that could have pulled off this contest of wills like Cuccioli has. Simply, it's a glorious job, which deserves quite a bit of recognition. I can think of few more perfect songs to compliment a climax to a campaign as this one. I've always tended to shy away from using music in my campaigns that has lyrics or spoken words to it. As such, I tend to stick with such greats as Stravinsky, Holst, and the film scores of Howard Shore. However, "Jekyll & Hyde" is a true exception in my book. Its fantastic vocals, contained within a poignant, dramatic score, get me in the mood for Ravenloft every time. While it has just a few flaws, those are easily overborne by the massive amounts of great music contained on this disc. I easily give it 4.5 out of 5 blood drops.
#2 zombiegleemax Dec 10, 2003 7:21:53	Speaking of music I was searching around for stuff on Amazon.com and I found they have a "official" Dungeons and Dragons roll playing sound track. What on earth is it and has anyone here actually heard any of the music on it?
#3 william_cairnstone_dup Dec 10, 2003 7:31:19	Originally posted by Platinumwarlock Jekyll & Hyde. Lyrics by Leslie Briscusse. Music by Frank Wildhorn. [/b] I once saw a bit of one such musical but I think it was that guy who made "knight rider" (David Hassellhof ???) in the role of Jekyll. Am I wrong ? Has anyone else seen this, or was he just very much a like ? W.C.
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 10, 2003 7:56:36	Hey, Lildog. I have the Red Steel and Savage Baronies boxed sets, would those be considered "official D&D music?" They are D&D boxed sets that come with musical CDs unique to that setting, and they are pretty hot. Of course I've used these CDs countless times during my campaigns. Don't know if that's what they're referring to on Amazon, but it's the closest thing I could think of. peace! MSD
#5 platinumwarlock Dec 10, 2003 8:18:40	Originally posted by William Cairnstone I once saw a bit of one such musical but I think it was that guy who made "knight rider" (David Hassellhof ???) in the role of Jekyll. Am I wrong ? Has anyone else seen this, or was he just very much a like ? W.C. Yes, David Hasslehoff (of both Baywatch and Knight Rider fame)was cast in a production of this musical. No, he is not on the cast recording that I reviewed. Unless, I'm wrong, he played the role of Jekyll/Hyde, which is played by Robert Cuccioli in the official cast recording. While I haven't heard Hasslehoff's recording, I can pretty much guess that Cuccioli does the job much better. Lildog--Yes, there is an "official" D&D soundtrack. It was put out over the summer by a group known as the Midnight Syndicate. They're not well known in the States, but they often take a great deal of influence from fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings, as well as from the stories of H.P. Lovecraft. I haven't heard any of the soundtrack, though, so I can't really give a review of it.
#6 zombiegleemax Dec 10, 2003 9:43:32	Actually, believe it or not, Hasselhoff was a pretty amazing Jekyll and Hyde. I was expecting him to be terrible and came away quite pleasantly surprised. He did a great job of differentiating between the two characters with nothing more than his gait and facial expressions; the two generally had a different hairstyle, but he didn't depend on that. If there was a quick onstage transformation and Hasselhoff didn't have time to change his hair, there was still no doubt in your mind as to who was in control because of the way he acted it. I did find the girl who played Lucy a little disappointing, though, since her facial expressions seemed to be limited to "Cockney pluck" and "choking on an Altoid." I'm not sure if the reprise of "Sympathy" is on the soundtrack--I've never listened to it--but if it is, I'd recommend that one as well. The juxtaposition of the sweet lyrics with the chilling way that Hyde sings it is unbelievably creepy and could be very appropriate for a moment of betrayal or revelation.
#7 platinumwarlock Dec 10, 2003 10:02:20	I suppose that's good, then, that Hasslehoff was able to succeed in the role. I guess that just goes to show that he does have more talents than I had judged him for. Kudos to him. Yes, "Sympathy, Tenderness" is on the cast recording. It was also a good track, but I personally didn't feel that it ranked as highly as some of the others. Just my preference, though. Overall, it's a fantastic musical and fits Ravenloft like a glove.
#8 belac Dec 10, 2003 10:57:28	I've got one of the Midnight Syndicate songs that was available free for download. It's not too bad but I don't really use it much. (Even though I always use background music in RPGs.)
#9 zombiegleemax Dec 10, 2003 11:15:01	That "Confrontation" tune? Oh yes. Oh yes indeed. The way it goes from soaring to snarling is utterly amazing.... "Dangerous Game" is another particularly noteworthy tune... "Will the ghosts go away/will she will them to stay/either way there's no way to win...."