Theater orchestrations vs. film orchestrations

In theatrical settings you have to think of the size of the pit in the theater and the voices on stage. Smaller pits mean smaller pit bands. In many cases wind players have to double or triple on instruments for change of orchestral color. In film you can have a large ensemble pitted against a small voice, and the voice will always win. Thus arrangers can be more creative in their orchestrations for film. It is way different than opera where singers are expected to be able to sing over a full orchestra.

To me the best film versus worst stage arrangements are for Oliver! The American stage album was recorded before the show opened on Broadway, as the production also toured before it its New York premiere. The orchestrations sound like there were about four people in the pit. The lush orchestrations for the film, however, make the score sound like Mozart.

Yep, I agree about Oliver! The theater orchestrations in the original West End and Broadway productions sounded so anemic.

The orchestrations for the film version of Mame are smooth and classy. The lazy ragtime riff on the clarinet at the beginning of "It's Today," however, sounds geriatric and is a Lawrence Welk style reminder that our leading lady is on the verge of collecting Social Security. The vocal arrangements are much more enjoyable on the Broadway album. The choral arrangements on the soundtrack are blandly polite, a sort of vocal Muzak.

The live quality of the Broadway orchestras on all the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein shows makes them more interesting to listen to than their film soundtrack counterparts in my opinion. I think only The Sound of Music has a better soundtrack album than OBC, although the Mary Martin album is also a treat (and has the great Patricia Neway as Mother Abbess, singing rings around whoever dubbed Peggy Wood. )

Good points, R4. I'm not crazy about the clarinet at the beginning of "It's Today," too, but it wouldn't have been appropriate for the number if the orchestrations were as over the top brassy as they were on Broadway.

I enjoy most of the Oliver film orchestrations too, but I hate that descending violin countermelody that was added to As Long As He Needs Me. I guess they thought the original melody was too repetitive, but I find the added strings very distracting.

Agree with Ethan's post - bigger budget for film allows for a richer palette of instrumentation. A theatre orchestra pit couldn't realistically compete with the numbers in a studio soundtrack-assembled orchestra. Just compare the original Broadway/West End orchestrations of Sound of Music with the great job Irwin Kostal did for the movie. Fully deserved his Oscar for Best Music, scoring of music, adaptation & treatment category. Rogers & Hammerstein in his expert hands ended up sounding like sumptuous lush Johann Strauss! A real classic example of what an orchestrator can bring to a project.

You only have to pay a studio orchestra once. You have to pay a theatre orchestra every night.

Of course they can afford larger orchestras on film.

The orchestrations for the film of A Chorus Line are truly dreadful.

Is there anything about the film version of A CHORUS LINE that isn't truly dreadful?

I can only imagine Patty LuPone on her treadmill watching the Madonna Elvira. Her reaction must have been hilarious.

Compare Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations for the film of A Little Night Music versus those he did for the original Broadway production. The film orchestra actually sounds like a smaller, more intimate ensemble. Brilliant work -but when does Tunick ever give you anything but brilliance?