The Music...

As you may know, I love music. When I have enough money I like to obsessively collect sheet music (from Oxfam or somewhere similar for preference!)

So here's an attempt to be useful - my "reviews" of the various CATS music I've found. All of them are based on the original London production.

CATS - Easy Piano Picture Book

The pictures are pretty - "real cat" interpretations by Ann Aldred. The arrangements are indeed "easy" and do miss out verses etc. Mostly still sound good even so - and they stick to nice key sigs. Also has large size notes! :)

INCLUDED:

• Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats (D minor, D major)
• The Old Gumbie Cat (G major/E minor, C minor) - Probably the hardest one in the book.
• Bustopher Jones (C major) Just the main theme; none of Busto's solos. I like this one.
• Old Deuteronomy (G major)
• Skimbleshanks (C major) Again, none of Skimble's solos. The arrangement for the chorus isn't fantastic, but the verses are yaaay~
• Memory (C major) Nice. Not too hard, but can sound good. No key changes!
• Mr. Mistoffelees (F major) Just the chorus and intro. The chorus is cool!

CATS - Easy Piano Selection

Similar to above; without the pictures, but with more music!

INCLUDED:

• Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats (D major, D minor) This time including "The Mystical Divinity..."
• The Old Gumbie Cat (E minor/G major, C minor) Same as picture book, but with the repeats written out!
• Bustopher Jones (C major) Including BJ's solos! Cool.
• Skimbleshanks (C major) Same as picture book.
• Mr. Mistoffelees (F major) Music for the verses too! LOL, spot the mistake in the lyrics!
• Memory (C major) Still sticks to C major, but more music.
• The Ad-dressing of Cats (C maj) I like it, especially the ending... although the attempts to stay firmly in C major are sometimes... interesting^^ Still, it does it to avoid some truly evil keys!

CATS - Selection for Flue and Piano

No, I don't play flute. So? The flute part looks fine for me on oboe or my brother's violin. One thing is that some bits are most definitely pitched for a flute (high!) and I'd certainly take it down an octave. Anyway, the melody isn't too hard... I don't think... so I'll be commenting on the piano part.

INCLUDED:

• The Old Gumbie Cat (E minor/G major, C minor) Quite a nice accompaniement, leaves your fingers free to put in the tune for the first section anyway. The second section's harder.
• Bustopher Jones (D major) Don't know why the intro changes octaves halfway... Otherwise, pretty good.
• Old Deuteronomy (G major) Nice, simple arrangement. :)
• Skimbleshanks (D major) Reminds of the "real" piano part. Nice.
• Memory (C major) Not overly impressed with this accompaniement actually, thought you could do more with it... Nice though, true to the tune
• Mr. Mistoffelees (D major) Not sure how a flute would manage the fanfare like start to this, but hey. I really like this one though - a lot like the real thing!

And finally...

CATS- The Songs from the Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber
(Piano and Vocal Score)

The big one... Well... whew... When I picked this up, I was about grade 6/7 (ABRSM) and it was NOT easy. But if you're a vaguely good-ish pianist, you NEEED this!! Or if you're just obsessed enough with CATS, maybe this'll make you practice more! (...my sight-reading and stuff has since got quite a lot better-- or maybe it's just that I've played these so many times ^__^)

It's mostly very true to the musical- right down to the *sigh* key signitures. It has a vocal line which is sometimes incorporated into the accompaniement. Doesn't include the Pekes and Pols (well, the words are there), Invitation (again, words), Moments of Happiness (ditto), or, sadly, but probably not surprisingly, the Jellicle Ball. It's also the Original London version and so it has the old jazzy Mungo & Rumpel and Growltiger with the Ballad of Billy McCaw (yey!)

The vocal line is separate and in some cases it's not really possible to play the tune as well... get someone to sing!

INCLUDES:

• The Overture (Chromatic! VERY!) Gaaah! It's impossible!! OK, OK, I overstate. Some if it is playable and exciting, but some is REALLY hard (for me).
• Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats (Don't even ask about the key sigsssss.) Whooo!! It... is actually maybe someday playable. But hard. i.e. 7 SHARPS at one point! But, really, if you can get over the keys, it's not actually that bad. The first few pages=not hard.
• The Naming of Cats (Chromatic) The music behind the chants. Not too bad.
• The Old Gumbie Cat (E minor/G major, C minor) Kinda hard, but I haven't played it too much yet. Includes some tap sequence music!!
• The Rum Tum Tugger (A major) Yey!! Kinda OK/hard. A couple really fast jazzy piano bits which sound soo cool but are kinda... hard!
• Bustopher Jones (E major) Very nice. Not so hard. Get someone to sing along.
• Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (Their spelling, not mine... not that it's conistent throughout the book...) Like I said, the old version. Changes into 6 flats.
• Old Deuteronomy (G major! Wow!) Yup, me like. Nice bit of fun jumping up and down the piano and making up the chords!
• The Song of the Jellicles (Chromatic...) The music behind the chants again. Gets a bit difficult.
• Grizabella: the Glamour Cat (Bb minor. *sigh*) Get to practice your Bb flat minor scales (up till that point my most hated key!!) It is playable. Doesn't include the beginning- starts at Demeter's solo (as it's done in the OLC CD if you've got that.)
• Gus: the Theatre Cat (D major) Lovely. And the easiest piece in the book.
• Growltiger's Last Stand (Key?? it changes...) 5 flats at one point. Kinda hard/OK until it goes into crazy triplets. Then hard!!
• The Ballad of Billy McCaw (E major) Wow... lovely arrangement... though you may have to 'add' the tune. Hee, love this piece, the most incredible contrast of words and tune *giggley* Harder bit at the end, chordal and fast, but mostly fine!
• Skimbleshanks: the Railway Cat (E major, F major) Pretty playable, with a couple jumpy left hand bits. Lots of fast chords to practise, but I love this one!!
• Macavity: the Mystery Cat (sort of C minor) Fast moving and big chords need practicing or missing out! Still, it's so much fun to just pound out something like the tune....
• Mr. Mistoffelees (F major) Again, some fast moving and near impossible chords in the chorus... This is one of my favourites!
• Memory (Bb major, Gb major, Db major or something) Makes the perfect piano solo!!! - the tune is all in the right hand. It goes into 6 and 5 flats, but I am living proof that IT CAN BE PLAYED! I probably must have practised this FAR more than any of my lesson pieces, but... hey. Practice seems to work. Very nice, very faithful arrangement.
• The Journey to The Heaviside Layer (E major, G major, F major.....on and on) Would they give it a rest with the fast-moving chords??^^ I guess they're needed here...
• The Ad-drssing of Cats (various) A triumphant and wonderful ending... A couple annoying keys, but managable eventually.

OK.... so, go get it!!!

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