The London concept recording. I have to admit that I don't listen to this one quite as much, probably only because it was the second one that I got, and the story has changed so much by the Broadway version that I find it a little confusing. But other than that, it is a really good recording! Elaine Paige is a wonderful Florence, and the rest of the cast is really good as well. I *love* this version of "One Night in Bangkok"! My only big complaint is that the orchestrations are not as "finished" as they are in the Broadway recording.

The Original Broadway cast recording. This was the first time I heard this show, and I just fell in love with it! Though Anthem and Pity the Child are both a little weaker than I'd like, Judy Kuhn is an amazing Florence, and I love Nobody's Side and I Know Him So Well, and just about everything else. :-) Does anyone agree with me that the overture sounds like something from Titanic, the musical? (Though I suppose Chess came before Titanic... :-)

Danish cast recording. I have a new favourite Chess recording!! Calling it the Danish cast recording is a little misleading because, although the recording was made in Denmark, everything is performed in English. A 2-CD set, this is by far the most complete recording I've got, which makes it *so* much easier to follow the story, which has changed yet again. That in itself would be enough to recommend it, but that's definitely not the only drawing card. The orchestrations are fabulous here - better than both the London and Broadway recordings! And, the cast is fantastic too. Stig Rossen is so far and above the other Anatolys, I can't even describe it. :-) I probably still prefer Judy Kuhn as Florence, but Emma Kershaw is really good as well, as are Zubin Varla, Gunilla Backman and Simon Clark. This is a MUST for any fan of this show!!

Swedish cast recording. The show has been pretty drastically re-written for the Swedish premiere, and that's evident on this recording. The show takes place in Merano, over four days, which makes the plot quite a bit easier to follow. There are two new songs (one for Molokov and one for Svetlana), and a couple of other songs have been re-written (for example, "You and I" has a new melody for the verse that is really nice). "One Night in Bangkok" isn't sung (since they don't actually go to Bangkok!). The orchestrations are really, really nice - the only little complaint I have is that I'd like some more power in "Nobody's Side", but that's about it! The cast is also excellent, particularly Helen Sjoholm, Tommy Korberg and Josefin Nilsson. Anders Ekborg delivers one of the best versions of "Pity the Child" I've ever heard. I'm not too fond of Rolf Skoglund as the Arbiter, but that's another small quibble. It's a great recording overall, and a great purchase if you're a Chess fan!