"Vienna"

I know what you are thinking... oh my gosh! This isn't a broadway show tune!! But never fear kids, it was still written by broadway composer Frank Wildhorn, and sung by who is now his ex wife, Linda Eder.
This is such a powerful song. It is all about the time these two people spent in Vienna, and how it was the best time of this woman's life. It opens up with strings playing what is a recurring motive throughout the song. It is bases on a I V vi I IV V I progression. It is a moderate tempo, but when the vocals come in, the tempo slows down to be moderately slow. The melody is really what makes this song gorgeous. It starts out so low and soft, and the range gradually gets higher. The moderate tempo and the stepwise melody over the sustained chords in the base gives the song a reminiscent feeling as she sings about her memories from Vienna. The first 2 verses are sung before the refrain happens.
The refrain is written for the very middle of Linda Eder's range, which means she can belt like crazy. This belting and the change in range is really what makes the song so powerful. The refrain builds and builds, and then we go back and get the 3rd verse, which is again soft and reminiscent. We then get the refrain again, which is belted even more passionately. The orchestra is playing forte at this point. The last line sung is very touching. The lyrics are, "It was the best time of my life" and there is a big formatta on time. The orchestra then plays the motive seen in the opening to finish things up.