The long awaited Night Castle was the fifth studio album for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Debuting at number five on the Billboard 200, TSO, once again, solidified their mammoth influence on the music industry. O’Neill says, “Night Castle was going to be a ten song album. Fans have come to expect a story. With Night Castle, it starts with a seven year old girl and goes all around the world.”
The album evolved into a two-disc set with liner notes full of goodies and tri-fold artwork to please any fan. For the tour, titled Beethoven’s Last Night, songs from the album of the same name and selections from Night Castle, are used to tell the story of the night of Beethoven’s death. O’Neill divulges, “The reason we did it is, Mozart and Beethoven are my favorite composers. They still blow me away. Beethoven died without the comfort of a human voice. He was more alone than we can imagine. He had lead poisoning which causes manic depression and mood swings. He was still acknowledged as the greatest piano player that ever lived by Mozart”. The story is in the medium of what O’Neill calls, “rock theater”. It is a production that packs the punch of a rock and incorporates the theatrics of Broadway.
We meet Beethoven on the night of the completion of his Tenth Symphony. In reality, this piece was never finished. At midnight, Mephistopheles appears to take Beethoven’s soul. In an attempt to keep death at bay, the composer makes a literal deal with the devil. Already facing a rough life, Beethoven has even harder decisions to make in the face of death. In essence, it is the story of the human spirit.
O’Neill laments over the composers situation saying, “I don’t care if you’re a Rockefeller or the poorest of poor, Michael Jordan or a cripple. Everybody thinks they have a hard life at some point. Beethoven had a hard life. If he would have crawled in a corner and given up, nobody would have said anything. But he didn’t. The show is about how one person can change the course of history.”
In an industry where it is difficult to sell even 500,000 albums, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has sold over 7 million. With a list of industry firsts under their belt, O’Neill shares the ways TSO is changing the game and pushing the boundaries. “We were the first band with over 80 members. The first to split into two regional touring bands. The first band to never play clubs. We have never had to have, or be, an opening act”. Every single person is part of this well-oiled machine. Transporting upwards of ten singers, an orchestra, a rock band and countless electronic pieces is not an easy feat. Every member is as essential as the next. That’s what makes TSO special.
O’Neill explains, “ TSO is built like a medieval castle. It’s intriguing from far away. The closer you get to it, the more interesting it gets. Depending on your age and mood, you’ll want to explore more or just sit and enjoy the view.” The band is just as multifaceted as the people that are members. Guitarist Al Pitrelli brings innovation and vision to the band. He also acts as a music director along with Robert Kinkel. O’Neill says, “We prefer our members to be triple threats. Most of the female singers are quadruple threats. They have, what I call, a spark.”
TSO also brings poetry to the stage with the use of a narrator. The narrator helps to tell the story. When people ask why he uses poetry, O’Neill responds, “Human beings love the rocking motion. Children love it and as we grow old we sit in rocking chairs. It’s the reason we fall asleep on trains. Poetry has that rocking motion”. Because of their diversity in members and music genres, TSO has a broad fan base. The average age of a TSO fan is 21. Not because all of the fans are 21 but because they range from kids to the elderly. Their shows really are for everyone.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been around for almost 15 years. With the longevity of artists seemingly growing shorter by the minute, TSO has proved they are a force to be reckoned with. “I feel very lucky. When I started, the club scene was big. You go out, do some covers and a few songs of your own. If you were good, people cheered. If you were bad, they threw beer bottles at you. On paper, TSO shouldn’t work. We have people from all backgrounds, ages 18 to whatever. Bands in the 70s and 80s, even 90s, were nurtured by their labels. They weren’t hits out of the box. Now, it’s sink or swim. We were one of the lasts to be nurtured by our label. They supported us until the band could stand on its own.” O’Neill recalls that nurturing by the labels created some of the greats like The Rolling Stones, saying again, “They weren’t hits out of the box”. It’s obvious that TSO will be around as long as they are making music. Their music has reached millions and continues to fascinate members of every generation.
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be on tour March 25 through May 2. Beethoven’s Last Night is playing at The Chicago Theatre April 17. What is up next for TSO? They are rereleasing Beethoven’s Last Night in a similar format to Night Castle with expanded liner notes and art work. Thanks to Paul O’Neill for talking with me and to TSO for the hope they bring to musicians everywhere.
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