Search - Stephen Sondheim, Michael Ball, Maria Friedman :: Passion (1997 London Cast)

Pure passion

Z. Yang | Hockessin, DE USA | 11/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to say that I was totally emotionally shaken by this musical.
It tells the story of a young Italian soldier, Giorgio (Michael Ball), who was involved in the love relationship with two women: Clara (Helen Hubson), for whom Giorgio originally had a passionate love, and Fosca (Maria Friedman), who had a passionate love for Giorgio. It is a somewhat common love story, but the way the story is told is totally unusual and brilliant. The whole play is threaded with the letters among Giorgio, Clara, and Fosca. The music is, what should I say, simply breathtaking. The principal melodies are arranged so cleverly and songs (solos, duets, and trios) are connected so smoothly that you feel all pieces of music as one part.
Michael Ball is wonderful, remarkably wonderful. He uses his voice with such ease that you feel he can go anywhere. And the great emotion he puts into each song is unbelievable. There is a solo for Giorgio, which is not in the original Broadway show and I believe Stephen Sondheim specifically wrote for Michael, called "No One Has Ever Loved Me". This haunting number brings out especially the best of Michael's singing and makes the play more completed. "Passion", which is the play that lured Michael back to the musical stage after six years of absence since he did "Aspect of Love" on Broadway, once again shows that Michael is such a natural for the musical stage.
Maria Friedman as Fosca is also great. Fosca is the kind of role that any actress would dream to get. The depth, the emotions and the uniqueness make the character so complicated and so human. Maria's voice in the show is very expressive, though I wouldn't say it is beautiful, and is perfect for the suffering and bitterness of the role. Her "Loving You" would touch you to the bone.
This is the CD I would recommend to anyone who loves good music and appreciates great voices, and certainly to Stephen Sonheim fans, Michael Ball fans, and Maria Friedman fans."

The Better Thought-Out Passion

John K. Mainieri | nyc, ny USA | 04/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone who saw the Broadway production of this musical would have been amazed at the West End production with Michael Ball and Maria Friedman. This is actually a concert recording done after the West End run, but the voices soar!! While I remember the Bway production in shades of gray, with no color to speak of, The London production was filled with Light and energy, it was like watching a different show! And all that comes out on this cd! Buy it, please, buy it and experience the difference!"

Passion tends to be either loved or hated by its audience (p

S. Pflueger | Burke, VA United States | 10/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

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I found the American orchestra slightly synthesized where as the London recording has a wonderfully classical orchestration that fits the piece to the tea. The numbers flow from one to the other without any detectable breaks. As others before have said, I find the whole piece more operatic than musical theatre. I imagine that opera companies will take to performing Passion like they've done with Sweeney Todd and A Little Night Music. His composing ability is at its top form comparable to any modern classical composer.

I do challenge the people who say the musical contains no songs to look deeper than the surface. There is the Love that Flies duet, I Read solo, I wish I could forget you, and Happiness. Everything, the song, the dialogue, and the music, is about the scene. The craft of construction is more Wagnerian than pop like your Stephen Schwartzes (who I like by the way). Each is crafted with beautiful melodies that twist the subtle changes in lyrics. As an example "just another love story that's what they would claim" to "Just a simple love story needn't end the same" (probably misquoting, but you get the idea). Georgio with the same theme makes an about face in his concept of love. Sondheim has used his lyrics extremely well in revisiting the same melodies with new shading completely changing the meaning. The desperation and pain in Fosca with the first statement of the melody is restated by Georgio as his desperation and pain toward the end of the musical. The king of lyricists, he remains strong and firm with scepter in hand.

I found that the London cast tends to act more and read lines less. Some of the scenes on the Broadway recording sounded read as opposed to really acting the musical. Maria Friedman's voice is rough and dispirit while singing and husky while speaking. I believe it works well for the tragic Fosca. Michael Ball, clearly the star of this recording whether you are listening or just looking at the cover, dominates the recording with vocal power. Jere Shea's Georgio is a wilting flower compared to Ball and his force of will. He is no victim in this recording. Helen Hobson has a nice soprano voice, a good contrast to Friedman's, but sinks into the background in this recording. I read once, as said by the director of the Kennedy Center's production of Passion in 2003, that the musical requires a balance between the three leads. He said Donna Murphy so wonderful in her performance destroyed the Broadway production because she overshadowed the other performers. That is why I don't find the dueling divas in this production distressing. It is the conflict between Georgio and his choice of Clara or Fosca. I am not sure what Hobson could have done to be more prominent, but she does a good job in the recording.

The first time I listened to this musical I hated it. I didn't get it. It wasn't until the third time I listened to it; I actually began to enjoy the skill and craftsmanship. Passion is not a passive musical it requires active listening. Now I think it is wonderful and endearing.

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