Search - Stephen Sondheim :: Sondheim Sings, Vol. 1: 1962-1972

Sondheim Brilliance Captured on Remastered Demo Tapes

Ed Uyeshima | San Francisco, CA USA | 05/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"He has an unfair reputation for penning songs people cannot sing along with, but I have to admit I'm a sucker for a Stephen Sondheim tune, even the overplayed ones like "Being Alive" and "Not a Day Goes By". So for me, it's a treat to hear a thirtyish Sondheim himself sing his own compositions accompanying himself on the piano. Granted he talk-sings in a very modest range and often veers off-key in spite of his best efforts, but his buoyant enthusiasm and keen intellect are so infectious throughout that I eventually became indifferent to his marginal singing talent. The other pertinent fact is that Sondheim is a superb piano player pounding the keys effortlessly as if he's composing and improvising his performances on the spot. He just turned 75 earlier this year, so PS Classics has collected 19 of his demo tapes from 1962-72 and digitally remastered them for this special recording. It was a fertile period for Sondheim, and this disc provides evidence with selections originating from seven of his shows from this decade - four unqualified hits ("Company", "Follies", "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "A Little Night Music"); a failure that has justifiably gained stature over the years ("Anyone Can Whistle" which has the most songs here - five); and a couple of obscurities ("The Thing of It Is" and "The World of Jules Feiffer"). Several of the songs here never made the final productions, much less the cast recordings, which makes this unvarnished compilation recording especially valuable. It's also just great to hear an unedited Sondheim so unfettered, exuberant and maddeningly clever.



Sondheim produces a bouncy gem in "Pretty Little Picture" from "Forum", which offers smart, densely written lyrics over a hyped-up sea chantey melody. From "Jules Feiffer", "Truly Content" is a sweet ode to an unrealized dream of becoming a movie star that even includes the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner" as a finale interlude. Who else but Sondheim would mention Fay Wray and George Brent as his screen idols? He captures a frenetic romanticism on "Multitudes of Amy" and "Marry Me a Little", both from "Company", two of the most astute songs about being in love and obsessively infatuated I've ever heard, the latter particularly affecting with the rolling piano keys propelling the melody. The title tune from the failed "Anyone Can Whistle" has a loping open-heartedness that sets the mood of the show beautifully. The same can be said about his touching rendition of the familiar memory lament "Losing My Mind" from "Follies", where he unexpectedly changes his pitch when he moves into the chorus. Also from "Follies", "Don't Look at Me" vividly displays his sharp wit and high sense of personal drama, as does "Pleasant Little Kingdom" with its driving rhythm. From "Anyone Can Whistle", Sondheim really captures the aura of a carnival sideshow with "Miracle Song" and continues the spirit with shifting tempos and revivalist character changes interrupted by pilgrim murmurings on "The Lame, The Halt and the Blind".



And here's a great example of the typical creative process behind a Broadway show - with its stern opening chords, "Invocation" was intended as a more clarion opening number for "Forum", but then it was decided to replace it with the pliant soft-shoe number "Love Is in the Air", but both were finally jettisoned in favor of the well-known "Comedy Tonight", which is not included here. "The Glamorous Life" demo is particularly fascinating for Sondheim's ongoing explanations of the plot developments and character's vocal turns in "A Little Night Music", as he sings in front of an attentive audience. Sondheim also sings a fine, unadorned "Send in the Clowns", refreshing for the lack of dramatic excess usually associated with the song. With his skilled grasp of melody and his dexterous use of changing imagery, this just provides proof that he composes music for the ages. There is also a 32-page booklet included with complete lyrics, historic photos and a brief background story."

Group One or Group A

Mark Andrew Lawrence | Toronto | 12/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Collectors of cast albums fall into two generalized categories: Group One is made up of die-hard fans that want every cast album of every show (including alternate versions.)



Group A consists of more casual collectors who just buy the titles they like and don't worry about being completists.



This CD is really for Group One.



For the serious theatre fans that appreciate Sondheim's dedication to polishing each lyric with even the subtlest changes, this CD is a treasure trove of material. Those who already know many of these songs from the cast albums will be amazed at the number of changes he has made in the lyrics and sometimes the tunes.



In a day when most Broadway lyric writers are content to have two lines that rhyme, Sondheim's obsessive re-writing and polishing must seem needless, but this is what has given the songs their ability to stand up to repeated listenings.



The CD is a Sondheim fan's dream. Almost a master class in how to write (or, in a few cases, how NOT to write) for the musical theatre.



The sound quality, given the source, is quite good. Sondheim's voice is untrained. Like most songwriters, he sings loud and enthusiastic and usually in the general vicinity of the note. But this CD is not a Sondheim recital. There are plenty of those around (Barbara Cook, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters etc.) Here we have an insider's look into the creative process.

"

The CD This Is, The CD It's Not

James K. Eubanks | Los Angeles, California United States | 08/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With all of the hoopla surrounding Stephen Sondheim's 75th birthday, some may be under the false impression that Sondheim was lured into the studio to make this CD. This is not the case. The tracks on this CD are old "demos," simple piano/vocals probably done in one take with no concern as to whether the songs were in the best key for Mr. Sondheim's voice or even if he hit every note. As for his voice, he sounds more like an actor acting a song than someone with real singing talent. That said, if you're willing to accept all of those conditions, this album is quite rewarding. You're hearing these songs the way he might have played them the first time at a rehearsal. And if you're a "true" Sondheim fan, how can you "not" have this CD?"