Customer Reviews

All Sondheim, Volume 1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a fanatical Sondheim lover and singer, this book was awonderful addition to my collection. Among some of his best earlytitles, this book includes songs like "I Remember", "Losing My Mind", and "Another Hundred People". These are wonderfully written pieces which deserve many books like this one. They are a joy to listen to and even more to play, and I hope everyone will enjoy this book as much as I do.

I agree with the reviewer that these are the original piano arrangements. But what that means is that for some selections, the arrangement does not include the melody so unless someone is singing you don't "get" the song you might think you would in the piano part.

The following selections include melody: Anyone Can Whistle, Being Alive, Comedy Tonight, Every Day a Little Death, I Never Do Anything Twice, I Remember, Johanna, The Ladies Who Lunch, The Little Things You Do Together, Losing My Mind, Not While I'm Around, One More Kiss, A Parade in Town, Pretty Women, Send in the Clowns, Sorry Grateful, You Must Meet My Wife (but it's missing part of the song).

These selections are purely accompaniment: Another Hundred People, The Ballad of Sweeney Todd, By the Sea, Could I Leave You? Green Finch and Linnet Bird, Pretty Lady, Remember?

The rest are a hybrid, some melody, some accompaniment: Broadway Baby, I'm Still Here, The Miller's Son.

They're all beautiful arrangements -- just as long as you know what you are and are not getting.

This book and others of the series bring together Sondheim's greatest works. It includes hard to find music like "I Remember" (from Evening Primrose) which makes this book a wonderful addition to any singer's collection. I recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Most Piano/Vocal scores from Broadway and/or Hollywood include guitar chords in addition to the piano and vocal lines. Most of the songs within this songbook do NOT have the guitar chords published. For piano 'fakers', the chord designations are a must. This is a serious deficiency in this songbook.

On the positive side, all the great music and songs expected were present, and as far as I can tell, with the original piano arrangements.