12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cult Classic, February 12, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Simply Sondheim (Audio CD)
Those remarkable men within the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles have done it again! After delivering that powerful classical CD <i>With A Mighty Voice</i>, they pivot-turn and deliver this show-stopping performance of music composed for Broadway by Stephen Sondheim. The diversity of these singers is magnificently realized in an event that could possibly only succeed in L.A. Part of the fun of <b>Simply Sondheim</b> is imagining yourself among that theater-savvy audience 3000 miles away from Broadway as it devours every nuance of these modern show-biz classics arranged for 150 male voices. It's apparent right from the start that Stephen Sondheim's gay wit is ideal material for these talented men, whose memorable performances are captured live on this terrific recording.
And what a sound! Fans who think they know Sondheim's <i>Sweeney Todd</i> for example, will revel upon hearing the 15-minute <i>Sweeney Todd Rhapsody</i> where 150 voices bring new depth to some of Sondheim's greatest work. Familiar tunes like <i>Send In The Clowns</i> sound fresh when delivered by these gents, thanks to their unique and ingenious arrangements. Equally great are the Sondheim rarities, like <i>Goodbye For Now</i> (composed for the film <i>Reds,</i>) or <i>Pleasant Little Kingdom</i> (cut from <i>Follies</i>, performed here by guest star Joanna Gleason), or <i>Loving You</i> from <i>Passion,</i> all charged with the humor, bite, and aching tenderness that keeps the live audience in a whirl.
Sure wish I could have been in that audience! Owning this CD is the next best thing. To Sondheim fans, this is a cult classic; to theater fans, this CD makes a terrific gift. Perhaps the real gift is knowing that the Gay Men's Chorus thrives so well in Los Angeles. What can they possibly record next? Can't wait!
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great Concept. Poor Delivery., August 29, 2002
This review is from: Simply Sondheim (Audio CD)
Having been a long-time fan of GMCLA, I have to say I'm severely disappointed in the quality of this recording.
Problems start with the selection of material. With such a heavy focus on Merrily We Roll Along and Sweeney Todd, you get a feeling a concert version of these shows was their true interest. Sweeney in particular takes up a full fourth of this performance with selections (Wait and These Are My Friends???) that aren't particularly suited to choral arrangement.
Problems continue with the quality of the chorus as a whole. I was surprised to hear the group's tone drifting noticeably flat repeatedly. Arrangements that seem to favor disonance over harmony don't seem to help matters.
Then there's the odd and out-of-place bits of lyrics spoken instead of sung as a seque between the numbers. The rhyming structure makes them sound forced and unnatural when spoken.
On a whole, a big disappointment from a chorus I've often lept to my feet after hearing.
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