Sondheim on Sondheim [Cast Recording]

Barbara Cook (Artist), Vanessa Williams (Artist), Tom Wopat (Artist), Original Broadway Cast (Artist), Stephen Sondheim (Composer), N/a (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: P.S. Classics
• ASIN: B003SPJ4C4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,159 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Smart! The Lyrics are So Smart! And The Music Has Such Heart!, September 1, 2010

By 

Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sondheim on Sondheim (Audio CD)

"Sondheim on Sondheim" is a highly sophisticated, well-executed showcase. Delving into the creative genius that has come so naturally to Mr. Stephen Sondheim, Shakespeare's musical theater equivalent, for more than half a century, the James Lapine-helmed production both informs and massively delights in generous doses.

Nothing can substitute for seeing a production done live, but the sparkly-clean, intrepid cast performs just as vigorously, professionally and with vested intent to please on record as on stage.

Sondheim's insights lose nothing from the live production - to hear rather than see him speak (he was recorded earlier and projected onscreen) does not dilute the effect his offerings have as they add context for the material performed. Even facts long known by musical theater buffs (such as the saga that involved finding the right song to open "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and the dear truck songs that resulted) are worth hearing again directly from Mr. Sondheim, who is self-effacing if not particularly sentimental.

It is no surprise that the astounding Barbara Cook comes across best. Her warm, inviting, compassionate, angelic way of phrase makes her featured spots - "Take Me to the World" and "Send in the Clowns" among them - reason enough to listen. Finding a more remarkable singer would be like walking up to a stranger on the street and correctly guessing his name is Irving.

Tom Wopat, who has rightly garnered great acclaim from musical theater audiences in the past two decades, shines especially on the achingly beautiful "Finishing the Hat" from "Sunday in the Park with George," as does the ever-photogenic and neatly poised Vanessa Williams on the likes of the contemplative "Good Thing Going" from "Merrily We Roll Along," even though she oversells the subtle, less-is-more ballad "The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened" from "Road Show."

The young upstarts who complement the big-name stars possess remarkable vocal ranges, yet (except in the case of Euan Morton) their collective young age shows - these are musical theater actors who were trained to sing with technical precision that is professionally and sharply executed but lacking for warmth, nuance and sincerity - a common problem in the newer crop of performers. This mattered less on stage - the production was elaborate and pleasing to the eyes - than it does on disc. "Something's Coming" best exemplifies this. No fingerprints are made. They sing like glittering automatons.

Norm Lewis' "Being Alive" (from "Company"), for example, glides and soars with his marvelous vocal range. Sometime after listening, however, one is left with a sensation not unlike having consumed a large ice cream float. It was highly impressive, but did it ring true and sincere? Was it healthy? No.

It should be conceded, of course, that when young performers are sharing the stage with Cook it makes it all the more arduous a task to come through with equal warmth, emotional availability and unstudied-ness.

In such a well-wrought, crisply envisioned context such as "Sondheim on Sondheim," however, these points only mildly dilute the quality. Anyone who admires or wants to know more about the musical theater marvel is sure to be satisfied by this engaging, generous revue that informs nearly as much as it entertains.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sondheim Captured!, September 6, 2010

By 

Garrett Stack "Radio Host" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sondheim on Sondheim (Audio CD)

This amazing theatrical event appeared on Broadway for one brief moment, actually a limited run of 76 performances, and was the major buzz among musical aficionados in the spring of 2010. Seeing and hearing Sondheim on Sondheim was one of those rare experiences that made your heart, mind and soul react so spontaneously that you had to check in with yourself after the fact to realize what you just gone through. Being in the company of Stephen Sondheim himself, then 80, talking about his work via video interview, punctuated with performances by some of the Broadway greats of all time was truly a singular gift to be cherished - knowing full well that you would never be able to experience it again.

But! When this recording was released, it was another gift. This 2-CD set captures every performance and provides the same emotional high that being there did. What is astounding about this recording, beside the indelible performances, is the audio quality painstakingly reproduced for the listener. Nothing is lost. The balance between the vocals and the rich textures of the orchestra are perfect. That in itself is a rare and sorely missed commodity in today's Broadway Cast albums.

If you never got a chance to experience this once in a lifetime historic event "live," this CD will take you there. From the very entertaining evolution of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum," to the heartbreaking contextually-based "Children Will Listen," to the mature reading of Barbara Cook's "Send In The Clowns," I can't say enough about this show. PS Classics did it perfectly: Sondheim Captured!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lost in translation, November 1, 2010

By 

Mark Andrew Lawrence "Theatre Reviewer" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sondheim on Sondheim (Audio CD)

On Broadway SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM was a master class with our most revered composer/lyricist. I would have happily stayed for another 2 1/2 hours and still not have had enough of his scintillating anecdotes and backstage gaucherie. Why then has PS Classics double CD proven to be so disappointing?

There are a number of technical problems, must crucially the balance. When Sondheim is talking I want to hear every word but the musical underscoring often makes it hard to focus on what he is saying. The disc has been intelligently tracked but I do wish they had used more of his commentary. This is especially missed in the transition to "Children Will Listen." In the show Sondheim recounted a horrifying letter written to him when he was in his 50's by his aged mother who expressed regret that she had ever given birth to him. Although the track does include him discussing the rocky relationship he had with his mother, it omits this crucial story.

Also omitted from the recording is Vanessa Williams' terrific rendition of "Ahh But Underneath" that was featured on a number of TV Talk shows while the production was running. The number was a high spot in the second half of the show but is nowhere t be found on the cast album.

The recording also cuts the first act final, so that disc one ends with a series of songs from PASSION. Now, PASSION is (in my opinion) a ravishingly beautiful score and I welcome any chance to revisit it, but it does not make for a good closing to the first disc.

If there were rights problems that prevented the inclusion of these sequences you would think the producers would have included a note to that effect in the booklet, but there is none. So we have to assume that the material included her was specifically chosen. The combined total of both discs is 107 minutes. In addition to Sondheim's commentary, there are some fine performances by Barbara Cook, Tom Wopat, Leslie Kritzer, Norm Lewis, Euan Morton , Erin Mackey and Matthew Scott. Some of the arrangements are the originals, others were completely reconceived for this production. Overall, however, the recording isn't nearly as good as it should have been, and that's the disappointment.