Sondheim: Passion (1997 London Cast) [Cast Recording, Import]

Michael Ball (Artist), Maria Friedman (Artist), Helen Hobson (Artist), Stephen Sondheim (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Stephen Sondheim
• Audio CD (January 1, 1997)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Import
• Label: First Night Records
• ASIN: B000026A17
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,085 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #100 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals > Contemporary Musicals

Track Listings

1. Happiness

2. First Letter

3. Second Letter

4. Third Letter

5. Fourth Letter

6. Fosca's Entrance

7. Garden Sequence

8. Transition

9. Fifth Letter

10. Scene Seven, Part One

11. Scene Seven, Part Two (Clara's Letter)

12. I Wish I Could Forget You

13. Soldiers' Gossip

14. Flashback

15. Sunrise Letter

16. Is This What You Call Love?

17. Soldiers' Gossip (reprise)

18. Nightmare

19. Forty Days

20. Loving You

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking..., August 13, 2002

By 

3ES - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sondheim: Passion (1997 London Cast) (Audio CD)

The reason I bought this CD is that I am a huge Michael Ball fan. I had heard the Broadway Cast Recording and decided to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! This CD is almost perfect. Helen Hobson as Clara is good, but her low notes sound somewhat strident and forced. Her speaking lines, however, are perfect. Maria Friedman as Fosca is excellent. I had to listen to her several times before I liked her, though. She has more of a hoarse, low voice than Donna Murphy of the OBC, but she puts even more emotion into her performance than Donna Murphy and comes across more realistically, adding anger into the mix of her emotions. Michael Ball as Giorgio is absolute perfection. You can just see the range of his feelings - anger, sadness, confusion, longing. His speaking lines are delivered with just as much emotion as his singing. If you haven't heard this gorgeous version, do yourself a favor and buy it!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passion tends to be either loved or hated by its audience (p, October 29, 2004

By 

S. Pflueger (Burke, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sondheim: Passion (1997 London Cast) (Audio CD)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "To Die Loved, is to have Lived", January 15, 2003

By 

*STAR* (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sondheim: Passion (1997 London Cast) (Audio CD)

This cd will never die! I purchased this soundtrack from "Dress Circle" in London and it was well worth the wait! Maria Friedman gives a chilling, tormented performance of the ill, sickly, and isolated woman "Fosca Ricci". Michael Ball's performance is perfect as the lovesick "Giorgio", head over heals in love with a married woman "Clara"(played by Helen Hobson, who is also amazing, a wonderful singer.) Steven Sondhiem's beautiful music score and lyrics capture the loneliness, passion, and longing of Fosca for Giorgio; her ultimate companion. Maria Friedman's performance is the highlight of this recording, her voice is strong(with a strong creepiness at points, which is perfect for the part) and presents Sondhiem's lyrics perfectly! This recording is the ultimate Sondheim musical. Well worth the search!