Sondheim Sings, Vol. 1: 1962-1972

Stephen Sondheim | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 10, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: P.S. Classics
• ASIN: B0009299JC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,101 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Imagine yourself sitting in Stephen Sondheim's living room as he sits at the piano and sings 19 of his songs, some still in the gestational stage. That's the gist of Sondheim Sings, Vol. 1: 1962-1972, the first installment of what promises to be a large collection of private recordings Sondheim made "for fun" at the home of a friend. Naturally they're from shows relatively early in Sondheim's career, such as Company, Follies, A Funny Thing..., Anyone Can Whistle, and A Little Night Music. But just because the songs were written for those shows doesn't mean they made the final cut, so the selections range from the ultra-familiar "Send in the Clowns" and "Broadway Baby" to the less-familiar "Pleasant Little Kingdom," "Marry Me a Little," and "Love Is in the Air." Of course anyone who's the least bit versed in Sondheim song collections probably already knows "Marry Me a Little" and other such fare, but more rare is "No, Mary Ann" (from a never-produced movie called The Thing of It Is), "Truly Content" (a single song from The World of Jules Feiffer), and "The Lame, the Halt and the Blind" (cut from Anyone Can Whistle). A further element of interest is that some of the songs are different from their final stage versions. The changes are minor--a word here, a line there--but they offer a glimpse into Sondheim's working process. The beautiful booklet reprints all the lyrics as sung here, with notations for where they were eventually changed and to what. It also includes historic photos and detailed notes by Sondheim archivist Peter E. Jones.

And how is Sondheim the performer? Broadway fans are well aware that performances by songwriters can be valued for their insight and passion, but not necessarily their beauty. There's a 1971 quote from Sondheim: "For those of you who have not had the pleasure of hearing my voice before, I tend to sing very loud, usually off-pitch and always write in keys that are just out of my range." That's a self-deprecating exaggeration, but it's probably best said that Sondheim is a good pianist who as a singer won't make anyone forget Barbara Cook. Sondheim Sings is a product of PS Classics' non-profit wing, and proceeds from the recording will go to Young Playwrights Inc., which Sondheim founded to support playwrights under 18. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sondheim Brilliance Captured on Remastered Demo Tapes, May 20, 2005

By 

Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sondheim Sings, Vol. 1: 1962-1972 (Audio CD)

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.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Group One or Group A, December 20, 2005

By 

Mark Andrew Lawrence "Theatre Reviewer" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sondheim Sings, Vol. 1: 1962-1972 (Audio CD)

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The CD This Is, The CD It's Not, August 8, 2005

By 

James K. Eubanks (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sondheim Sings, Vol. 1: 1962-1972 (Audio CD)

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?