Sweeney Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street): Vocal Score [Paperback]

Stephen Sondheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997

Vocal score to Sondheim's classic tale of the demon barber of Fleet Street. 25 songs, including: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd * The Contest * God, That's Good! * Johanna * Kiss Me * My Friends * No Place like London * Not While I'm Around * Poor Thing * Pretty Women * The Worst Pies in London * and more.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Warner Bros Pubns (March 1997)
• ISBN-10: 1576238555
• ISBN-13: 978-1576238554
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,756,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent score of a magnificent show, January 24, 2002

By 

Dafydd Mac an Leigh (Waltham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweeney Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street): Vocal Score (Paperback)

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is, at one and the same time, one of the best musicals ever written and one of the best operas of the 20th Century. The story, which has been adapted and re-adapted over and over again since its first appearance in the 1830s (as a serial thriller called "The String of Pearls"), concerns a homicidal barber and his landlady, who, er, disposes of the bodies through her meat pie shop. In this version, Sweeney Todd is a tragic antihero, driven to insanity by the misfortunes heaped upon him by people with much power and no scruples. The story is tight and dramatic, both the music and libretto are superb, and the ensemble style of the chorus offers solos, chamber groups, as well as full-chorus numbers.

This edition of the vocal score is taken straight from the composer's score, offering a clean, clear representation of Sondheim's intentions. Voice parts and solo lines are clearly and consistently marked, and there are very few awkward page-turns. Best of all, and this is all but unique among scores for Broadway shows, THIS SCORE CONTAINS ALL THE DIALOGUE. This is the complete opera, with all of Sondheim's score and all of Wheeler's book.

To put it simply, this is a must-have for all devotees of opera and/or musicals.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sondheim's Sweeney, February 15, 2004

By 

"jonini" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweeney Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street): Vocal Score (Paperback)

Sweeney Todd is an amazing musical full of richness and passion. Everything that Sondheim expresses teaches you something about life. It is a deep musical and therefore having the book makes the understanding of it much easier. Sondheim's riddles and word games are fascinating and invigorating.
This book is a MUST HAVE for all true Sondheim fans and for any Opera or Broadway fan. It's wonderful to use when performing in recitals and fun to have to refer to. It's a wonderful book and musical. And I, Joanna, was named after it. "I feel you Johanna and one day I'll steal you!"
Enjoy!!

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The score is fantastic.....but, March 27, 2005

By 

Mr. Ryan S. Goessl "RG" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sweeney Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street): Vocal Score (Paperback)

The price is way overpriced. Boosey and Hawkes always overprices.