Sings Sondheim

Mandy Patinkin, Stephen Sondheim (Tribute)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 29, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B00006JP2C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,850 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Recorded live at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, this double CD is one heck of an extensive tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Backed only by Paul Ford on piano, Mandy Patinkin gets through nearly three dozen songs penned by the Broadway master. Some are obvious (excerpts from Sunday in the Park with George, in which the singer created the title role), others less so ("If You Can Find Me I'm Here" from Evening Primrose). Patinkin is often mocked for his shivering falsetto, but here, it's actually when his voice explores a lower register that it falters. What's more interesting is when he tackles songs usually sung by women, such as Follies' "Broadway Baby" and Company's "Another Hundred People" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"--the latter hammed up so much that you can hear the chewing of the scenery. A distinctively mannered interpreter, Patinkin remains an acquired taste, but fans of his will be in heaven with this set. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I could have been at this concert!, November 3, 2002

By	Arlene (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Imagine singing your heart out for almost 2 hours with only an upright piano for accompaniment and a few well-deserved breaks for thunderous applause. This is the back drop for Mandy Patinkin's love letter to Sondheim. Several of the songs have been recorded previously by Patinkin (Lesson #8; When?; Someone Is Waiting; Finishing the Hat; If You Can Find Me, I'm Here; Beautiful; Sunday...), but not as simply and beautifully as this. Patinkin is at his animated and artistic best in front of a live audience. Wish I could have been at this concert, but I am happily content with this masterful 2-disc CD.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's alright, November 20, 2002

By	Eric L. Magnus (Olathe, KS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not a "Mandy-head", but neither do I hate his style of singing. I've always admired Mandy's passion for music, and this generous two-disc set is no exception.

The only disc of Patinkin's I cannot bear to listen to is "Mamaloshen"...it provides the worst possibly opportunity for Mandy to overindulge in oversinging. As with every other disc, Mandy's song choice is impeccable, and I can't argue with most of his interpretive choices...although I've never understood why he feels the need to scream and shout so much. My only questions about this particular recording are...Why this particular order of songs? Why the medley format? I'm not sure I understand how the struture related to Sondheim's career, or indeed, what it was attempting to indicate. There were no songs chosen that were written after "Dick Tracy"...nothing from 1991-2002. Reason? I don't know.

Mandy's voice sounds very odd in the first half of the first act. It has an odd wobble in it, as if he isn't quite in control of his instrument. It sound like the voice of a much, much older man. Once he finally belts, (I think it is on the song "Finishing the Hat") it seems as if all the vocal adhesions are broken and his voice is finally warmed up enough to control. Did he not warm up properly before the show? Why would Nonesuch accept this second rate sound in the first half of this concert?

I hesitantly recommend this set to Sondheim fans...Patinkin fans will buy it anyway. It is really an individual choice as to whether or not to buy this one. But this would not be my choice of a quintessential overview of Sondheim's work. Paul Ford on piano is, as always, the unsung hero of Patinkin's recordings. He is a master at following the always unpredictable performances of Patinkin.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE cd for mandy fans, November 2, 2002

By A Customer

this is the CD that mandy fans have been waiting for. the combination of mandy's vocals, paul ford's piano and sondheim's songs, nothing could be better. a definite must-have for the mandy fan.