Legitimacy in art has long been debated by intellectuals as to whether or not popularity equals legitimacy. I have heard it bemoaned that there have been no Operas written in the past 40 to 50 years that have become part of the regular repertoire. I would argue that the composer Stephen Sondheim like Gershwin and Bernstein before him has broken that Musical to Opera barrier even though he says he’s not a fan of Opera! For me Sweeney Todd is an Opera and Sondheim is a master composer who should be on “the list”….
To the purists who will have issues with the movie version of Sweeney Todd cutting and/or shortening several songs and choruses, Sondheim himself it seems gave it his blessing. The film is frightening, visceral, atmospheric and rich with character and intense imagery (the Mrs. Lovett fantasy scene is a highlight). Most of all though it is the score that makes it work and the orchestration used for the film gives it a powerfully full and symphonic rendering. Anything less than a masterful score for the subject matter would make it seem trite and superficial. The duo of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who have given us memorable films that explore the darker side of the imagination such as Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are the perfect team to give what essentially is an ultimate tribute. Watch the trailer.
Films about composers or composers works have never bothered me. In fact they serve as perfect vehicles to bring great music to more people. For Amadeus and Immortal Beloved (still the best Beethoven film for me, Johnny Depp on the left has a bit of the Beethoven hair happening!) I heard the cries of how the stories were fiction or “it was not how it happened”. SO WHAT! The music is there, mostly unaltered, and sales for the works featured (or at least the soundtracks) skyrocketed. What is wrong with that? It is my hope that with Sweeney, the same thing will happen. It has been revived many times and legitimized in concert performances by major orchestras, so now with a mass audience only a film can bring, it is my hope more of his works will also be revived and tributized more often, works such as; Sunday in the Park with George, Follies, A Little Night Music and Pacific Overtures. I saw Pacific Overtures at the English National Opera. It in particular needs to be heard and staged more often being such an extraordinary melding of cross cultural influences.
Let’s not forget Sondheim the lyricist also for shows such as Gypsy and West Side Story! I remember seeing him on TV being interviewed by James Lipton on Inside The Actors Studio. In response to an assertion by one of the students that a major influence on Sondheim was Debussy, he responded that it was more Ravel than Debussy. Talk about specific, that made me sit up and listen! (a NYT review of the broadcast is linked in my intro, click on Opera)
He has won every theatrical and music award there is but to go out on a limb here, when listing 20th century American Composers the names Copland, Carter, Barber, Gershwin, Bernstein, Adams, Reich for instance are easily mentioned and thought of by those in the Classical Music world. I would add to that “list” without any hesitation, one Stephen Sondheim. It might even make our “world” a little bigger!
For a very compelling dramatic film about the Eroica Symphony which includes a complete reading of the work interspersed with the story about first rehearsal, check out the BBC production simply called Eroica. Haydn shows up in the Scherzo!
couldn’t possibly agree more. Sweeney is brilliant!
Just saw it this afternoon. It’s a gruesome but fantastic movie – I highly recommend it. It was actually nice to hear the cast singing without the use of “pinch hitters”, for whatever reason, it actually added to the overall experience.
Thanks for the recommendation! Fantastic!!! Five stars, tremendous music and fabulous story!
Yep ! Totally agree. Sweeney IS an opera.
Maybe your dear collegue Bill could convince Serge Dorny to program a French premiere (probably even the French Premiere of any Sondheim work) of Sweeney at the Opera de Lyon. Dorny, without having ever heard it, doesn’t consider it lyric repertoire.