Sondheim's Catchiest Score?- Page 2

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 3:43pm

Almost all of Sondheim's scores are pastiche, so "catchy" is certainly subjective.

If you are an aficianado or just brought up around the music that Sondheim is channeling in a part of whole of his scores, then that's "catchy" to you.

If you're a fan of the tin pan alley then Forum and some of his other more traditional musical theater scores are probably your taste.

Subject matter plays into it, of course, as well. If your partial to people eating other people, then maybe Company...um, I mean Sweeney might be more your taste, no pun intended.

And, I don't think that "catchy" is by any means judgement of how good something is, even if that wasn't the intention of the original poster. Many people do feel that "catchy" music is often facile and predictable, even if it is Sondheim-catchy.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 3:43pm

"Then Bounce."

tazber--Oh, my God! I couldn't even get through it one time, it was so not catchy (or good).

I would agree with Saturday Night and Merrily... or actually Gypsy, but he didn't write the music.

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 3:44pm

"Company". Though "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is a close second.

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 3:44pm

Yay for my first double post!

Updated On: 3/11/07 at 03:44 PM

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 3:55pm

Definitely Assassins and Company (especially the OBC).

I also find parts of SitPwG a bit catchy...
Updated On: 3/11/07 at 03:55 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 4:01pm

Best - Follies
Catchiest - Funny Thing
Company

[tazber]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 4:16pm

B12B-I had the same reaction at first. Not an original note in the score, I thought.
May I suggest you give it another chance? It does have some lovely melodies and is worth the time.

At least listen to "The Thing That Ever Happened".

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 4:21pm

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give Bounce about an 8 or 8.5

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:17pm

Was listening to Merrily today. Anyone who claims Sondheim can't write a melody really needs to listen to OUR TIME. Incredible.

[jv92]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:42pm

Merrily We Roll Along, although Follies has its fair share of "catchy" numbers.

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:46pm

I find Follies very catchy...

Posted: 3/12/07 at 4:44pm

Saturday Night and Forum

[pemberlee]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 5:04pm

Forum and strangely ALNM for me.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 5:23pm

1st Anyone Can Whistle
(There Won't Be Trumpets, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Play Wiz Me, Parade in Town and the title track)

2nd Merrily

3rd Assassins

That doesn't mean to say I don't love Pacific Overtures. A beautiful score. Oh, and Passion... and Into the Woods (better stop now)

[cturtle]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:38pm

PASSION.




just kidding ... but it is my favorite :)

[Craww]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 10:05pm

I've only heard five Sondheim scores in the year I've been into musicals. In a deliberate effort not to overload myself on Sondheim, which I think has worked out well for my attempts to listen carefully.

Of the scores I've heard, Company is the most immediately catchy. The more challenging or just off-kilter melodies in shows like Sweeney and Sunday are barbed, though. Not traditionally catchy, but one day you find a spot stuck in your head for hours and it's infuriating.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 10:19pm

crawww, what an excellent metaphor.

Yes, barbed is the term I would use. Excellent.

[HollyImposter]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 10:40pm

I would say that the title of this thread is definitely one of the best oxymorons ever.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 11:30pm

That's so very true about not being able to get certain parts of the less immediately catchy out of your head. It just hits you one day, too.

As to the catchiest, Company was the most accessible for me, and Merrily is the most "hummable," whatever criterion that may be.

[Sondheim Geek]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 11:35pm

Well, I for one can NEVER get "Sweeney Sweeney SWEEEEEEEEEEEENEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY" out of my head, but I think I may be the only person on earth where that’s the case.

As for generically catchy? I would have to say
1. Sunday in the Park with George (…kidding, kidding)

1. Saturday Night
2. Merrily
3. Follies (Who hasn't had 'You're Gonna Love Tomorrow' stuck in their head?)

And again, there are ‘catchy’ moments of every score, even in Sunday in the Park with George or Pacific Overtures or Sweeney.

[RevolutionaryCostume]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:32pm

Of the Sondheim I'm familiar with, I would say "Assassins."

"The Ballad of John Wilked Booth" and "Unworty of your Love" have been rotating positions in my head all day.

"Because of bad re-vieeeeeeuuuuuuuuuwwwww"

~Jacob.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:47pm

I first thought Company (Company, Another Hundred People, You Could Drive A Person Crazy, none of them leave my head)

Though Merilly is certainly very catchy too.

[circusliz]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:52pm

Definitely Forum. I can get even my non-theater geek friends into that one, whereas they find most of Sondheim's other music too complicated.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 3:08pm

I would say that the title of this thread is definitely one of the best oxymorons ever.

- How is that in oxymoron? Catchy is all an opinion. Some may find something terribly boring, and other may find it unbelievably beautiful.

That's how it is for Sondheim. It's all a matter of opinion. Some find his scores boring, and other find them catchy. This thread is to discuss which scores of his people find catchy.

It's opinion vs opinion. Not fact vs opinion. Because there is no fact or proof that all Sondheim's scores are boring and unmelodic. All a matter of opinion.

Beats me how people have a problem with this thread.

[Scaulter]

Posted: 3/14/07 at 4:31pm

Into the Woods and Assassins.