Sweeney Todd with a rock re-arrangement- Page 2

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 10/27/07 at 11:40pm

"Perhaps it just needs to be something newer. The characters more embellished? I don't know but it would fun to see how it could turn out."

Sure. And while you're at it, why not reduce Shakespeare's poetry to Danielle Steele-level prose and make Picasso's Les Demoiselles Des Avignon a conventional portrait of a bunch of whores sittin' around talkin'? What outrageous arrogance and presumption!! God forbid anyone should make the effort to rise up to the art!

It's the signature of this decadent era: "Make it new because I'm so BORED...Make it accessible because I'm a zombie raised on horrible pop music and television and anything of cultural value should come down to my level."

Absolutely Disgusted
Manhattan


Updated On: 10/28/07 at 11:40 PM

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/28/07 at 4:08am

Oh please, do get over yourself. I hardly see any shortage of Shakesphere revivals and everything in between. You may keep re-running your youth over and over again until you expire. The rest of us will experiment and see what we can build upon. Nothing is original not even Shakesphere, even the Bible is made up from stories of the past.

Danelle Steele is what it is but hardly a good comparison. Why not try Stephen King instead? Let's at least go to somewhere with a little more creativity shall we? Sondheim is pretty creative and ALW's work is all over the World. I don't have to go digging up any graves to find quality work but I won't let you try to pretend those you worship, didn't work off of the crumbs that were tossed over to them. Go on, take a Humanities History Course, I dare you!

I see no harm in bringing new life to old material. Go about as you were with your horse and buggy but I will take a Plane or Car to my destinations.

Not everything new is improved and not everything old is so great. Especially all of those fish tales I was taught while growing up. Too bad, life doesn't always imitate art. Of course I am not missing those shows at the guillotine. But if I get homesick for the past, there is always youtube for re-enactments of all of those good old days!

Drown your sorrows in a bottle of whiskey. I myself would not mind an alternative version of Sweeney Todd performed with new arrangements and a killer soundtrack. Cheers!

Updated On: 10/28/07 at 04:08 AM

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:15am

And, as expected, your argument is an incoherent tirade of nonsense that completely misses the point.






Madame La Farge
Knitting, Knitting...

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:39am

It isn't all Sweeney Todd, but I would give mt left arm to see "Being Alive" in Philadelphia. It closes 3 days before I am scheduled to be in New York. If, for some reason, it gets extended, I will try to hop a train down to see it.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 10/28/07 at 5:17pm

I find it interesting that there are all these new interpretations of legit music. One rarely does it the other way around. I personally hate rock music so this wouldn't really be a step up in my book (not to mention a lot of rock musicians would have trouble with the score).

I wonder what the response would be if I said "I think Spring Awakening should be reorchestrated for the MET and it should star Bryn Terfyl and Kathleen Battle." (btw I think that would be a dreadful idea)

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 10/28/07 at 5:32pm

Much modern music doesn't really stand up to the revision without significant alteration.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/28/07 at 7:55pm

No, it is a clear example, if you did understand History, that things change. Change can be good and even better than what it was before. You are just dismissing everything because you cannot dispute the facts. If it seems I went a little off, please refer back to your original examples. You attempted to establish that everything new is processed or just re-vamped but that just is not true. They had nothing at all to do with Music.

I do not reject change or accept that everything in the past was good. That is very closed minded. It however is your choice to make. I like both some of the newer stuff and lots of the older stuff. I will not however live in the past. Everyone has their likes and dislikes but I refuse to close my mind to the possibilities.

Sweeney Todd is actually one of the few that I feel can be re-arranged because its theme is so universal and also timely because it relates to our situation in Iraq. If it's message can be translated into something with a rock theme, good for them, if they can make it sound right.

Most re-inventions aren't that great but I don't think people should quit trying to push the envelope and see what comes up. I am not really worried too much because Enchanted will pan it no matter what but I will listen to see if it is any good. I will never try to discourage anyone though from attempting something new.

Doyle's idea of having the Actors in his version of Sweeney Todd play Instruments didn't thrill me at all. Yet many did like it. They are always trying to modernize Shakesphere too. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't

Much modern music doesn't really stand up to the revision without significant alteration. *Ronin*

Uhm..revision and alteration are the same thing right? Most music is written and re-written until you find the right arrangement. Do you mean by dumping lyrics or just changing the words to something that may rhyme or sound better in their arrangements? Or are you referring to how song writers like to alter the music of certain songs? Thus maybe using a tropical sound verses something with just guitars, piano and drums, typical rock arrangements?

My point is, it is possible to take something great and make it into something revised. Not so much greater but different and just as good.

I said before that not very much achieves this goal but what does is great. I enjoy a wide variety of Music. I enjoy both some Movie soundtracks and Theatre OBCA. Sometimes, I much rather listen to instrumentals than songs with words in them. Other times I like something to sing along with. Depends on what I have to get done at the time. It seems so easy to fall into that trap that only this is good or that was good when if you look, something great is coming up right around the corner. Every era to me seems to bring something good into it.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 9:53pm

"My point is, it is possible to take something great and make it into something revised. Not so much greater but different and just as good."


I just doubt that it would be just as good...

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 1:34pm

Well, it's finally happened, not quite, but close. If you want to hear what the Ballad of Sweeney Todd sounds like in a rock version, look up The Island Part 2: The Landlords Daughter,by The Decemberists. If you find the full version of the Island, fast forward to 6:08 and you'll hear what a rock orchestration of the song would sound like. It's awesome...

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 1:38pm

Yeah, that's a lot of work.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 2:16pm

Other revisions that would compare to this suggestion:

Britten's War Requiem on toy pianos, sung by The Chipmunks
Tosca on kazoos and jew's harps
Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony on solo banjo
Ravel's La Valse farted by three fat dwarfs

Anyone who proposes "revising" an existing work of art MUST ask - "Am I making it better, or am I just yanking myself?"

[rougeduck]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 2:37pm

the 89 revival has the cheesiest 80's synthesizers...

[Q]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 3:15pm

"or am I just yanking myself"

Well, you needn't make it sound like that's an entirely bad thing.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 5:47pm

The band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes had an album of theater standards reinterpreted as punk rock, heavy metal, ska or reggae tunes- some were just stupid, like Tosca being farted, but some held up well.

Brian Wilson released a well-lauded album of his reimaginings of Gershwin tunes just a month ago.

Reinterpretation of music is not disrespectful to it- it is a sincere homage more often than it is a mockery.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 10/6/10 at 8:09pm

I think Re-interpretation is fine. The problem with a rock Sweeney is that the score wouold have to be significantly changed to be a cohesive piece. I'm wondering how Miracle Elixir and Worst Pies in London would sound. It's written to be in the style of an operetta. It's not written to be played that way, but SUNG that way as well. I can't imagine what something like "The Letter" would sound like on rock voices. It MIGHT work but I'm not sure one could listen to it all night. Also it's a scary movie onstage. I've never seen a scary movie scored completely with rock music. I think there's a reason for that. I'm all for re-interpreting. I think that's what revivals SHOULD be all about. However not all interpretations work well for the piece in it's entirety. I wouldn't mind see what someone could do with selections from the show.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 10/6/10 at 8:35pm

Just some examples:

* That strings bit leading into "Worst Pies in London" after the second "Hole in the world..." 'speech' has always sounded to me like it could benefit from being played on electric guitar.
* I think the "Ballad" sequences could also sound interesting, in a piano/bass/drums type set-up. They already have a sort of groove, and I think stripped down slightly it might be worth a listen.
* "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" might sound interesting as an acoustic pop type thing, like "Blackbird" by the Beatles, a total 180 from the usual arrangement, more restrained. She yearns to fly but still something holds her back. Dramatically speaking, that's how the number has always felt to me anyway, only to see Betsy Joslyn's performance on the 1982 DVD and react with utter friggin' dismay.
* "Epiphany" would work as a total eruption a la Steinman/Meat Loaf.

The key is that you don't throw every rock element at every song; that's just ridiculous. You find the common sound in rock music and in the source material and utilize that. To reverse Mercedes McCambridge's quote on acting, "Don't just utilize, analyze beforehand."

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/6/10 at 9:14pm

I couldn't hear this whole score as a rock score. A few songs would sound interesting as such, though. And can imagine Les Miserables in a full rock arrangement since so much of it seems stylistically poised on the line between operatic musical theater and rock opera.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 10/7/10 at 2:06am

Rent Remixed anyone?

[Craww]

Posted: 10/7/10 at 5:31am

The idea seems a little lazy/uninspiring to me. But if it were good I guess I'd like it? Obviously, it's entirely unnecessary.

It has to originate from the rock side of things if it were to work. Like, a fantastic band with a love for the score taking on the task. As opposed to theatre centrics attempting to rock it up.

Especially if it's to be recorded. All of the recent musical cast recordings of shows with rock elements are all inexpertly and laughably produced.