Favourite modern composer/lyricist ?- Page 2

[Mythus]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:44am

Sondheim. No one else. Just Sondheim.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:50am

ALW
Tim Rice
JRB
R&H
Rogers and Hart
Kander & Ebb
Gershwin
Menken

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:00am

Adam Guettel makes me cry. "The Riddle Song" and "The Dream" from Floyd Collins are so overwhelming.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:06am

is Floyd collins better than Myth and Hymns, because while I like a few songs, I thought it was bad all around.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:18am

Tesori, Bernstein, Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown

I also really like what I've heard from Lippa.

[amasis]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:28am

Sondheim, Ashman/Menken, Kanders/Ebb, Loewe/Lerner, Jason Robert Brown.

I don't know i think schwartz and sondheim are a tie!

I enjoyed Pippin, and some other stuff Mr. Schwartz has done, but I can't imagine Sondheim and Schwartz being on the same level as one another.

Updated On: 9/1/04 at 01:28 AM

[Che2be]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:29am

Jason Robert Brown

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:43am

Ashman/Menken
Flahrety/Ahrens
Shaiman/Whittman
Jason Robert Brown

Akiva

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:44am

I really like Tim Rice's lyrics in the original concept album of Chess, but as far as modern goes, I would have to take Sondheim for $500, Alex.

[pab]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:52am

Sondheim and Schwartz are not in the same league. Not today, not yesterday not ever. Mr. Sondheim is so far above most of the composers and lyricists mentioned in this thread. His lyrics alone are incredible, then add to that his body of music and there's no comparison. That's just my humble opinion.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:00am

People need to realize that Sondheim doesn't appeal to everyone though. I personally enjoy a few of his works, but can easily see why people don't. He come off as pretentious sometimes, as if he is trying too hard to be witty and clever. Sometimes his overuse of rhyming is hideous, and sometimes his refusal to rhyme is just as annoying. He is good, but I am not quite sure if he deserves AS much praise as people give him in the theatre community. He delivers intellectual stimulation, but often fails on an emotional level. I think Into the Woods is brilliant becuase he manages both at once, without being too pretentious (except for "Steps of the palace" and "Your fault")

Akiva

[pab]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:15am

Sure, there is some of his work that does not appeal to everyone. I prefer some pieces to others myself and there are a few songs that I don't really care that much about. I'm looking at his entire body of work. If you judge him on two or three shows then you don't really know his work. People who look at what has been done in the past five or ten years are missing some great stuff. I can't think of anyone who has written better lyrics going all the way back to West Side Story and Sweeny Todd is pure genius (music AND lyrics).

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:18am

I'll agree that his West Side Story lyrics are quite amazing. A true landmark show in the history of musical theatre.

Akiva

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 8:58am

It makes me so happy, Possums, to see that so many of you chose Sondheim as your number one composer/lyricist. It's true - no one holds a candle to him in my opinion (especially Schwartz)...I am pretty much in agreement with Margo - her choices are always prime.

[jayem1968]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 9:08am

Sondheim. 'Nuff said.

[NBRISBY]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:05pm

Cole Porter
Rogers/Hart
Menken
Sondheim
Guettel
Lippa
JR Brown
Tessori
R and H

All of the above just don't make many compositional mistakes.

[marebare]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:16pm

"I think Into the Woods is brilliant becuase he manages both at once, without being too pretentious (except for "Steps of the palace" and "Your fault")"
Are you saying that you think "Steps of the Palace" and "Your Fault" are pretentious? In my opinion they are the two most clever and interesting songs in the show!

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 4:55pm

Simply, Sondheim.

Tesori is becoming a new favorite.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 4:58pm

Does anyone notice how little Boubil and Schonberg get credit for?

So: Boubil and Schonberg
followed by Webber, (guy who did J&H, can't remember name), Schwartz

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 5:25pm

Jekyll and Hyde was composed by Frank Wildhorn.

my faves are Sondheim and Tesori.
-d.b.j-

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 5:30pm

It's extremely hard to judge some of these newcomers, most of which have a few shows under their belts, and try to compare them to composers who have written 10-15 shows - but I will try to examine the work itself - the work on paper. It's hard to draw the line between what I enjoy the most and what is the best written. But since it says favorite, I'll try (for once) not to examine too deeply.
So, basing my opinion on srictly the material...top 10

Stephen Sondheim
Adam Guettel
Richard Rodgers with both Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart
John Kander and Fred Ebb
Leonard Bernstein with Comden/Green or Sondheim
Jeanine Tesori
George and Ira Gershwin
Cole Porter
Jason Robert Brown
William Finn

honorable mentions in no order:
Jule Styne with Comden/Green or Sondheim
Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
Michael John Lachiusa
Kurt Weill
Jerome Kern with Hammerstein II