I honestly think the best Sondheim score ever is

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 10:46pm

Sunday in the Park With George. It's beautiful. The music is amazing and the lyrics powerful and moving. "Beautiful" has to be one of the best songs ever written. Does anyone else agree with me?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 10:48pm

No, I'd say Follies is his best score.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 10:48pm

Lets all share our opinions on what their favorite Sondheim score is =)

[LadyRosecoe]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:04pm

Technical-wise, I'd say Sweeney Todd is his most perfect score. To me, it's flawless.

The most beautiful one that is thoroughly evocative is Sunday in the Park with George.

My personal favorite is Follies. It transcends the limits of what any score has ever done to me and I've yet to find something that compares with it. I'm kind of glad nothing has.

I'm editing this because although I had expressed my thoughts poorly, I'd like to add that despite there being a definite favorite, something extraordinary can be said about each of his shows. I think Company is his most electric piece, Night Music has my favorite lyrics which I think rival that of any other show, Pacific Overtures has such a calmly majestic attitude with music that audibly has an ebb and flow effect. You can pretty much go down the list, but each of them is better than the others at something!
Updated On: 7/14/08 at 11:04 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:06pm

If we're going by sheer gorgeous-ness, I would say Passion. But, overall, Sweeney.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:10pm

For me it's a tie between Follies and Company

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:12pm

Definitely Sweeney. The most memorable and the most intricate and masterful.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:13pm

FOLLIES
Sweeney
Sunday

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:23pm

I'm going to buck the trend here and say my favorite Sondheim score is A Little Night Music.

[scott68]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:24pm

My favorite is Follies by far. I think Sweeney represents his best score in terms of integration with the book, but I agree with LadyRosecoe's last sentiment.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:26pm

My favorite, for various reasons, is SWEENEY TODD. However, I think A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is his best score. I don't think there is a bad song in the score.

Updated On: 7/13/08 at 11:26 PM

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:28pm

I agree. But I think Sweeney is perfect.

[Gary Indiana]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:32pm

I think Sunday in the Park is the most beautiful, but Sweeney is the most impressive. My favorite, however, is Assassins.

[nitsua]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:33pm

I don't not have a favorite Sweeney score or Sondheim lyrics. They're all beautiful and perfect in their own way.

Sweeney Todd is so technically perfect. What he wrote shouldn't sound as great as it does, but it's amazing.

My favorite Sondheim score is Assassins. It was my first Sweeney show at age 13 or so. Most of music sounds so generic, but if you listen, there are bits and parts that make it truly Sondheim.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:38pm

My favorite is Sweeney, hands down.

[Timmer]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:38pm

It depends on what you mean by best.

"Company" is full of wonderful songs, all of which work perfectly for the show. "Follies" is perhaps the most musical score. "Sweeney Todd" is perhaps the most intricate and technically proficient. What are you looking at when you say "best"?

"Pacific Overtures" is his worst score, IMO.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:40pm

Pacific Overtures is his WORST score? WOW. It's not my favorite. But his ability to write a score with a completely different style of music from what he previously wrote is amazing.

I think most can agree BOUNCE is his worst, if there is a worst. But let's see how BOUNCE has improved this Fall.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:42pm

I ADORE Pacific Overtures. it's not my favorite score, but I'd definitely rank "Someone in a Tree" as one of my all time favorite songs.

I...can't decide what I think his best score is. Probably Follies, but I also think Sweeney, Sunday, ALNM and Passion are all kinds of amazing.

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:45pm

Sweeney is a masterpiece, but I love the beauty of Sunday; therefore, I vote for Sunday.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:48pm

I love me some Merrily We Roll Along.

But I don't think I could pick a favorite. I think each in its own way is very good.

Updated On: 7/14/08 at 11:48 PM

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:54pm

The best lyrically is Sunday in the Park with George. It is just a beautiful "work of art", so to speak.

I agree that Sweeney is the most technically brilliant of his scores, although I do love me some Company and Night Music.

[Timmer]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:58pm

"I'm going to buck the trend here and say my favorite Sondheim score is A Little Night Music."

That's one of my favorites, too, and "Send In the Clowns" is, of course, a great song. Unfortunately, from a perspective of teh intervening years, some of what's best in that score would come to be "typical" Sondheim.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/14/08 at 12:02am

I have to say Into the woods it's such a beautiful score.

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 7/14/08 at 12:25am

Pacific Overtures is amazing and one of my absolute favorites.

But A Little Night Music is flawless, even the cut songs are flawless.

[Hest882]

Posted: 7/14/08 at 12:36am

Like a couple have already said, I think Sweeney is technically the best, though Sunday is the most cohesive and lovely.