Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a "dreadful album"..... — Page 3

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#51

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 11/30/11 at 1:54am

"Two Gentlemen was a novelty show that quickly sank into much-deserved oblivion. Galt MacDermot's talent is a pedestrian one, albeit entertaining, much like that of Joe ("Rubber Ducky") Raposo."

I think MacDermot was a decent composer, but while I thought Verona was fun to watch, I really didn't like its score. However, Joe Raposo, who, by the way, wrote many wonderful Sesame Street songs but Rubber Ducky is not one of them - was, for me, a major composer - wonderful melodist and his score for A Wonderful Life has incredible stuff in it, and I'm really fond of his score for the Raggedy Ann and Andy movie, wretched as the film itself is -

#52

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 11/30/11 at 9:09am

I'm fond of Raposo's work as well (and he is credited as the writer or co-writer of "Rubber Ducky" in several places - see below; but false info has been found online and in books before...); but his work is melodically and harmonically very elementary. There's nothing wrong with that, but I've never seen him work in a richer vein (even having seen Raggedy Ann and It's A Wonderful Life).

It's not that I don't respect him - but I do have more respect for someone who can write a simple tune as well as an homage to Ravel as well as an 8-minute musical scene incorporating multiple complex themes (and ideas).

As for MacDermot - writing one "score that both did sound like contemporary rock music of the time, and was theatrically effective" is nice (even though I disagree with the oversimplification of both statements), but (in my opinion) overrated. I recommend listening to his flops for a fuller idea of his talent.

Joe Raposo and Rubber Ducky

#53

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 11/30/11 at 5:37pm

Oh, I don't actually think much of hisw later shows (yes Verona included) I almost hate to admit--though some of them probably deserve more of a listen from me. I don't think my statement was too simplific though--that's how I feel about the score of Hair. A fourth of it (OK that is a simplification--but a chunk of it), doesn't do much for me, so I have a hard trouble calling it brilliant, but what does work for me, really works. And I think the fact that it's been so hard to pull off a contemporary *rock* score (as opposed to a pop score or a rock pastiche score) in any musical since has emphasized that.

(On my one main Muppets album--a two record set Songs from Jim Henson's The Muppets which includes all the Henson properties, Rubber Ducky is simply credited to "Moss"--Raposo is actually only represented ont he album by the Sesame Street theme, C Is For Cookie, Not Easy Being Green, Happiness Hotel, and one of my fave Muppet moments, The First Time It Happens from Great Muppet Caper).

#54

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 11/30/11 at 6:55pm

Sorry, Raposo had nothing to do with Rubber Ducky - it's Moss, solo-credited as such on the sheet music (from the book you reference on eBay - that description merely says there are songs by both, not that they had co-written together). A simple search on Google will give you the same information time and again - it's in the Wikipedia article that has a complete list of Sesame Street songs, as well as other places. But I have the sheet music and only Moss is credited, as it should be. I'll tell you how I know this definitively: I directed a club act for someone and we did a Raposo medley and included Rubber Ducky. An indignant Sesame Street fanatic came up to us after and said we were BAD for including a song Raposo hadn't written in a Raposo medley. So, we went home and checked the sheet music and sure enough, we were wrong.

And we can agree to disagree on Raposo - I don't know what "he never worked in a richer vein" means - he worked on the projects he worked on and his compositions for them were appropriate and wonderful.

#55

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 11/30/11 at 7:02pm

Exactly. I'm not sure a musical theatre composer deserves less respect just because he didn't compose a sonata that sounded like Ravel, or whatever. It is a shame Raposo didn't get to do more with musical theatre (I've not heard Wonderful Life)--I do think his songs for Raggedy Ann (the animated version--I've only heard the bizarre Broadway version once or twice) are the highlight in a mess of a film.

#56

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 12/1/11 at 12:07am

Stop your bickering - we all know Grease was the best musical that season.

#57

Sondheim calls the FOLLIES obcr a

Posted: 12/1/11 at 5:01am

"Stop your bickering - we all know Grease was the best musical that season"

I'd say it was 70, Girls, 70..

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