The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim- Page 3
The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
#50The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:15pmabsolutely disagree with you ljay889
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Dave19
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/11
#51The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:17pm
"Are you saying that Miss Saigon has better music than anything Sondheim has ever written?"
Yes, absolutely. The music always feels like an emotional journey, the melodies and the dynamics completely support the lyrics and the story line. Which is very important in my opinion. Even the change of key and chords in songs support the emotion and the message. Also, the lyrics take you from one point to another. Every song has a reason and leaves the character changed from the point at when they began the song. Like a journey. Sondheim songs melodies often go nowhere, and the lyrics of each song are basically 25 isolated one-liners, and when the song ends, the character is in the exact same mindset as when the song began. Nothing happens. Not musically and not lyrically.
#52The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:18pmShocking! Many Broadway performers have discussed the difficulties of singing his intricate music.
broadwayboy223
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/2/14
#53The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:19pmSondheim is one of my favorite composers and I connect with his music extremely well. I do have one qualm. I can't seem to get into Sunday no matter how hard I try. I guess I need to try to watch it again. Anyway, if you hate ITW and Sweeney you need to stop. They are great shows with great scores. Its a shame if you can't enjoy them.
#54The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:20pmI've done a fair amount of musicals in my life, and Merrily We Roll Along easily had some of the hardest music I've ever sung- Franklin Shepard, Inc. alone is a goddamn nightmare for the singer. It's a brilliant song, one of the best in the score, but it is a challenge.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
#55The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:20pmI try not to get personal usually in these boards, but Dave19, that has to be the most prodigiously idiotic, poorly-observed, and utterly baseless argument I have ever read.
#56The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:21pmWow, there are a lot of delusional things being said in this thread...
#57The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:21pmThe thing that makes his music hard is the complexity of the songs, and the emotional journey they take, but in general, they are very easy to sing
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Dave19
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/11
#59The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:25pm
What argument?
That the melodies are basic and avoiding the heart of the farfetched lyrics?
That the songs are almost never a "journey" and that the melodies often go nowhere because of it's slightly too simple, separated and uninteresting quality and the lyrics of each song are basically 25 isolated one-liners?
That is by no means poorly observed. That is what I have observed for as long as I know Sondheim.
#60The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:25pm
KILL THIS THREAD
QUICK
BEFORE IT GETS EVEN MORE STUPID!
#61The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:26pmYeah, seriously. This thread is like a parade of the idiots.
Dave19
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/11
#62The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:32pmCan anyone name 1 Sondheim song that is actually a journey that takes the character emotionally from A to B? Instead of 25+ isolated thoughts that decribe the same thing with the character ending in the exact same way as when they started the song?
#63The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:34pm
^No Dave
I'll tell you what you want to hear. SONDHEIM IS AWFUL. I HATE HIM. HE WRITES SH!T MUSIC.
let's all go home.
#64The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:35pmIsn't that, like, every song in Into the Woods?
#65The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:37pm
^yup
And Sunday.
Updated On: 3/22/15 at 03:37 PM
Dave19
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/11
#66The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:40pm
"Many Broadway performers have discussed the difficulties...."
I think that's because the melodies are often so out of the blue, certain notes are so random and uninteresting that it's very hard to remember.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#67The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:40pmI hate songs in musicals or otherwise that are not journeys. In fact, any songs not by Journey are inherently awful. Also, we just need closure.
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Dave19
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/11
#68The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:46pm
"Isn't that, like, every song in Into the Woods?"
Every song in Into the woods is a collection of forgettable random melodies, filled with 25 one-liners that say the same thing. So nothing has changed between sentence 1 and sentence 25. One big collection of beating around the bush.
Updated On: 3/22/15 at 03:46 PM
#69The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:47pmYup, NOTHING happens in the Prologue of Woods.
#70The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:51pm
The major solos, "I Know Things Now," "Giants in the Sky," "Steps of the Palace," and "Moments in the Woods," ALL lead to their characters making a discovery or decision. The first three do so while telling a cohesive story of experiences.
Actually pull some lyrics and prove your point rather than repeating it.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Dave19
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/11
#71The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:53pm
"Yup, NOTHING happens in the Prologue of Woods."
Exactly, no emotional journey.
Random introductions on even more random melodies.
Updated On: 3/22/15 at 03:53 PM
#72The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:56pmInto the Woods overwhelms me because of the million stories happening, plus it is repetitive and feels long and boringgg
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#73The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 3:56pmDave has never actually seen or heard any of the music from the show.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#74The Heckler: Why I'm allergic to Stephen Sondheim
Posted: 3/22/15 at 4:00pm
"Yup, NOTHING happens in the Prologue of Woods."
Exactly, no emotional journey.
Random introductions on even more random melodies.
This is so clearly misguided and it's so evident that you will never be swayed from your personal bias against Sondheim, but let's give it a shot anyway!
The Baker's Wife alone goes on quite an emotional journey in the Prologue of Into the Woods. At the beginning, The Baker's Wife is frustrated at her inability to have a child. The Witch enters, and tells The Baker's Wife and The Baker that they're unable to have a child because she has put a curse on the house, causing both of them to become despondent; however, The Witch tells them that there is a way to reverse the curse, and The Baker's Wife, grasping at the hope that she may some day have a child, becomes determined to complete The Witch's quest and succeed in breaking the spell. And that's only one character in the opening number...
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