Thoughts on the new Sweeney Recording.

Just like to point out...this are thoughts on the new recording of Sweeney Todd. This is in no way a review of the production.

***********************************************************
So this morning, I woke up in a rather bad mood. I went to my computer, and read that the new Sweeney Todd recording was avalable on itunes a week early. I couldnt resist. I had to buy it. I just finished listening to it.

This is defiently NOT my favorite recording of the show. Although, it is definetly a nice to have. My favorite being the NY Philharmonic recording with Hearn and Lupone. One wonders why they would even record this production. We already have Patti's performance preserved with a full sympohony orchestra. Do we NEED this? The answer is no. This recording lacks energy. The orchestrations are weak. My favorite moments in the score are gone. (for example, when Sweeney discovers he just killed his wife, there is usually a loud "bum bum"...gone, Mrs. Lovetts entrence music...gone. Most or Pirelli's miricle Elixier and god thats good...are gone)

They do NOT include City on Fire...which is just strange to me. They record the song with the Judge masturbating but they dont record the shows climax? hmm.

Im still not fond of Patti. Im also not fond of Michael Cerveris as Sweeney. The Johana, Lauren Molina, is wonderful. I'm way mixed on the Toby. I disagree with some of his choices.

The GOOD thing about this recording, is for the first time you can understand every word. Every Lyric. The diction is wonderful. (maybe because they dont sing with the cockney?) EVEN PATTI!!!! you can really understand her. Snaps for Patti.

Hmm. If you only want one Sweeney, I still say go for the NY Philharmonic. George Hearn will never be topped. Patti is iffy, but she belts the **** out of it. NPH is good. Audra Mcdonald is good. and the Orchestra is just orgasmic. If you're a real Sweeney buff, I recomend this. It's different, and very interesting.

Have either of you seen the show? Because to me this will be my favorite recording of it because it will serve as a memory of this wonderful production.

"Do we NEED this? The answer is no. This recording lacks energy. The orchestrations are weak."

I disagree big time, but that's ok. I have actually seen the show, so perhaps that makes me a bit biased. My least favorite recording of Sweeney is the NY Philharmonic version. It just seemed like a super-sized value meal version of the show. So quantity does not necessarily mean quality. There was a lot of talent in it, but it lacked its heart and intensity. And George Hearn is great, but he's definitely the most overrated Sweeney in my opinion. Its easy to scream your way through Epiphany. The real challenge is to find real nuances and colors to that song. Len Cariou was much better and much scarier and didn't have to scream.

Now to the new recording...

I LOVE the orchestrations. I think they bring out all the subtleties of Sondheim's composition. I will admit that there are just a few points where a bit more sonic power was missed, but overall the intimacy, colorfulness and surprising richness of the orchestrations more than make up for it.

Patti has never sounded better. Her take on Lovett is quite a departure and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't completely make sense, but I totally love her for trying something new. Cerveris is vocally the weakest and least operatic Sweeney, but he also conveys not only a tortured soul, but a fractured one as well. He literally sounds broken, which adds a new element to the character. He is definitely a more sympathetic Sweeney. He made me think of a dog who had been kicked one too many times. Again, I have seen his performance, so my memory of it fills in some gaps that might be more evident to someone who hasn't seen it. The rest of the cast is sublime. This is my favorite Anthony and Johanna ever. Anthony actually sounds lusty and conveys an edgy sexual yearning. And he sounds more like a baritone than a tenor, which I find personal satisfaction in. Johanna is not completely innocent and manages to be both playful and cunning at the same time, and her voice is sweeter than most other Johannas. Toby is a godsend. I think he sings "Not While I'm Around" so smoothly and beautifully. Pirelli is shockingly funny and has an amazing voice, and the fact that the role is played by a woman is kind of a novelty, but it works because of Donna Lynn Champlin's commitment to the role.

I think it's easy to dismiss this recording if you've only listened to it once and just listened to clips. My initial thoughts when I listened to the clips were that it was going to sound limp and half-baked. But I have now listened to it all the way through 3 times. And I have to say that there are a lot of sutleties and nuances that become more and more apparent the more you listen to it. I say that everyone should give it a chance. Yes - the original cast recording is a must have, but I think this is too. They are two completely different takes on this show that both deserve to be heard for different reasons.

Updated On: 1/25/06 at 09:31 AM

I have two questions about this recording:
1)Why are not all the songs on this recording?
2)Does anyone else think that Michael Cervis sounds a bit like Garrison Keillor?

Also I have one question about the show?
In Act One it says there are 17 songs, while in Act Two there are about 9 songs, how do they balance it out? I know that Act One is usually longer in Act Two, so is there more dialoge in Act Two?

I agree with TheaterGuy in that the orchestrations were very weak.

kudos to that JoizeyActor! (I love your icon by the way!! <3 )

---

Amen, BSoBW3

You should be! It was one of the most exciting nights of theatre for me in a long time. Dare I say: ever?

I'm waiting to purchase this in the store (I think it might actually be cheaper than on itunes, and if it isn't, it's the same price- so why not get the hard copy?). However, I adore the sound of the clips. I especially love the orchestrations. (Maybe it's 'cause I have a one-track mind, and since they're simpler they're easier to follow, lol?) I think they make it sound creepier, more haunting. Obviously, it's not rich and full-blown- but we knew that going into it.

I hope I won't be disappointed. If I like the clips, I should like the full-length, correct?

---

Updated On: 1/29/06 at 12:45 AM

I just got the "we're shipping your order" e-mail so hopefully this CD will be in my hands (and more importantly in my CD player) ASAP.

While I love the original and the NY Phil recordings, I'm so glad to be getting this one too because I think this production is fabulous, fabulous theatre and I'm so very imressed by each one of the actors for not only singing and acting some of the hardest musical theatre material ever written but also playing instruments...watching the show is like watching a well-oiled machine run - it is truly a pleasure

so I'm glad they chose to record this cast so that we can remember this for years to come

and that was so cheesy but whatever...

:)

p.s. and I love patti...

---

This is a very different SWEENEY recording (as the production itself is very different from all previous stagings.

SWEENY was written to be a ballad opera, but one informed by Grand Guignol. The very broad performances heard on the 1979 OCR and 2001-concert recording (and seen in their videos) reflect that.

Jonathan Doyle's staging takes it down to almost a chamber opera. Where once the emotions were played big they are now small and understated.

All of that comes through brilliantly on the new recording. Yes the smaller orchestration may take some getting used to - but not much. Now, I became obsessed with the OBC when it came out in June 1979 playing all 4 LP sides every single night for a year, memorizing every single nuance of those performances. But my ears adjusted to this new version easily because it is so very different and I like it a lot. (I do think the Beadle sounds quite bored when he speaks the line "Ah sir, happy news indeed" in "Ladies in their sensitivities." Does he play it this way on stage? As if "Yah I'm listening to you but don't really care.")

What is frustrating are the gaps in continuity. This was also a slight problem with the original 1979 cast album: there are 5 spots where the OCR skips dialogue and if Tom Sheppard had recorded even a few more lines of dialogue the album would have been a more cohesive listening experience. With the Nonesuch album the first act is quite cohesive, but Act Two has some glaring gaps - notably the killing of the beggar woman, the wigmaker sequence and Anthony's rescue of Joanna. These key plot points are referred to in the final sequence so they become even more obvious.

The role of Mrs Lovett is OWNED by Angela Lansbury (the way Merman owns Madame Rose) but Michael Cerveris gives such chilling performance here that he just may well eclipse George Hearn and Len Cariou.

While no revival cast recording can ever eclipse the original this is certainly a worthy alternate.

---

I'm just dying to see this onstage. Yes, the grandious orignal orchestrations are beauitful BUT I reallllly like the minimalized version. It fits more in line with the actual mood and tone of the piece. It's haunting, eerie, and just plain chilling. And this version captures that. Also, it lets you focus on the nuance and cleverness of the melodies and lyrics.

And did people not understand it was minimalized? (In the previous posts)

~Sam

I must add my voice to those who adore this recording.

While massive orchestrations are marvalous, I think I prefer the minimalist approach. The orchestrations are more crisp and clean and easier for me to appreciate the detail put in by Sondheim.

The preformances in this recording are nothing short of wonderful. I LOVE the female interpretation of Pirelli. LuPone has a completely different interpretation of Lovett than Lansbury but its just as thrilling and equally valid. The woman- sorry forgot her name- who plays Johanna is my absolute favorite Johanna I've ever heard. Her voice is enchanting and innocent and childlike.

I also love the new song given to the judge. So creepy and disgusting. I also think its interesting to hear his sing compared to the songs by the same name sung by Anthony and Sweeney. It really brings out the differences between all three men in Johanna's life.

Very awesome... get it!

---