A Collector's Sondheim (Musical Compilation) [Cast Recording] [Soundtrack] [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This three-CD set offers a generous overview of the career of Stephen Sondheim, Broadway's most important composer of the last quarter of the 20th century. It's compiled by Thomas Z. Shepard, the producer instrumental to many of Sondheim's most important cast recordings for RCA. The set's ambitious reach covers music Sondheim composed for theater, film, and television back to 1954 (but not including shows for which he is only credited with lyrics, most notably West Side Story and Gypsy), and since much of the older material was recorded for other labels or not recorded at all, RCA fills the gaps by plucking tracks from some excellent revues, then from the original cast recordings beginning with 1976's Pacific Overtures. Rarities include the alternate version of "The Glamorous Life" recorded for the 1978 film, and the 1979 disco rendition of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd." The major shortcoming of this 1985 set is that it ends with 1984's Sunday in the Park with George. Surely an updated retrospective is in order? --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: Comedy Tonight/Love Is In The Air - Millicent Martin/Julia McKenzie/David Kernan
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: Pretty Little Picture - Bob Gunton/Liz Callaway/Steven Jacob
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: The House Of Marcus Lycus - George Hearn/Bob Gunton
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: There's Something About A War - Cris Groenendaal
Saturday Night: So Many People - Suzanne Henry/Craig Lucas
The Last Resorts: Pour Le Sport - Suzanne Henry/Craig Lucas
Saturday Night: What More Do I Need? - Liz Callaway
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: Invocation And Instructions To The Audience - Bob Gunton
Evening Primrose: I Remember - David Kernan
Anyone Can Whistle: There Won't Be Trumpets - Lee Remick
Anyone Can Whistle: With So Little To Be Sure Of - George Hearn/Victoria Mallory
Company: Marry Me A Little - Suzanne Henry
Company: Happily Ever After - Craig Lucas
Company: Being Alive - Judy Kaye
Follies: Beautiful Girls/Ah, Paree!/Buddy's Blues - David Kernan/Millicent Martin/Julia McKenzie
Follies: Losing My Mind - Julia McKenzie
Follies: All Things Bright And Beautiful - Suzanne Henry/Craig Lucas
Follies: Uptown, Downtown - Craig Lucas
Follies: Too Many Mornings - Julia McKenzie/David Kernan

Tracks:

Follies: You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through - Cris Groenendal/Judy Kaye/Steven Jacob/Liz Callaway
Follies: I'm Still Here - Millicent Martin
Follies: Who Could Be Blue?/Little White House - Craig Lucas/Suzanne Henry
Follies: It Wasn't Meant To Happen - Craig Lucas/Suzanne Henry
Follies: Can That Boy Foxtrot! - Suzanne Henry
Follies: Broadway Baby - Julia McKenzie
Follies: Could I Leave You? - David Kernan
Stavisky: Theme From Stavisky - Stephen Soundheim
Stavisky: Auto Show - Stephen Soundheim
Stavisky: Salon At The Claridge #2 - Stephen Soundheim
A Little Night Music: Overture And Night Waltz - John J. Moore/Chris Melville/Liz Robertson/David Bexon/Jacquey Chappell
A Little Night Music: Two Fairy Tails - Suzanne Henry/Craig Lucas
A Little Night Music: The Glamorous Life - Christine McKenna/Jean Simmons/John J. Moore/Chris Melville/Liz Robertson/David Bexon...
A Little Night Music: The Glamorous Life - Elaine Tomkinson
A Little Night Music: Bang! - Suzanne Henry/Craig Lucas
A Little Night Music: In Praise Of Women - David Kernan
A Little Night Music: A Weekend In The Country - Diane Langton/Veronica Page/Joss Ackland/Maria Aitken/David Kernan/Terry Mitchell
A Little Night Music: Liasons - Hermione Gingold
A Little Night Music: The Miller's Son - Diane Langton

Tracks:

A Little Night Music: Night Waltz II - Teri Ralston/Gene Varrone/Benjamin Rayson/Beth Fowler/Barbara Lang
A Little Night Music: Send In The Clowns - Angela Landsbury
The Frogs: Fear No More - George Hearn
Pacific Overtures: Someone In A Tree - James Dybas/Mako/Gedde Watanabe/Mark Hsu Syers
Pacific Overtures: Please Hello - Alvin Ing/Yuki Shimoda/Ernest Harada/Mako/Patrick Kinser-Lau/Mark Hsu Syers/James Dybas
The Seven Percent Solution: I Never Do Anything Twice - Millicent Martin
Sweeney Todd: Pretty Women - Len Cariou/Edmund Lyndeck/Victor Garber
Sweeney Todd: Epiphany - Len Cariou/Angela Landsbury
Sweeney Todd: A Little Priest - Angela Landsbury/Len Cariou
Sweeney Todd: Dico: The Ballad Of Sweeny Todd - Gordon Grody
Merrily We Roll Along: Not A Day Goes By - Victoria Mallory
Merrily We Roll Along: It's A Hit! - Jason Alexander/Jim Walton/Ann Morrison/Lonny Price
Merrily We Roll Along: Our Time - Jim Walton/Lonnie Price/Ann Morrison
Sunday In The Park With George: Children And Art - Bernadette Peters/Mandy Patinkin
Sunday In The Park With George: Move On - Bernadette Peters/Mandy Patinkin
Merrily We Roll Along: Old Friends - Stephen Sondheim/Angela Landsbury

Amazon.com

This three-CD set offers a generous overview of the career of Stephen Sondheim, Broadway's most important composer of the last quarter of the 20th century. It's compiled by Thomas Z. Shepard, the producer instrumental to many of Sondheim's most important cast recordings for RCA. The set's ambitious reach covers music Sondheim composed for theater, film, and television back to 1954 (but not including shows for which he is only credited with lyrics, most notably West Side Story and Gypsy), and since much of the older material was recorded for other labels or not recorded at all, RCA fills the gaps by plucking tracks from some excellent revues, then from the original cast recordings beginning with 1976's Pacific Overtures. Rarities include the alternate version of "The Glamorous Life" recorded for the 1978 film, and the 1979 disco rendition of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd." The major shortcoming of this 1985 set is that it ends with 1984's Sunday in the Park with George. Surely an updated retrospective is in order? --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

My 2 Cents.......2007-02-03

Just wanted to add that this is one of my favorite Sondheim collections. The liner notes are well written by someone who obviously loves Sondheim. Plus just have to mention Pacific Overtures "Someone in a Tree". Took me awhile but once I listened closely a few times and followed the lyrics (included with CD, a must since his lyrics are so important) I just fell in love with the song. It is one of the best examples of great musical theater.

What a GREAT way to introduce Sondheim!.......2000-12-03

This is the collection that first introduced me to Sondheim. This set includes excerpts from Sondheim's works starting with Forum but unfortunately ending just before Into the Woods, Assassins, Passion, and Dick Tracy. This cd includes a disco version of Sweeny Todd which always makes me giggle like a school girl and songs from several compliation cds and shows such as "Marry Me A Little" and "Side by Side by Sondheim" not to mention others. This cd has wonderful tracks and is a great way to introduce someone to Sondheim!

A mixed bag of Sondheim goodies.......2000-08-01

A Collector's Sondheim is a mixed bag, containing a few surprising and effective pieces but, for the most part, consisting of material drawn from one or two revues that contained less than definitive performances. The best surprise is the previously unreleased track of Lee Remick's "There Won't Be Trumpets." She does a wonderful job with this number. Too bad she didn't have an opportunity to do it on Broadway. Her performance on the original cast album of "Anyone Can Whistle" is a delight, often overlooked because of the slam-bang job Angela Lansbury delivers in her first Broadway musical. Less effective in this collector's collection is the version of "I'm Still Here." Yvonne De Carlo's original still is the best. The "Happily Ever After" number cut from Company is interesting as a curiosity but it cannot compare in quality to "Being Alive," which ultimately took its place. So all in all, an interesting if not always satisfying CD.

That is Some Good Sondheim.......1998-10-01

This recording is one of the better ones. The only bad thing is that some of the ter tracks, mainly on the third disc, are taken from the origianl boradway cast recording. Otherwise, the other songs are great. There is an added bonus on the last track of the third disc with Sondheim himself singing "Old Friends" with Angela Landsbury.

For the Sondheim devotée. Nothing better.......1998-07-02

There have been many celebrations of Stephen Sondheim's music, by both individual artists and groups of greats. But this collection, in and of itself, is unique. In here you'll find very popular Sondheim "classics" and never-before heard "gems", beautifully performed and wonderfully mixed and mastered. This collection is becoming harder and harder to find. Get this today. You'll be glad you did.

Music:

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