Sweeney Todd [Cast Recording]

Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
Being Alive--Patti LuPone
Good Thing Going--The Tonics
Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

Tracks:

Send In The Clowns (From 'A Little Night Music') - Cleo Laine
Losing My Mind (From 'Follies') - Barbara Cook
I Remember (From 'Evening Primrose') - David Korman
Liasons (From 'A Little Night Music') - Hermione Gingold
With So Little To Be Sure Of (From 'Anyone Can Whistle') - Jerry Hadley
Not A Day Goes By (From 'Merrily We Roll Along') - Bernadette Peters
Pretty Women (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Michael Rupert
In Buddy's Eyes (From 'Follies') - Barbara Cook
No One Is Alone (From 'Into The Woods') - Cleo Laine
Johanna (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Victor Garber
So Many People (From 'Saturday Night') - Suzanne Henry
Sorry-Grateful (From 'Company') - Stephen Collins
Too Many Mornings (From 'Follies) - Barbara Cook
Finishing The Hat (From 'Sunday In The Park With George') - Mandy Patinkin
Not While I'm Around (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Angela Lansbury
Like It Was (From 'Merrily We Roll Along') - Julie Andrews
Unworthy Of Your Love (From 'Assassins') - Annie Golden
Anyone Can Whistle (From 'Anyone Can Whistle') - Cleo Laine

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful songs.......2003-02-07

If you're a Sondheim ballad fan, this a must-have. While there are a few renditions that aren't great (Not a Day Goes By is way overdone), the selections from Follies sung by Barbara Cook are outstanding. The Cleo Laine version of "Send in the Clowns" is lovely and Stephen Collins does an amazing good job on "Sorry-Grateful" from Company. Still, it's the Follies songs that truly shine!

Average customer rating:

Delightful
A Master Class in Singing
Bryn is swell, but the bombast is annoying
Surprisingly Fine Crossover from Fleming and Terfel
BREATHTAKING VOCAL MAGNIFICENCE~BRAVO!!!

Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars
John Harold Kander , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Claude-Michel Schoenberg , Richard Rodgers , Gerard Presgurvic , Jason Robert Brown , Meredith Willson , Lucy Simon , Cole Porter , Stephen Flaherty , Ralph Salmins , and David Hartley
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Bryn Terfel - Something Wonderful (Bryn Terfel sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Bryn Terfel - If Ever I Would Leave You (Songs from My Fair Lady, On a Clear Day, Camelot, The Little Prince, Brigadoon)
Bryn Terfel - Simple Gifts
Bryn Terfel Sings Favorites
Silent Noon

ASIN: B000088E7D
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

"Not While I'm Around" (from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim)
"Moonfall" (from The Mystery of Edwin Drood by R. Holmes)
"I Don't Remember You The Happy Tim" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By" (from Woman of the Year by Kander & Ebb)
"All the Love I Have" (from The Beautiful Game by Ben Elton & Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"I Wish I Could Forget You / Loving You" (from Passion by Stephen Sondheim)
"Stars" (from Les Misirables by Boublil & Schvnberg)
"All I Ask of You" (from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"Hello, Young Lovers" (from The King and I by Rodgers & Hammerstein)
"Pretty Women" (from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim)
"Aimer" (from Romio et Juliette by Presgurvic)
"All the Wasted Time" (from Parade by J. Brown)
"Seventy-Six Trombones" (from The Music Man by Willson)
"How Could I Ever Know" (from The Secret Garden by Simon and Norman)
"So In Love" (from Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter)
"Wheels Of a Dream" (from Ragtime by Ahrens & Flaherty)

Amazon.com

In these days of the crossover, it is hardly surprising to find two great opera singers making a foray into numbers from Broadway musicals by such composers as Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. What's remarkable is that they seem completely at home in this music. Both say they grew up listening to it, and indeed they approach these songs with no less care and seriousness than they'd give the most demanding operatic arias, and without a trace of condescension. However, their vocal, expressive, and interpretive styles are very different, both in the solos and the duets. Terfel projects assertive manliness, tender, intimate affection, and rollicking humor without external effects, using only his incomparably sonorous voice and powerful personality. His diction is impeccably clear, and though he has sometimes let his theatrical flair spill over into Schubert songs, he is the soul of simplicity here. This is in stark contrast to Fleming's tendency to exaggerate colors and dynamics and to turn sentiment into sentimentality. Moreover, though she claims a background as a jazz singer, her "crooning" sounds artificial and unnatural. However, her top notes, culminating in a triumphant high C at the end of the final number, ring gloriously. Her voice glows and shimmers with irresistible luster, soaring from seductive whispers to thrilling climaxes. The program features a great variety of love songs, and includes an antiwar protest (from Beautiful Game), a celebration of the American dream (from Ragtime), and a rousing fun piece (from The Music Man). Unfortunately, even the best songs are marred by thoroughly corny arrangements. Listeners will find their own favorites, but the real "stars" on this record are the two singers. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Delightful .......2006-07-24

I truly enjoy Terfel's vocal talent and found it to be well suited for this genre. Fleming's impeccable soprano voice is a bit overpowering for this style of music. (I own this CD)

A Master Class in Singing.......2006-06-20

This CD is a must-have for any person interested in the singing art. Ms. Fleming and Mr. Terfel gives new light to these Musical Theatre classics. Their fine vocalism in the musical theatre genre coupled with the depth of musicality and dramatic phrasing in each of the selections is truly a breath of fresh air. This recording is indeed a Master Class!

Bryn is swell, but the bombast is annoying.......2006-05-03

Love Bryn Terfel, the finest bass-baritone in Opera. Love Renee Fleming's luscious soprano. But the arrangements! Kettle drums and bombast and bang, bang, bang! Once Renee starts swooping, things go downhill, with little redemption.

It starts out beautifully. "Not While I'm Around" has never sounded more intimate to me than Terfel's caressing pianissimo. Fleming's "Moonglow" is stunningly good. Terfel makes a medley out of "I Don't Remember You and Sometimes a Day Goes By" that makes you want to cheer, and Fleming does a lovely Sondheim medley as well. Bryn sings "Stars" and makes me long for him in Les Mis. And then...things tend to go downhill. The bombast takes over and gets to you - it overwhelms two of the biggest voices now recording. Then Fleming begins to swoop and scoop, over-coloring and often coming off as simply self-indulgent, reminding one of a kid who makes a point of putting his face in a camera shot.

I don't mind Bryn as Prof. Harold Hill - I frankly think the Welsh accent is kinda cute - and it doesn't bother me on "Wheels of Dream," either, but Fleming seems to have lost her mind on that great song, and rather than indulging her, it would have simply been better left off the album. Ditto "All that Wasted Time" which is pretty much unlistenable. Ms. Fleming needs to stop thinking she is a jazz singer.

The four stars are because this album does contain some truly GLORIOUS moments, particularly in the duets, and in Terfel's solo's which are warm and memorable. Without him, the kettle drums and Fleming's self-indulgence would have made the whole endeavor unbearable.

Surprisingly Fine Crossover from Fleming and Terfel.......2006-04-18

Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming are two of the most acclaimed opera singers of our day. But the musical theatre fan who puts on their Broadway CD, RENEE AND BRYN: UNDER THE STARS, expecting to hear a carelessly compiled hodgepodge of songs sung by voices ill-suited to them is in for a big surprise, beginning with the first phrases of the duo's warmly sung "Not While I'm Around" from SWEENEY TODD. True, these singers' beautiful voices have greater power and range than even the best of the Broadway stars', but this is an asset in these songs, most of which are either semi-operatic in nature or call (like THE MUSIC MAN's "Seventy-Six Trombones") for such an outsize personality as Terfel's. Fleming's sensuous and tonally gorgeous rendition of "Moonfall" from THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD can be placed among her very finest recordings, operatic and otherwise. And Terfel is ideally suited to both "Pretty Women" from SWEENEY TODD and "Stars" from LES MISERABLES; few if any Broadway Javerts could match the impact of his "This I swear by the stars!" Kander and Ebb's "I Don't Remember You" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By" make a perfect medley here, as do Sondheim's "I Wish I Could Forget You" and "Loving You" from PASSION. And though I don't care for the Andrew Lloyd Webber selections (ersatz Puccini) or the Jason Robert Brown one (which sounds too much like a pop song), Terfel and Fleming's singing of them is beyond reproach. The program ends with a bang: a rendition of "Wheels of a Dream" worthy to stand beside the now-classic one by Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald on the original cast album of RAGTIME. Welshman Terfel's natural accent is noticeable here; but if one imagines him as, say, an Irish immigrant married to an African-American woman (as Fleming here sounds uncannily like McDonald or like Leontyne Price) his accent is appropriate and his voicing of the "bridge" section ("Oh Sarah, it's more than promises/Sarah, it must be true...") especially moving. Fleming's ecstatic final high note makes one want to applaud and cheer, both for the song and for the successful "crossover" effort.

BREATHTAKING VOCAL MAGNIFICENCE~BRAVO!!!.......2004-10-11

So captivating are these incredible singers in the glorious live concert "Under The Stars" creating an unforgettable musical masterpiece of epic proportions that is so moving and great to watch that I ran out and purchased this studio recorded Compact Disc the next day!! The brilliance of the live broadcast carried over into the recording studio capturing Renee and Bryn at the peak of their incredible powers emotionally and vocally making them the most effective crossover artists since the great Barbara Cook who like Miss Cook sing with emotion that is accurate for this type of material which is usually not the case with classical voices. Renee Fleming sings with genuine passion and stirring emotions and her timing is absolutely flawless and this lady has alot of soul and the Torrie Zito arranged "Moonfall" is a stunning masterpiece that clearly illustrates this. A dazzling medley each show both singers in glorious peak form with Bryn splendid in the enchanting "I Don't Remember You/Sometimes A Day Goes By" and Renee spellbinding and haunting in the gorgeous "I Wish I Could Forget You/Loving You" which will make anyone who loves a great voice fall in love with this amazingly gifted singer. "Stars" features a commanding performance from Bryn that raises the roof and this is so refreshing and inspired in these musically tired times!!! This superb showcase is full of wonderfully exciting performances which are capable of making people feel again and this is what is sorely needed in music today and BRAVO to Bryn Terfel and the gorgeous Renee Fleming for achieving this with complete artistic brilliance. Captivating duets fill this wonderous collection and never have classics such as "Not While I'm Around" or "All I Ask Of You" been sung more brilliantly than here. Renee is magical with "Hello, Young Lovers" while Bryn is commanding and winning with "Pretty Women". Renee's stunning "All The Wasted Time" is a vocal and emotional tour-de-force that is like a wild roller-coaster ride that you won't want to end as this is one of the most riveting songs that I have ever heard from a Broadway score and this certainly must be the definitive performance of this great song. This lady can really really sing and this is some deeply serious singing~WOW!!! Gorgeous together again in the beautiful "How Could I Ever Know" which is hair-raising and wonderfully soulful and sophisicated together in Cole Porter's "So In Love". A grand finale by these two awesome vocal wonders lives up to expectations being a complete blowout vocal festival and they definitely do not disappoint here!!! "Wheels Of A Dream" is mesmerizing and soars to magnificent heights with Bryn and Renee in peak form singing to the skies and hitting notes that I swear I have never heard before~BRAVO!!!!!!! You are both magically inspired and simply put as good as it gets!!!! Highly recommended if you love two awesome vocal wonders at their absolute peak in a magnificent beautifully orchestrated setting!!! Thank you Bryn & Renee...

Angelika Kirchschlager - when night falls

Average customer rating:

Gentle crossover that gets a bit sleepy
An Example of When Crossover Works
Lullabies for All Ages
A Wonderful Gift for a Baby!
Voice of an Angel

Angelika Kirchschlager - when night falls
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Marie-Joseph Canteloube , Stephen Sondheim , Franz Schubert , Gian Carlo Menotti , Franz Joseph Haydn , Johannes Brahms , Richard Rodgers , Carl Maria von Weber , Manuel de Falla , Xavier Montsalvatage , Aaron Copland , Miguel Kertsman , Alexander Zemlinsky , Angelika Kirchschlager , Roger Vignoles , Helmut Deutsch , John [guitar] Williams , Yuri Bashmet , London Metropolitan Ensemble , and Jonathan Rees
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Angelika Kirchschlager - Debut Recital Recording / Helmut Deutsch
Bach Arias
Erste Begegnung (First Encounter)
Angelika Kirchschlager Handel arias
Renée Fleming - Strauss Heroines / Bonney, Graham, Eschenbach

ASIN: B00002MZ4Y
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

'Not While I'm Around'
The Sound Of Music: 'Edelweiss'
'Wiegenlied'
'Gestilte Sehnsucht'
'Geistliches Wiegenlied'
'Wiegenlied (Wie sich der Auglein)'
'Sandmannchen'
The Consul: 'Mother's Aria'
'Brezairola' (Berceuse)
Chants d'Auvergue: 'Oi Ayai'
'Ar hyd y nos' (All Through The Night)
'Sehnsucht nach dem Fruhling'
'Lass mich schlummern, Herzlein, schweige'
Siete Canciones populares espanolas: 'Nana' (Berceuse)
'Cancion de cuna para dormir a un negrito'
'The Little Horses' (Lullaby)
'Cantiga de Ninar' (Baby's Goodnight Song)
'Susse, susse Sommernacht'
'Wiegenlied' (Schlafe, schlafe, holder susser Knabe)
Into The Woods: 'Stay With Me'

Amazon.com

This record is most notable for its performances. Kirchschlager's singing is ravishingly beautiful and deeply expressive; the pianists and other instrumentalists are all first rate. Its content seems designed less for consistent musical quality and a balanced program than for variety and popular appeal. Yet the predominantly slow songs induce a certain monotony, and Mozart and Menotti, Brahms and Broadway musicals make strange stylistic bedfellows. However, many gems stand out in the mix: the two Brahms songs with viola, in which the renowned Yuri Bashmet is unfortunately almost inaudible; two Schubert Cradle Songs, one famous, one unknown; several enchanting Spanish songs; a Haydn arrangement of a Welsh lullaby better known as "All through the Night"; a lovely romantic song by Zemlinsky; and a lush, soaring one by Miguel Kertsman written for Kirchschlager and just right for her expressively inflected voice. She identifies with every idiom and pours so much care and affection into each song that one can well imagine a loving mother singing to her child, and indeed the record is dedicated to her little son. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Gentle crossover that gets a bit sleepy.......2006-06-01

When Sony's artist executives were German, they tried to promote the young Austrian mezzo Angelika Kirchschlager, but because of her difficult name (I am guessing) and the slackening classical music market, she never caught on. Today Kirchschlager is a star in Europe, and one sees her name on the Met roster. This, her second CD, is a gentle recital of lullabies, made more varied by adding Broadway tunes into the mix and bringing in star musicians like John Williams on guitar and Yuri Bashmet on viola.

The result is winning and thoroughly professional. Kirchschlager sings especially well in English, with a hybrid British-American accent but almost no German mannerisms. The closest comparison in terms of high mezzos would be with von Otter, and Kirchschlager's voice is at least as beautiful. But she lacks von Otter's imaginaiton, and after a while everything sounds a bit too square and placid--after all, these songs may be for babies, but the intended audience is also adults who go to lieder recitals, isn't it?

An Example of When Crossover Works.......2006-01-09

Angelika Kirchschlager is well known on the operatic stage and in chamber and orchestral programs where her forte is Mozart and Bach. Hers is a voice creamy rich and produced with incredible intelligence. She is also a communicator - in recital, in opera, in anything she does. It comes as no surprise then that an artist of this caliber (or her agent....!) is able to set the standard for the now ubiquitous 'crossover album' that most of the major singers find it necessary to make to gather in more admirers.

Selecting a wide variety of lullabies with varying settings feels so natural in Kirchschlager's elegant mezzo-soprano voice. Other artists have produced recitals of lullabies: Dawn Upshaw and Richard Goode immediately come to mind. But in this album, though not all of the works are of genius quality, Kirchschlager gives each her considerable talent and the result is a little night music that is equally as lovely for adults as for the intended audience of children (and of course their parents...).

With fine support from the London Metropolitan Ensemble, pianists Roger Vignoles and Helmut Deutsch, guitarist John Williams and violist Yuri Bashmet among others, Kirchschlager offers a rich variety of songs from Mozart, von Weber, Haydn, Brahms, Schubert, Canteloube, de Falla, Copeland, Sondheim, Rogers and Hammerstein and Zelimsky. And no matter the language or the setting they all work. This is an album to cherish and share and raises the respect for Angelika Kirchschlager even higher. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

Lullabies for All Ages.......2005-07-13

I bought this CD as a gift for my first grandchild to introduce her to the world of classical music. But when I played it, it enchanted me and my grandchild's parents even more than it did the baby. Angelika Kirschlager is a young Austrian mezzo-soprano who had previously been unknown to me. She sings these simple songs with a beautiful round warmth of tone.

The twenty selections on this CD include Brahms famous lullaby together with two lesser-known songs of Brahms accompanied by piano and viola. Schubert's two lullabies are included, and they are melting. There is a Mozart song (the theme of which he used in the third movement of his final piano concerto) and a Haydn arrangement of the Welsh folk -song "All Through the Night", which features an accompanying trio of violin, cello, and piano.
Aaron Copland's arrangement of "All the Pretty Little Horses" will delight young listeners, and there are songs by Richard Rogers, Steven Sondheim, C.M. Von Weber, and others to fill out an enchanting CD of music and dreams. Ms Kirschlager's singing is the highlight of this CD. She is accompanied well by a variety of pianists and by performers on the guitar, violin, cello, and flute. Texts and translations for the songs are included in the liner notes.

Although I bought this CD for my granddaughter, others dear to me have expressed interest, and I will be buying another copy.

Thanks to my Amazon friend Scott Morrison for recommending this CD and to the other perceptive reviewers of this lovely music.

Robin Friedman

A Wonderful Gift for a Baby!.......2005-02-15

Our family has just been blessed with a new grandson and one of my very thoughtful friends had the brilliant and generous idea to send the baby a copy of this wonderful collection of lullabies and nightsongs done so stunningly by the marvelous German mezzo, Angelika Kirchschlager. I am happy to report that the very first selection, Schubert's 'Wiegenlied' ('Cradle Song'), seemed to make him smile, even at his tender age. This bodes well for his developing discriminating musical taste because Ms Kirchschlager is a terrific singer. Her various accompanists provide sensitive support for her lovely and perfectly managed voice. She sings with impeccable diction in several languages and even in English I don't pick up any accent at all.

I must point out, however, that Amazon has listed the contents of this disc in an order different from that on the CD, but the musical samples they provide do match the titles listed.

Scott Morrison

Voice of an Angel.......2000-05-02

I was first introduced to Ms. Kirchlager three years ago and was instantly impressed. Her sumptuous voice and incredible beauty make her a delight to listen to, time and time again. When Night Falls, is only the most recent of what promises to be a long and impressionable career. From the ever popular "Edelweiss" to the easily recognizable "Wiegenlied", Ms. Kirchschlager approaches each song with the same heart-felt emotion as if she were singing to her own child. I have often listened to her CD late at night to help myself fall into my own sweet dreamland of "The Little Horses".

Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)

Average customer rating:

Wow!
Everyone Should Whistle
An amazing intro to the body of work of a true master
Beautiful, moving concert
... and I love Barbara Cook

Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Barbara Cook's Broadway!
Barbara Cook at the Met with Special Guests
Tribute
It's Better with a Band
The Champion Season: Live at the Cafe Carlyle

ASIN: B000059LFF
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

Everybody Says Don't
I Wonder What Became of Me?
The Eagle and Me
I Had Myself a True Love
Into the Woods / Giants in the Sky (Malcolm Gets)
Another Hundred People / So Many People (Malcolm Gets)
Let's Face the Music and Dance / The Song Is You (duet with Malcolm Gets)
Happiness
Loving You
You Could Drive a Person Crazy
Not A Day Goes By / Losing My Mind

Tracks:

Buds Won't Bud
I Got Lost in His Arms
West Side Story Segment: Something's Coming / Tonight (Malcolm Gets)
Move On (duet with Malcolm Gets)
Medley: Hard Hearted Hannah / Waiting for the Robert E. Lee / San Francisco
Ice Cream
Send in the Clowns
The Trolley Song
Not While I'm Around (duet with Malcolm Gets)
Anyone Can Whistle

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Barbara Cook is one of today's most accomplished song stylists, and if you don't believe us, just listen to this live album. It's a master class in the art of singing. It documents an evening at Carnegie Hall during which Cook proved that she can dissect and extract the substance out of the simplest of lyrics. One of the best surprises is "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" (from Company), which is taken at an amiable trot and allows the singer to display its humor. Cook is not a swinging singer and uptempo is not her pace; give her a ballad, though, and she'll wring the last drop of emotion out of it. Her version of "Losing My Mind" (here paired with "Not a Day Goes By") is simply astonishing. The singer also performs songs that Sondheim has said he wished he had written, an awful lot of them by Harold Arlen. No complaints here. Guest Malcolm Gets solos on a few songs and duets with Cook on others, including "Let's Face the Music and Dance." This is classic material done masterfully by a classic singer. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2004-02-20

Having read the other reviews there is little more for me to add. I have been a Barbara Cook fan for a longtime and for me, this is one of her best concerts ever. I do, however, prefer the DVD. As with some other reviewers, I do not want to hear Malcolm Gets (as much as I like him) when I want to listen to Barbara. Her flawless interpretation of music is a hard act to follow for any singer! I managed to see this concert 4 times over a year and a half. Each time I saw her the voice was stronger and more assured (I would not have thought that possible). I can't help but think we will have the pleasure of hearing Ms Cook for many years to come. For those people who enjoyed his CD I strongly recommend purchasing the DVD. Barabara's rendition of So Many People is breathtaking (literally, I don't think I breathed once during the entire song). If you ever have opportunity to see her live - go! She has an ability to make you feel as if every song she sings and every word she speaks is directed to you alone. She can take a large venue and make it feel as intimate as your own living room. Having had the pleasure of meeting her I can say she is as youthful and pleasurable in person as she is in her performance.

Everyone Should Whistle.......2003-10-11

After being privileged to attend this concert, I had to own the CD. Once a lyric coloratura and the original Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide, Ms. Cook has become (in her 70s) a true diva, blessed with a velvety, warm sound. Every note has meaning. Her high B-flat on "Ice Cream" is still the envy of any soprano today. Everyone should whistle after hearing the superb performances on this CD. Even better, though, is the experience of having been in the concert hall for the live performance. Brava, Ms. Cook!

An amazing intro to the body of work of a true master.......2003-06-16

When I first bought tickets for the 'Mostly Sondheim' show on tour (in San Francisco) I figured it couldn't be too bad. Besides, I had only been exposed to a few of his songs (Anyone Can Whistle, Losing My Mind...) and had only seen "A Little Night Music". On the way out of the theater I immediately picked up this recording of the program. It is truly amazing. I immediately began listening to it and have barely put it down in the last few months. Furthermore, my Sondheim CD collection increased in size from an unflattering zero to five (and it's still growing)! This is an amazing introduction to the works of Stephen Sondheim, who is now my favorite modern musical composer). Buy this now if you don't already have it!

Beautiful, moving concert.......2003-04-13

This is a wonderful CD set with a great selection of songs. I do want to express a slight reservation, however. Barbara Cook has been one of my favorite singers for a number of years and the way her voice defies time is extraordinary -- for her to be singing with such bright, beautiful tone in her mid-70s with no wobble or beat in the voice is an amazing achievment.

I do have to say that by 2001, when this concert was recorded, Cook seemed to have a lost a little bit of power and intensity in her singing. This is only natural for someone of her age. Her voice is still lovely, but you can sense her keeping it in reserve a bit. She's as expressive as ever, but compare the rendition of "I got lost in his arms" on this album to the one on her previous album recorded in 1999, "The Champion Season", and there's less urgency and vocal depth in her singing here. That said, the high B at the end of "Ice Cream" is sensational.

So, despite that caveat, this is, again, a wonderful album, a must for Cook fans, especially for the gorgeous renditions of songs I'd never thought I'd get to hear her perform: "Not a Day Goes By", "Happiness/Loving You", "San Francisco", etc. Buy it!

... and I love Barbara Cook.......2003-02-11

This recording is a disappointment for me. It is not her best work, and Malcolm Gets is uninspired. My biggest complaint however is the engineering of the recording. Throughout the speaking was to soft, the singing volumes uneven, and the applause deafening. I will be passing this CD on to friends, and will later donate it to my local library.

Average customer rating:

Learning About Love While Yearning
Great !
Number one
she believes the hype
Lovely voice, lovely songs

The Broadway Album

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Back to Broadway
The Movie Album
Barbra Streisand - Greatest Hits
Yentl (1983 Film)
The Third Album

ASIN: B00000264K
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Putting It Together
If I Loved You
Something's Coming
Not While I'm Around
Being Alive
I Have Dreamed/We Kiss In A Shadow/Something Won..
Adelaide's Lament
Send In The Clowns
Pretty Women/The Ladies Who Lunch
Can't Help Lovin' That Man
I Loves You Porgy/Porgy, I's Your Woman Now...
Somewhere

Amazon.com

As its title indicates, this 1985 recording marked Barbra Streisand's return to her Broadway roots (significantly, she had dropped her pop-period Guilty perm and returned to straight hair). The CD contains a broad selection of show tunes, from Guys and Dolls's "Adelaide's Lament" to Sweeney Todd's "Not While I'm Around." But let's face it: this may also be one of Babs's most dated albums, due to typically '80s synthesizer-heavy arrangements that simply don't work with the material. Company's "Being Alive" is scarred by a preening alto sax, while West Side Story's "Something's Coming" features what sounds suspiciously like syndrums. But--and it's a pretty big "but"--Streisand sounds more buttery than ever ("Send in the Clowns" may be one of her finest '80s moments), so much so that she often manages to overcome the cheesy production. Now that's a singer. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Learning About Love While Yearning.......2007-06-09

C. Kenneth Burkholder, who via an understanding was at the time of the original release of this was Barbra's prospectve father-in-law and whose death has occurred, said of this "If I Loved You", "That's nice." The tragicomic rendition of part of Adelaide fascinatingly points out some dangers of stripping for pay.
Just past the beginning of creating "What Times Are," a musical by (a) pacifist(s) as well as an adaptation of my play "What Time Is It, Neil Armstrong?," which is a sequel to my novel "How Did That Sun Get Out," I am inspired by the yearning apparent in "The Broadway Album"--a yearning not for perfection but for worthwhile ways for people all over the earth and in space to spend time.

Great !.......2007-02-27

I bought the CD to replace my worn-out cassette tape, and I was pleased to find it has one more track -- Adelaide's Lament -- which I enjoyed. Nice to have another comic song to balance out the love songs. She brings out the beauty of these lovely tunes.

Number one .......2007-02-05

Barbra is the number one female ballad singer of all time. No one has her range of feeling, the sheer lyric power of her voice, her sometimes exaggerated but often poignant power to dramatically express feeling. She can create the chill down the spine with a small trill or with a wild unexpected crescendo. 'Broadway' is her first home, and acting a song as she sings it comes natural to her.
This is one of her finest albums.

she believes the hype.......2006-10-12

This is from the big-shot who thinks she can control a political party and tell fans what to think about issues despite being a high-school dropout. She's a good singer, but not the best. She basically needs to shut the eff up and sing. Hey, those are her words, right?

Lovely voice, lovely songs.......2006-08-02

This album contains the choicest of Broadway hits given an outstanding interpretation by the Streisand. Barbra's flawless voice moves up and down with ease as the melodies unfold. Perfect!

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Highlights from the 1979 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

sweeney terrific
Great Music . Great macabre story.
Too scary
Sondheims 2nd Masterpiece
Flawless

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Highlights from the 1979 Original Broadway Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Angela Lansbury , and Len Cariou
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)
Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
Follies (Highlights from the 1971 Original Broadway Cast)
A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000002W7E
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Prelude/The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd...
No Place Like London/The Barber And His Wife
The Worst Pies In London
My Friends/The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Lift Your Razor High, Sweeney!...
Johanna
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Sweeney pondered and Sweeney planned.../Wait
Kiss Me/Ladies in Their Sensitivities
Pretty Women/Epiphany
A Little Priest
God, That's Good!
Johanna
By The Sea
Not While I'm Around
Final Sequence (Excerpt)/The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Attend The Tale of Sweeney Todd...

Amazon.com

Stephen Sondheim's Victorian horror thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is probably his most viscerally powerful score, realized to perfection by the original 1979 cast. Len Cariou plays the murderous title character with both menace and tragedy, while Angela Lansbury provides a grotesquely comic performance as Mrs. Lovett, his lover and partner in crime. At 73 minutes, this highlights CD is extremely generous but still omits over a half-hour from the complete recording. What's missing: the coloratura aria "Green Finch and Linnett Bird," the complete barber-contest sequence, the judge's flagellation number, much of the background of the show's central mystery, and a fair amount of connecting music. Yes, it's a good bargain, and it's convenient to have so much good music on a single CD, but any omission from this monumental score is one too many. If you're serious about Sweeney, spring for the two-disc set. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

sweeney terrific.......2007-02-19

The original Sweeney Todd cast can't be bettered. The sound transfer is pretty good, and the only problem is that some of the tracks from the show aren't on the CD.

Great Music . Great macabre story. .......2007-01-04

Lansbury and Cariou are royalty. Their musicanship and performances are special. Combined with Sondheim they're all impeccable. Chilling and VERY sophisticated music from Sondheim. It's one of his finest accomplishments. This will give you goosebumps for it's musical beauty and during it's most thrilling & scary moments. Own this.

Too scary .......2006-08-10

This broadway show is too scary and ominous such as an organ playing ominous music, then the organ starts screaming. It hurt my ears (I was using a pair of Sony Headphones), scared me and made me want to turn it off. How dreadful. I rather listen to something less scary than this.

Sondheims 2nd Masterpiece.......2006-07-22

An American classic, one of the greats, though I feel that Follies is Sondheims greatest acheivement, this is a close second. Saw a preview performance, then saw it again shortly after the opening. Several changes had been made, all for the better. The Flagellation Song had been removed, mercifully. It's been restored in subsequent productions, and always at the audiences discomfort. ?? Anyway, the original production was huge, in sets, performances and music, and it was grand in every sense of the word. Classic performances by Lansbury (one of maybe 3 of the great broadway actresses of all time) and Cariou.
As the other reviewers have already stated, this CD makes you want the complete recording. However, I enjoy this CD when I don't have the time or concentration to listen to the entire score.

Flawless.......2006-05-30

Angela Lansbury is clearly the best Mrs. Lovett, her interpretation is on the dot. She is absolutely bone chilling. Len Cariou's strong baritone is thrilling and his portrayal of Todd is right on the dot. The only downer of this recording is the fact there is no Green Finch and Linnet Bird, a great modern aria sung by Johanna. This, in my oppinion, is Stephen Sondheim's best musical. The orchestration is one of Sondheim's most complex, his counterpoint is awe-inspiring. If you plan on getting this CD, don't. Get the complete original cast! You simply must hear it in its intirety.

Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic

Average customer rating:

Sweeney Todd a musical Thriller!
a great recording
The Best Recording of a Modern Musical Masterpiece...
SWEENEY as SWEENEY Should be heard
There's one thing that this cast has got going for it....

Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

McDonald, Audra | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Contemporary Musicals | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sweeney Todd in Concert
Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979 Original Broadway Cast)
Passion (1994 Original Broadway Cast)
Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005TQ11
Release Date: 2000-10-18

Tracks:

Prelude
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (George Hearn, Company)
No Place Like London (Davis Gaines, George Hearn, Audra McDonald)
The Worst Pies in London (Patti LuPone)
Poor Thing (Patti LuPone)
Dialogue
My Friends (George Hearn, Patti LuPone)
Green Finch and Linnet Bird (Heidi Grant Murphy)
Ah, Miss (Davis Gaines, Heidi Grant Murphy, Audra McDonald)
Johanna (Davis Gaines)
Pirelli's Miracle Elixir (Neil Ptrick Harris, Company)
The Contest (Sanford Olsen)
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Members of the Company)
Wait (Patti LuPone0
Dialogue
Pirelli's Death (Stanford Olsen)
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Trio: Drew Martin, James Bassi, Michael Lockley)
Johanna (Paul Plishka)
Kiss Me (John Aler, Davis Gaines, Heidi Grant Murphy, Paul Plishka)
Ladies in Their Sensitivities (John Aler, Paul Plishka)
Kiss Me, Part II (Heidi Grant Murphy, Davis Gaines)
Pretty Women (Paul Plishka, George Hearn, Davis Gaines)
Epiphany (George Hearn, Patti LuPone)
A Little Priest (Patti LuPone, George Hearn)

Tracks:

God, That's Good! (Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Company)
Johanna (Davis Gaines, George Hearn, Audra McDonald, Heidi Grant Murphy)
By The Sea (Patti LuPone, George Hearn)
Wigmaker Sequesnce (George Hearn, Davis Gaines)
The Letter (Quintet: Tania Batson, Jacqueline Pierce, James Bassi, Lewis White. Frank Barr)
Not While I'm Around (Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone)
Dialogue
Parlor Songs (John Aler, Patti LuPone, Neil Patrick Harris)
Fogg's Asylum (Company)
City on Fire (Company)
The Judge's Return (Paul Plishka, George Hearn)
Final Scene (Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Neil Patrick Harris)
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (The Entire Company)

Amazon.com

For many, Sweeney Todd is Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, a Grand Guignol musical-opera with an epic sweep. The original 1979 cast recording (starring Len Cariou, Angela Lansbury, and Victor Garber) remains definitive, but this version, assembled for three performances with the New York Philharmonic in May 2000, gives it a serious run for its money. Indeed, this live recording boasts Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Davis Gaines, Audra McDonald, and Heidi Grant Murphy; has been nominated for the 2002 Best Musical Show Album Grammy; and, last but not least, features that world-class orchestra. LuPone's English accent goes in and out, especially in the spoken passages, but no matter; she sings superbly. Her comic timing is impeccable, and her tendency to go over the top actually works in her favor in a show in which humor is of the gallows kind and blood flows freely. As for the Philharmonic, it'll make you even more bitter next time you're at a Broadway show where they try to cut corners by using a pared-down ensemble: The music's power could flatten trees. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

The first complete recording of Stephen Sondheim's musical-theatre work since the 1979 original Broadway cast recording, and the first recording of the work by a symphony orchestra, captures the May 2000 New York Philharmonic concert performances in honor of Mr. Sondheim's 70th birthday, starring Patti LuPone, George Hearn and Audra McDonald. Directed by Tony Award winner Lonnie Price, the cast also includes John Aler, Davis Gaines, Neil Patrick Harris, Heidi Grant Murphy, Paul Plishka, Stanford Olsen and the New York Choral Artists.

Customer Reviews:

Sweeney Todd a musical Thriller!.......2006-04-22

This Sweeney Todd Broadway Cast live from at the New York Philharmonic is excellent! I have the dvd of this at home. I'm a little upset that they replaced three people which are Johanna, Beggar Woman and Judge Turpin. I'm happy they kept George Hearn becuase he's my favorite Sweeney. We'll now I'm confuessed because I just saw this show in New York city with Michael Cerveris. Davis Gains as Anthony Hope is amazing. He played Phantom for sevral years. Patti Lupone is back as Mrs.Lovett in the new one. This is my favorite version of this show. It's amazing I love it.

a great recording.......2006-02-10

I am not sure whether I like this recording better or the Original Broadway Cast recording better, to be perfectly honest. They've both got their strong points and their weak points, and they're both more strong than they are weak.

I certainly don't like Patti LuPone as much as I like Angela Lansbury, but I actually found LuPone quite tolerable on this recording (which is odd because I didn't like her on the DVD at all).

As far as I'm concerned, George Hearn makes this recording worth the price. To me, he *is* Sweeney Todd. No one before or after has captured the role so well. The rest of the cast is very good, as well, and I really can think of nothing of any significance to complain about here, except perhaps the cutting of the complete Parlor Songs, but that's entirely forgivable, given the quality of the rest of what's here.

Personally I would recommend this recording wholeheartedly to any Sweeney Todd fan, and I wouldn't hesitate to introduce someone to the musical with this recording, either. As I said earlier, I can't decide between this one or the Original Broadway Cast. Both are wonderful recordings.

The Best Recording of a Modern Musical Masterpiece..........2005-09-07

While the Original Broadway Cast Album has many advocates, my vote for the definitive Sweeny recording is this amazing concert. Len Cariou's Sweeny on the OBC sounds tired and strained; Hearn's classic performance, preserved here, suffers not from these ailments, sounding nearly as good he did 20 years earlier when he first played the role as Cariou's replacement. While no one will ever match Angela Lansbury in role of Mrs. Lovett, LuPone is a better for a recording given her unbelievable vocal pyrotechnics, which Lansbury could never dream of duplicating. The rest of the cast is wonderful (Audra McDonald! Neil Patrick Harris! Davis Gaines! All superb.) and usually vocally more assured than in any other version. While I find the Judge Turpin a bit too operatic for the role, he hardly throws off the balance of this amazing cast. The orchestrations have never sounded more lush (the philharmonic helps out there) and the chorus is massively large, something financially impossible for a Broadway production. This recording plus the DVD of the original Hal Prince production (which is still the hands-down must have Sweeny purchase) will give even the most devoted Sondheim devotee his fill....if such a thing is ever possible for us Sondheim nuts.

SWEENEY as SWEENEY Should be heard.......2004-08-27

Let's face it... despite what anyone says, SWEENEY TODD is the most prominate member of the "Broadway Opera". It can be performed so sucessfully by Opera Singers (As Heidi Grant Murphy and Strafford Olsen prove) or By Broadway belters (such as Neil Patrick Harris and Angela Lansbury, on the origonal cast albulm)This recording, starring both opera stars and Broadway's best, is how Sweeney should be heard.

First off, it includes most of the dialouge, and what is prunned is not really missed. The entire score is not performed here (as it is on the origonal cast albulm) but all that is missing are the usual cuts: the second Half of Pirelli's shaving/tooth-pulling aria and the majority of the Beadle and Mrs. Lovett's Parlour songs. The NY Phil are practicly perfect for this score, and the New York Choral Artists are excellent as one of Opera's most complicated and interactive chorus (compare with the cardboard choruses of Mozart) Andrew Litton does not know the score as well as Gemignani, but he does an excellent job.

The cast is steller. Neil Patrick Harris, aka "Doogie Hoswer", is the definete Tobias, so touching and energetic. Heidi Grant Murphy is a Luxurios Johanna, and Davis Gains is excellent as Anthony, if not as good as Chris Groendal on the Lansbury Video. Audra McDonnell is her usual astounding, scrumptious self, a haunting, pathetic Begger Woman. John Aler and Stafford Olsen toss off their tenor roles with aplomb, even if Olsen isn't as good as his counterpart on the origonal cast recording. Paul Plashika as the Judge is the recording's one major letdown. He provide's strong support in "Pretty Women" but falls flat in his "Johanna" and in dialouge scenes.

Patti Lupone is nothing else but excellent as Mrs. Lovett. Her impecable comic timing and quick-change vocals (beautiful and haunting one moment, belting, brassy, and funny the next) serve hear Lovett well. Unfortunetly for Ms. LuPone, nobody, I repeat NOBODY can beat Angela Lansbury's landmark interpretation of the role. However, LuPone provides a nice alternative with a prettier voice than Lansbury, but without Lansbury's natural character skills.

As far as the title role goes, George Hern IS Sweeney Todd. Len Cariou's voice was not in great voice for the origonal recording, and Hern is far more impressive vocall. However, Cariou does have a better Todd acting-wise. Hern's Sweeney is not the dark, brooding pyschotic that was Cariou's, but an explocive maniac seconds away from madness throughout.

All in all, there is no way to go wrong with either recording of Sweeney Todd. You may want to consider The Lansbury recording, but this offers more impressive performances from most of the cast. My advice: get both.

There's one thing that this cast has got going for it...........2004-01-17

...and it is Neil Patrick Harris. What an amazing voice! Unfortunate that 'Not While I'm Around', which he sings superbly, is all-but-ruined by LuPone's awful English accent. Lupone is simply not able to express her character enough to make us as repulsed as we are by Angela Lovett's delightful portrayal; Lupone just doesn't fit in with the part. David Gaines sounds to mature--to old--to be a good Anthony. It reminds one of the 30-year olds who try and play Romeo in Romeo and Juliet; it just doesn't work. Definitely buy the original cast first, and if you believe that one spectacular tenor voice singing possibly the best Broadway ballad in history is enough to warrant buying a whole 2CD set, then do.

Music:

Music

Music