Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic

Editorial Reviews
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

The New York Times
"Splendid"

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.

Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic

Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic, Music, Broadway Cast, Soundtrack
Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • 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, AudraMcDonald, Audra | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Contemporary MusicalsContemporary Musicals | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal PopTraditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Traditional & Vocal PopTraditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Sweeney Todd in Concert
  2. Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)
  3. Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979 Original Broadway Cast)
  4. Passion (1994 Original Broadway Cast)
  5. Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005TQ11
Release Date: 2000-10-18

Tracks:

  1. Prelude
  2. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (George Hearn, Company)
  3. No Place Like London (Davis Gaines, George Hearn, Audra McDonald)
  4. The Worst Pies in London (Patti LuPone)
  5. Poor Thing (Patti LuPone)
  6. Dialogue
  7. My Friends (George Hearn, Patti LuPone)
  8. Green Finch and Linnet Bird (Heidi Grant Murphy)
  9. Ah, Miss (Davis Gaines, Heidi Grant Murphy, Audra McDonald)
  10. Johanna (Davis Gaines)
  11. Pirelli's Miracle Elixir (Neil Ptrick Harris, Company)
  12. The Contest (Sanford Olsen)
  13. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Members of the Company)
  14. Wait (Patti LuPone0
  15. Dialogue
  16. Pirelli's Death (Stanford Olsen)
  17. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Trio: Drew Martin, James Bassi, Michael Lockley)
  18. Johanna (Paul Plishka)
  19. Kiss Me (John Aler, Davis Gaines, Heidi Grant Murphy, Paul Plishka)
  20. Ladies in Their Sensitivities (John Aler, Paul Plishka)
  21. Kiss Me, Part II (Heidi Grant Murphy, Davis Gaines)
  22. Pretty Women (Paul Plishka, George Hearn, Davis Gaines)
  23. Epiphany (George Hearn, Patti LuPone)
  24. A Little Priest (Patti LuPone, George Hearn)

Tracks:

  1. God, That's Good! (Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Company)
  2. Johanna (Davis Gaines, George Hearn, Audra McDonald, Heidi Grant Murphy)
  3. By The Sea (Patti LuPone, George Hearn)
  4. Wigmaker Sequesnce (George Hearn, Davis Gaines)
  5. The Letter (Quintet: Tania Batson, Jacqueline Pierce, James Bassi, Lewis White. Frank Barr)
  6. Not While I'm Around (Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone)
  7. Dialogue
  8. Parlor Songs (John Aler, Patti LuPone, Neil Patrick Harris)
  9. Fogg's Asylum (Company)
  10. City on Fire (Company)
  11. The Judge's Return (Paul Plishka, George Hearn)
  12. Final Scene (Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Neil Patrick Harris)
  13. 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:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

3 out of 5 stars 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:

  1. Swing
  2. Swingin' Easy
  3. That Old Feeling: Classic Ballads from the Judy Garland Show
  4. The 25th Day of December
  5. The Best of Peggy Lee - The Capitol Years
  6. The Best of the Angelic Gospel Singers
  7. The Columbia Hits Collection
  8. The Complete Norman Granz Jam Sessions [Box set] [Original recording remastered]
  9. The Complete Recordings 1941-1947
  10. The Definitive Tom Jones 1964-2002 [Box set] [Import]

Music

Music