Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim's Passion (Original Broadway Cast)
$24.99
...and THAT rating is not just from me but also my friend who I saw it with...it was so painful to sit through that the both of us looked at each other and we laughed the entire second act...and then it wins the Tony Award for Best Musical.....WOW...something's wrong with the universe

I just want to say that I've been going to musical theater since the 60s, so I know what I like and what works

Road Show
$11.99
Road Show is really a great show, another Sondheim sharp crisp show., What for me however is that did it really need to be written? Bounce the original show, written but a few years earlier was great. It is true that to completely enjoy these shows you have to be a Sondheim fan, and that I am. I have both shows, and it is sort of strange to be hearing a lot of the same songs on both shows. In my opinion Bounce is more pure Sondheim than Road Show. But that is just my opinion. Glad to have both in my collection of Sondheim shows.

The Story So Far..
$59.98
It's hard to believe it's taken this long for a box set covering the career of composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim to be compiled. Sondheim is no doubt one of the greatest composers of our time. There are so many great scores -- Into the Woods, Follies, Company, Assassins, Sweeney Todd, and so many more. This compilation offers a sampling from all of Sondheim's shows, and this is where my main criticism of this compilation lies: what songs should have been featured versus the ones that are included.

I think the purpose of this compilation is a bit unfocused. Yes, its objective is to cover Sondheim's illustrious career. But it's unclear if this collection is aimed at Sondheim enthusiasts or casual Sondheim fans looking to delve more into his catalogue. Perhaps I am in between -- I like Sondheim's music but I don't know all of his scores, and would like to learn more. On one hand, this collection covers all of his shows, but some shows (ie. Merrily We Roll Along) only get one song, while others get four (ie. Into the Woods). But I wasn't fully satisfied. Although I like Sondheim's music, I don't own a lot of it. So, unlike others who have purchased this collection and already own the individual scores, I was hoping to get a large sampling of Sondheim's career without buying the individual scores. I see no reason why songs like "Somewhere", "Rose's Turn", "Everybody Says Don't", "Putting It Together", "Pretty Women", "Johanna", and "Move On" were not included. In fact, those songs are some of Sondheim's most famous compositions. So, not having them makes this compilation feel incomplete, even if they have been included on other compilations. Yes, having the demos and rare recordings were interesting, but I crave hearing the missing songs because they are the essence of Sondheim.

I guess your enjoyment of this compilation will depend on how you approach it. If you own Sondheim's scores already, and don't necessarily need to hear "Somewhere" again but want the rare tracks, then you will probably have little issues with this compilation. But, if you're like me, and would like a mix of the Sondheim "hits" with a sprinkling of his more obscure stuff, you may find this a bit unbalanced and unsatisfying.

Still, I give this collection four stars because the recordings you do get are top-notch. And the package is beautifully presented. I just wish it was a bit more complete.

All Sondheim, Volume 1
$19.95
Most Piano/Vocal scores from Broadway and/or Hollywood include guitar chords in addition to the piano and vocal lines. Most of the songs within this songbook do NOT have the guitar chords published. For piano 'fakers', the chord designations are a must. This is a serious deficiency in this songbook.

On the positive side, all the great music and songs expected were present, and as far as I can tell, with the original piano arrangements.