Sondheim - (The) Story So Far...

The musical storyteller gets a taste of his own medicine – lucky us!

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne

Genre:

Opera

Label: Sony BMG

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

Stereo
ADD

Catalogue Number: 82796942552

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
West Side Story, Movement: America Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Chita Rivera, Singer
Leonard Bernstein, Composer
West Side Story, Movement: Tonight (Balcony scene) Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Carol Lawrence, Singer
Larry Kert, Singer
Leonard Bernstein, Composer
West Side Story, Movement: Gee, Officer Krupke Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Various Artists
Gypsy, Movement: Everything's Coming Up Roses Jule Styne, Composer
Ethel Merman, Singer
Jule Styne, Composer
(A) Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Movement: Comedy Tonight Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Zero Mostel, Singer
(A) Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Movement: Everybody Ought to Have a Maid Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(A) Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Movement: There's Something About a War (unused in show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Hot Spot, Movement: Show Me (aka Don't Laugh) Mary Rodgers, Composer
Mary Rodgers, Composer
Various Artists
Anyone Can Whistle, Movement: Anyone Can Whistle Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Lee Remick, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Anyone Can Whistle, Movement: A Parade in Town Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Angela Lansbury, Mezzo soprano
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Anyone Can Whistle, Movement: (A) Hero is Coming Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Do I Hear a Waltz?, Movement: This Week, Americans Richard Rodgers, Composer
Richard Rodgers, Composer
Various Artists
Do I Hear a Waltz?, Movement: Perhaps Richard Rodgers, Composer
Richard Rodgers, Composer
Various Artists
Do I Hear a Waltz?, Movement: Everybody Loves Leona Richard Rodgers, Composer
Richard Rodgers, Composer
Various Artists
(The) Mad Show, Movement: The Boy from... (Lyrics Sondheim) Mary Rodgers, Composer
Linda Lavin, Singer
Mary Rodgers, Composer
Evening Primrose, Movement: If You Can Find Me, I'm Here Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Anthony Perkins, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Evening Primrose, Movement: Arts and Crafts Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Anthony Perkins, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Evening Primrose, Movement: I Remember Sky Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Evening Primrose, Movement: When? Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Evening Primrose, Movement: Take Me to the World Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Company, Movement: Another Hundred People Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Company, Movement: The Ladies Who Lunch Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Elaine Stritch, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Company, Movement: Being Alive Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Company, Movement: Happily Ever After (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Follies, Movement: Waiting for the Girls Upstairs Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Follies, Movement: Broadway Baby Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Elaine Stritch, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Follies, Movement: Losing My Mind Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Barbara Cook, Soprano
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Follies, Movement: I'm Still Here Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Carol Burnett, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Follies, Movement: Can that Boy Foxtrot! Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(A) Little Night Music, Movement: The miller's son Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(A) Little Night Music, Movement: Liasons Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(A) Little Night Music, Movement: Send in the clowns Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Glynis Johns, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
(A) Little Night Music, Movement: Night Waltz Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(A) Little Night Music, Movement: Silly People (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(A) Little Night Music, Movement: Not Quite Night (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Pacific Overtures, Movement: Welcome to Kanagawa Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Pacific Overtures, Movement: Pretty, Lady Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Pacific Overtures, Movement: Prayers (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Pacific Overtures, Movement: There is No Other Way Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Movement: Prelude Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Movement: Green Finch and Linnet Bird Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Movement: (A) Little Priest Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Angela Lansbury, Mezzo soprano
Len Cariou, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Movement: The Worst Pies in London Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Patti LuPone, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Merrily We Roll Along, Movement: Not a Day Goes By Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Merrily We Roll Along, Movement: Old Friends Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Sunday in the Park with George, Movement: Finishing the hat Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Mandy Patinkin, Tenor
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Into the Woods, Movement: Agony Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Into the Woods, Movement: Finale: Children Will Listen Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Bernadette Peters, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Into the Woods, Movement: Have to Give Her Someone (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Into the Woods, Movement: Interesting Questions (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Into the Woods, Movement: Second Midnight (cut from final show) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Assassins, Movement: Everybody's Got the Right Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Assassins, Movement: The Ballad of Booth Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Passion, Movement: Happiness Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Passion, Movement: I Wish I Could Forget You Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Bounce, Movement: Bounce Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Bounce, Movement: Isn't He Something! Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Jane Powell, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
(The) Frogs Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Nathan Lane, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
All That Glitters Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(The) Two of You Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Saturday Night, Movement: Class Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Saturday Night, Movement: Love's a Bond Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Saturday Night, Movement: In the Movies Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Saturday Night, Movement: (I'm All) for You Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
They Asked Me Why I Believe in You Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Invitation to a March Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Passionella Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
No, Mary Ann Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
(The) Enclave Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Stavisky, Movement: Generique (Theme from Stavisky) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Stavisky, Movement: Auto Show Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Stavisky, Movement: Arlette by Night Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Stavisky, Movement: Operetta Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Stavisky, Movement: Theme (arr. Jim Tyler) Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
I Never Do Anything Twice Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Régine ,, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Reds Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Claude Bolling, Piano
Jean-Pierre Rampal, Flute
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Dick Tracy, Movement: Sooner or Later Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Madonna, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Dick Tracy, Movement: Live Alone and Like It Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Dick Tracy, Movement: What Can You Lose? Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Madonna, Singer
Mandy Patinkin, Tenor
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Dick Tracy, Movement: Back in Business Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
Dick Tracy, Movement: More Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Madonna, Singer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Singing Out Loud, Movement: Water Under the Bridge Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Stephen (Joshua) Sondheim, Composer
Various Artists
The title of this handsome compilation – “The Story So Far” – tells us a great deal, because with Sondheim the story never really ends. Consider the show previously known as Bounce (and before that Wise Guys). Now it’s Road Show, and its former title-song has gone with just traces of the melody left in underscoring. Consider, then, the four songs written for Robert’s moment of truth in the seminal Company – one of them, “Happily Ever After”, is featured here in a croaky but impassioned rendition from the great man himself (one of many treasures from the Sondheim Archive) and you recognise the lyric that became “Being Alive” and realise that if Sondheim were not such a perfectionist, if he didn’t persist and persevere and fiddle so relentlessly, then the greatest of those four songs might just have eluded him and us.

There are so many examples here of Sondheim’s work in progress (early drafts, cut songs, rejected songs) through the several decades that have established him as the guiding light in the evolution of American musical theatre from the 1960s onwards. There is even an astonishing private recording of him and Hal Prince talking and singing their way through what was once a two-part number from Pacific Overtures. The piano had been “prepared” with paper and thumbtacks to sound like a Japanese koto.

So what we have here is a chronological journey through pretty much his entire oeuvre and for those only just making his acquaintance the dramatic flavour of the shows is shrewdly (and sometimes surprisingly) conveyed in the choice of songs. The rest of us – the seasoned Sondheim aficionados – will be intrigued by his choices (presuming, that is, he made them) and equally by the choice of recordings. Was the decision to represent Follies in the celebrated New York Philharmonic concert performance and not the Original Broadway Cast recording a conscious or a contractual choice? I’m presuming the latter since I imagine he would like to have represented both. But perhaps not. It’s never easy second-guessing Sondheim.

Those of us who know and love his stuff will make straight for disc 4 where some of the rarest curiosities reside. There’s a sweet romantic melody from his junior year (1948-49), “I Must Be Dreaming”, a touching little song, “The Two of You”, rejected from Burr Tillstrom’s puppet show Kukla, Fran and Ollie; there’s a tantalising taste of Sondheim’s proposed mini-musical of Jules Feiffer’s Passionella: “Truly Content” was chimney sweep Ella’s first number before she became “Gorgeous” in Bock and Harnick’s musicalisation. Then there is the incidental music: two sets of cues from Arthur Laurents’s plays which reveal Sondheim’s distinctive sleight of hand as an instrumental composer – unmistakable, despite the redolence of other Americana. One features Sondheim’s music director Paul Gemignani on percussion. He was the original drummer on Follies.

Not enough is said and written about Sondheim the composer. He is memorable in so many ways. Listen to these discs and tell me he is not. Me, I’ll take away the piano vamp from “What Can You Lose?” from Dick Tracy for now. What a melancholic ache it has.

So all the old revelations can be fleetingly relived here. They’ll always sound fresh because their myriad subtleties invite constant reinterpretation. The story so far? We can but hope.

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