Stephen Sondheim - A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast)

Perhaps best known for the hit "Send In the Clowns," Stephen Sondheim's glamorous 3/4 waltz-time musical recalls enchanted evenings, white kidskin elbow gloves, and romance of the green-eyed bittersweet and bed-hopping sort. The ruse is that these folks lead "ordinary lives": the father is widowed, remarries, and briefly rekindles a sack-side former flame; the son flirts with the maid; the child bride is cuckolded yet loves and is loved by the son; and the maid has a romp with the butler. Adapted from a mid-'50s Ingmar Bergman film, the play debuted in America in the early '70s and is set in Sweden's turn-of-the-century well-to-do society. Now remastered and heard at the dawn of the millennium, Night Music is a dated yet charmingly affected period piece, abundant in its sweeping theatricality. As an unhappily chaste newlywed, Len Cariou, Broadway's glistening middle-aged dandy, is smashing as Fredrick. Glynis Johns (who always sounds congested and quite cosmopolitan) steals focus as the delightful actress Desiree. Night Music is a foolishly fanciful, twinkly score swathed in plucky harp, sweeping strings, and coolly elegant conversational tunes. --Paige La Grone Amazon.com essential recording

Stephen Sondheim is . . .?

You can be sure of one thing from a Sondheim musical--It will be out of the ordinary. Sometimes because it is so entertaining, like "A Funny Thing ..." Sometimes because he is attempting to be a groudbreaker, as in "Pacific Overtures." One thing you can expect, the music will be interesting and innovative.
His groundbreaking can either fall flat, or catch the interest of the theater-going crowd. More than half of his musicals have lost money for their backers.
"A Little Night Music" falls into the interest-catching category, with a 601 performances, money making run. Musically, it provides a mixture of ensemble and fine solo materials. But, as a musical, it does not work for me. I will not fault previous reviewers, who raved, because I recognize that this is largely a matter of taste. It just does not taste like a musical to me.
I will continue to listen to it, enjoying the music. But I will not rush out to buy a ticket if a touring company brings it to town. November 30, 2007

Lightens My Life

As the song says, the whole score of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC lightens my life. I ride along listening to wonderful music while beside me, in other vehicles, I hear music one can't possibly consider music. It's a wonderful score, a great CD, the performers couldn't be better, as we all know, and I will be listening and enjoying for a very long time. August 29, 2007

A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast) - Sondheim

I saw the original Broadway play in New York with this cast. It was definitely off beat for the time and I wasn't so sure as the play started with operatic-like songs, but it took very little time for me to get fully into the mood of this musical. This is a tidy, sophisticated play with wonderfully nuanced lyrics and music. The pieces come through well on this recording. Thoroughly enjoyable. July 4, 2007

A Wonderful Score- One of Sondheim's Best

I recently purchased this album after being taken by many of Sondheim's works, such as SWEENEY TODD, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and FOLLIES. And I am so glad I purchased it.

It's a fantastic score, with a great cast. The melodies are sweeping and irresistable, the lyrics are witty and clever.

And how can you top this cast? Len Cariou turns in a great performance as Fredrick Egerman, and Glynis Johns is perfection as Desiree Armfeldt. Hermione Gingold is also fabulous as Mme. Armfeldt.

The best tracks on the CD are:

Now/Later/Soon
The Glamorous Life
Every Day A Little Death
Liasons
A Weekend in the Country
Send in the Clowns
The Miller's Son

Go out and buy A Little Night Music, you will not be dissapointed. July 2, 2007

Sondheim's Best Musical

The beauty of the score sneaks up on you. The lyrics are Sondheim's most clever (The hands on the clock turn, but don't sing a nocturne just yet...) The singers do more than just sing the songs... They convey what they are feeling and thinking with their voices (which is wonderful for a broadway recording - we want to have the experience of being seated in a theatre watching the musical as well as listening to it). The music is magical, transporting us to wherever the characters want us to go (their memories, their hearts, their thoughts, their desires). The style of the music is a mixture of impressionistic (Ravel, Debussy, Poulenc, Satie, etc...), Classical (Bach - the only music to which Sondheim claims now to listen) and of course, Waltz. This mixture is exquisite. Send In The Clowns is NOT the best song in this musical, by far. The songs I will never tire of in this musical:
1)Overture and Night Waltz
2)Now
3)Soon (my favorite)
4)Every Day A Little Death (reminiscent of The Sound of Music's "How do solve a problem like Maria")
5)Night Waltz I
6)Night Waltz II
7)The Miller's Son (One Sondheim's own favorites)

The music and lyrics are brilliant. The performances by both the actors and orhestra are superb. Everything about this musical is amazing and wonderful. Enjoy. June 4, 2007

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