To Their Maker, Impeccably Shaved

From the Music Vault Dept.: I noted last week that I seize upon anniversaries as excuses for these postings, and today is no exception. Twenty-five years ago, my review of a then-new recording of “Sweeney Todd” graced the pages of Metroland Magazine, the Albany-area alternative newsweekly at which I held a far-too-long sinecure. But I got away with writing things I never would have sold as easily anywhere else.

                                                                           

WITH MANY OF THE MAJOR ORCHESTRAS cut loose from their decades-old contracts with recording companies, there’s a scramble to achieve a presence in the CD stores. Self-publishing is an option being mined successfully by a few, chief among them the New York Philharmonic. Their latest release skirts the over-recorded symphonic repertory to present a fresh look at Stephen Sondheim’s almost-operatic masterpiece “Sweeney Todd,” giving a depth and perspective to the piece that wasn’t achieved by the otherwise admirable original cast recording.

It’s a project that might have been perfect had baritone Bryn Terfel not been sidelined from the recording; as it was, George Hearn, in good voice and well-versed in the role, stepped into the title role and did well by the part, although he tends to resort to yelling when the going gets exciting. Although Angela Lansbury left an indelible stamp on the role of Mrs. Lovett, here Patti LuPone does an exquisite job with the bloodthirsty part. 

In fact, it’s a triumph all around, the handpicked cast working together splendidly. Met Opera bass Paul Plishka is a standout as Judge Turpin, but that puts him only slightly ahead of the rest. If you’ve only heard the original cast recording, you’re in for another treat: That set was the victim of the LP’s limits; the two CDs of this set contain practically the whole show, dialogue and incidental music included. Even material that was cut from the original Broadway run.

If you saw it on Broadway, or in a subsequent performance, you probably didn’t get much of an orchestral accompaniment. Twelve to 15 pieces at best, which puts across the idea – so what a glorious experience to hear this score performed by one of the world’s best orchestras. With its varied textures, reminiscent of Walton and Herrmann, the orchestra is another character in the piece, commenting with its underscoring, layering the Grand Guignol plot of the play with its own chilling fabric of ghoulish glee.

Conductor Andrew Litton – like the entire cast – brought this together with a minimum of rehearsing, and deserves great credit for not only the sound of the orchestra but also the absolutely smooth work with the vocal soloists.

Drawn from opera, musical theater and television, those soloists include Davis Gaines as Anthony, the young sailor who seeks the love of Sweeney’s daughter, Johanna (Heidi Grant Murphy); Audra McDonald is the Beggar Woman who comments throughout and twists the plot at the end; Stanford Olsen is a showy Pirelli, whose assistant, Tobias (Neil Patrick Harris), eventually takes up with Mrs. Lovett. The combination works well; the overall effect is stunning.

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Andrew Litton, with orchestrations (as in the original Broadway production) by Jonathan Tunick. The production was directed by Lonny Price, and also features Davis Gaines, John Aler, and Stanford Olsen, with the New York Choral Artists.

– Metroland Magazine, 1 February 2001