Arranger: Eric Stern
William Terwilliger (Violin)
Andrew Cooperstock (Piano)
Elena Shaddow (Soprano)
Andrew Garland (Tenor)
Beth Vanderborgh (Cello)
Bridge Records 9605
Sondheim’s prowess as a lyricist is probably the most remarked upon feature of the American master of musical theatre, so much in fact that his gifts as a melodist can often go overlooked. With this release, it is Sondheim the tunesmith that is front and centre in a series of terrific chamber arrangements by Eric Stern, mostly for violin and piano, though some with voice or cello, or as solos. The central duo is of William Terwilliger and Andrew Cooperstock, who open the disc with an inventive suite from A Little Night Music, the Night Waltz providing the central theme, as it does in the original show. Along the way, several songs from the show are woven together, concluding with its most famous number: Send in the Clowns. It is known that Sondheim was hugely enamoured of both Rachmaninov and Britten, though cited the former as a clearer musical influence, but interestingly this suite also boasts the cheek of Poulenc at his most effervescent. It is curious just how well this suite works next to the lullaby from Sweeney Todd: Not While I’m Around, though a change of mood is provided by Broadway Baby from Follies.
Vocalist Elena Shaddow appears on I Remember, a song from Evening Primrose, which was one of Sondheim’s oddest scores. A musical made for TV movie starring Anthony Perkins, it follows the bizarre story of a man who chooses to renounce the world and live in a department store, where he will have everything he needs to survive. Surprisingly, he discovers that other people have been doing the very same thing for years, so much so that Ella, who sings this song, has all but forgotten what the outside world is like, and yet yearns to return to it. While I personally prefer a slightly fuller-bodied voice for the role, Shaddow’s performance captures a true sense of the character’s innocence and alienation. It vocally captures the paradox of this song: an adult voice acknowledging their own childlike naivety. Andrew Garland sings the role of the eponymous George of Sunday in the Park with George for Finishing the Hat in a performance full of the contrast that the song demands, from a largely introspective piece, to occasional outbursts of previously repressed passion. The ensemble is further extended in Every Day a Little Death from A Little Night Music with the inclusion of Beth Vanderborgh on the cello, adding a certain depth and additional expressive power to this song.
If I do have a criticism of the release overall, it is that I occasionally found moments a little too closely miked, resulting in just very occasional moments where things sound a little aggressive, or scratchy, especially on the string instruments, but these are only momentary concerns and soon resolved. The arranger Eric Stern has done a superb job with each of these reworkings of Sondheim’s melodies. Occasionally, the arrangements do slightly change the tone of the originals, but never to a jarring degree. It is rather in the sense of revealing other musical layers in the pieces (such as moments in the Fleet Street Suite that closes the disc). To my ear, only one arrangement doesn’t quite work and that is Sorry Grateful from Company arranged for solo violin, which lacks the consistent harmonic backbone of the original and, at over five minutes, perhaps slightly outstays its welcome, being about two minutes longer than any other rendition of the song I’ve ever heard. Meanwhile, the usually raucous Now You Know from Merrily we Roll Along is found as a solo piano arrangement here, which brings a surprising, but wholly pleasing cabaret/cocktail bar feel to the song.
In all, this is a hugely enjoyable release, showcasing a very fine arranger, guest soloists and a clear demonstration that Opus Two are a duo to watch. DA.
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