Listening to Stephen Sondheim talk about his music is like listening to God explain the creation of the universe

@arkantika3927

7 жыл бұрын

Chris Brown totally agree

@paulfinn8871

7 жыл бұрын

What an excellent and wise observation....

@rex3841

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah only one is actually real! XD

@GreeneMotionPictures

5 жыл бұрын

I was just thinking that if there's a real Dumbledore with real magic, I just watched him teach.

@samanthavettel4793

5 жыл бұрын

yes!!!

I love that look Sondheim gets when they're doing everything right. Where his eyes start to sparkle and he lifts his head up and he looks so proud, its really great seeing an artists work come to life.

@crackerjack3762

2 жыл бұрын

6:17

"Make love to the razor."

@jadenwaz9585

5 жыл бұрын

F**k me gently with a chainsaw...

@thatpinhead7543

5 жыл бұрын

It aint gay if its a razor

@AbcDef-st6et

5 жыл бұрын

O u c h

@daniellecozzetto5802

4 жыл бұрын

Jaden Waz CORNUTS!

@lillyrith

8 сағат бұрын

@@daniellecozzetto5802 for a second i thought you were quoting heather chandler

Ok when he started talking about how he purposely filled the lyrics with S’s to get that whisper quality and then had it open up later I got chills how do you think of a detail like that and have such a specific constraint and still have the lyrics fit and flow perfectly just amazing

@harmoniabalanza

2 жыл бұрын

it's called genius.

@PhaedraDarwish

Жыл бұрын

Seriously

@lionmuesli4321

Жыл бұрын

@alanvaytsman I reckon they have notes on how to sing this song the way he wanted

@zebovazebova6691

3 ай бұрын

Ditto

"Make love to the razor" its great to see Sondheim again

@raymbar

Ай бұрын

Instrument maniac SIXTEEN years ago???

That guy must have been shitting his pants. Stephen Sondheim was really patient with him though

One can actually see how the actor improves right before ones eyes...Genius!

"Don't be afraid of overacting" is quite an elegant way of saying "c'mon man, show some emotion, for God's sake"!

@jkta97

Жыл бұрын

I think he was trying to tell the actor to commit to what he was doing and actually play an action and see if it lands on the other person.

Sondheim deconstructing his work line by line...I could listen to him all day. Genius. Thanks for sharing. ;)

@vampiregirl357

5 жыл бұрын

It’s amazing to see Sondheim pick at his own work, piece by piece, making it better. If all literary analysis profs saw this, more ppl wouldn’t fair those classes.

It's cool because the actress playing Ms. Lovett originated the role of Cinderella in the original West End production of Into the Woods.

@dauphinstreet

5 жыл бұрын

Cleo Laine's daughter and a terrific artst in her own right.

@melizmatea

4 жыл бұрын

@@dauphinstreet Wow, I didn't know that! Those are some great genes right there...!

@donaldallen1771

3 жыл бұрын

@@melizmatea And Sir John Dankworth is her father.

How incredibly valuable as a teaching resource, and also hear Sondheim's passion for his work, how clever the phrasing is, using the sibilance for the mania and whispering, opening into the vowel, creating the feel. Amazing to watch how the performance grows and the character emerges through direction. How very nervous those students must have felt, and how gracious Sondheim is with them.

@paulmason1147

4 жыл бұрын

No

@queerqueen098

3 ай бұрын

​@@paulmason1147 yes

I absolutely love how Sondheim doesn’t need to take any pauses to think. He knows precisely what to say at all times.

I love Sondheims story (not in this video) about when he, as a high school student, asked Oscar Hammerstein his opinion of a Musical Sondheim had just written. He was expecting profuse praise but Hammerstein told him it was the WORST thing he had ever read ... BUT, if Sondheim wanted him to, Hammerstein would explain to him everything that what was wrong with it. He proceeded to spend the rest of the day doing just that and Sondheim said he learned more about writing songs, and Broadway in general, that day than most learn in a lifetime.

@iamloved223

2 жыл бұрын

And the kindness of Hammerstein taking the time to mentor Sondheim trickled down into Sondheim happily doing the same for others, giving us the beauty of so many creations that may have never otherwise seen the stage.

The detail of Sondheim's thinking about what he wants each word to convey is absolutely astounding...

Jacqui is absolutely wonderful in this scene. Even though she is not the primary singer here, she is completely immersed in the circumstances and is listening to Todd, trying to find a way into his heart. When she finally sings, she continuously tries different tactics to reach him, and her desperation increases, as each one of those tactics fails. It's just wonderful to watch.

I am reading the comments on here, and I hope people keep in mind this is a master class, and these are young university students, so please keep that in mind before the snarky comments...they are not professionals. This is a learning class.

@kbucker13

9 жыл бұрын

Jim C If he is good enough to be a conservatory student he should have more talent!

@deerheart87

6 жыл бұрын

He was bloody awful

@lc1715

4 жыл бұрын

People in these comments truly don't know what the purpose of a master class is.

@susanballard1284

2 жыл бұрын

@@deerheart87 This my have been four years ago, but I'm just seeing it now. Who the F are YOU to say he was "bloody awful"???? He was obviously good enough to get into this conservatory AND to work with Sondheim!! Judgmental jerk!

Kudos to the pianist... Bravo!

So, the actor was phenomenal. He was obviously still learning, but he definitely has salient talent. Perhaps the roll wasn't the best for him, but he's also not playing a live role, but merely singing the part--in class. At the same time, he's not meant to have much emotion; remember, he's meant to be in a trance. He reminds me of Ramin Karimloo, who was definitely not the top of his class in school and who has an entirely different singing style off-stage. However, this is obviously not the case when he's performing as the Phantom or Jean Valjean. This kid might be terribly nervous here, but there is absolutely no way he's lacking in talent.

@anthonydelille100

9 жыл бұрын

Gemma Busoni He wasn't acting at all. He had no emotions on his face whatsoever. I would be so bored as an audience member

@rockabyebyebaby21

9 жыл бұрын

Gemma Busoni Oh my goodness I never knew I needed Ramin as Sweeney until just now. That is a dream cast in I ever had one. Who would be his Mrs Lovett, I wonder?

@daniellefregoe1467

9 жыл бұрын

Maddy Chase Sierra Bogess ;) (Christine in POTO)

@AvalonMorley

8 жыл бұрын

+Danielle Fregoe Maybe in quite a few years. Sierra does have an off-kilter, whacko quality, which could help her develop into a creditable Nellie Lovett in time. It's a bit too soon now, though.

@AvalonMorley

8 жыл бұрын

***** Yes, but Sierra Bogess is not in this video, and she is still quite young for Mrs. Lovett. I'd love to see the girl in this do the role anytime.

Sondheim's face at the end is just one of "god this never get's old"

That's MY friend! The great Bryan Torfeh, back when he was just starting his brilliant career. He's only gotten better since this video.

@amphetaminebunny

2 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear he’s doing well!

Some actors are born with the gift of emoting, and some just need a bit of a nudge in the right direction, but it can be done. This guy seemed a bit reserved from the beginning (maybe partly attributable to being in the presence of a theatrical legend), but in the end, those kernels of knowledge from Sondheim seemed to help a great deal to bring him out of his shell. Considering the circumstances, the improvements were pretty impressive.

I really hate all the negativity that's being spewed over these coaching sessions. These people are students and they are still learning. Have any of you worked on Sondheim before? They are doing very well. Also, Sondheim is more concerned with the acting, he could give two shits about the actual sound of the vocal line as long as you get the rhythms. Half of the actors he uses in his work aren't singers first. Sondheim writes for the actor, not the singer. If he did everything would be pretty with no depth.

@TomCatFromMA

7 жыл бұрын

Clearly you have a point. What else could explain why a non-singer like J. Depp would be asked to play the part. I can't say that I agree with that reasoning, however. Depp was terrible as Sweeney Todd.

@glucoseguardian6033

6 жыл бұрын

uh such an articulate comment. i literally agree about he actor not the singer SOOO much

@andrelavandero3041

6 жыл бұрын

suckittomcat To you, you mean.

@bennettschneider5164

5 жыл бұрын

suckittomcat why do you think Johnny depp wasn’t good for Sweeney Todd i think he did a great job putting his own spin on the character but of course no one can beat Len cariou but j depp is like a great guitar player(he’s not actually a good guitar player) people like Stevie Ray Vaughn Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page you can tell who they are by the first not of their solos j depp put his own style on the character just the right amount and I thought it was really good

@Frickalikaton

5 жыл бұрын

I completely agree I feel that this is a problem with musical theatre nowadays. Broadway and other musical theatre institutions are now far too concerned with sounding and looking good in order to be popular I.e Heathers, Dear Evan Hansen, Be more chill, The Greatest Showman and to a lesser extent Hamilton. By not focusing primarily on the acting (or acting through song) the show has no soul, no heart - it becomes a clinical corporate husk of art. By not focusing on the emotion, the meaning or purpose of the show and instead focus on making it “good” on the surface, it’s the equivalent of waving keys in front of a toddler - there’s no thought into it, but hey it entertains them. I know this seems like the ramblings of a mad man, but I am just so passionate with the art form and infuriated that it is constantly being whored out and gutted of any emotion and meaning just to market to more people.

I hope those kids know that they were mentored by an all-time genius. Mandy Patinkin said once that he never knew Shakespeare, but he will always be able to say he knew and worked with Sondheim (paraphrasing).

This is an amazing video and I'm endlessly glad that I came across it. But still I have to say, Sondheim saying "Make love to the razor." is the most hilarious thing I have heard all day. Just think about that out of context for a second. It's the little things in life.

Boy, how can you not love Sondheim?

@Pepemarcaacme

7 жыл бұрын

Also Jacqui Dankworth, an amazing jazz singer

mrs. lovett highkey outshone Sweeney in this or me... she was full ass crazy lmao

I love that Sondheim never makes them feel inadequate because they couldn't get it at first. It's as if he's showing a song for the first time and is enjoying it as much as them!

I think the best advice he gave the kid was "Make love to the razor".

It's absolutely amazing how much thought went into this song from the rhythm of the song in the beginning reflecting Todd's mental state to the number of s sounds in a a lyric all driving the line of the story. It's a master class in story telling.

“ The Razor is now the girl ... Make love to the Razor” ~ Stephen Sondheim

jacqui is GENIUS HERE! she obviousley studied the role

@tharp42

2 жыл бұрын

I noticed how good she was seconds into the video.

@1gaia

2 жыл бұрын

Sondheim had no notes for her :)

Ok - These "Sondheim teaches" videos just confirm what a genius Sondheim is - he thinks of EVERYTHING. He's considered every word, note, movement. This Ms. Lovett in this peice is great. And the Sweeney guy has a BEAUTIFUL voice - kinda turned me on ;) You all should go watch the girl who does "Getting Married Today" - she's awesome!

Ugh Sondheim is so daddy

@adiksadiatabs

4 жыл бұрын

3:52

@harmoniabalanza

2 жыл бұрын

WHAT?

@juliao8428

2 жыл бұрын

@@harmoniabalanza Hot older man.

@lamburgerr

19 күн бұрын

Fr dude

Well, on this day that we lost a great man, first thing I did was to come here and watch one of my favorite moments I have of him, where he shows his passion for his work and how dedicated he is to art. May his memory be a blessing.

"Look at the razor. Speak to the razor. Make love to the razor." I love Sondheim so much oml I'm absolutely losing it

May his memory be a blessing. We’ll miss you and cherish your art forever, Mr. Sondheim.

Sondheim seems so entranced my his work it shows true dedication

The level of detail Sondheim goes into, why the open part of the phrase has so many S's and his detailed direction. I've always thought he was great but I see something like this and I realize I didn't really understand how great he is.

Thank you for posting. I had seen others in the series but not this. I think we should not be too harsh. These are young students in class. As for Jacqui Dankworth: he clearly loves her here. She went on to play Cinderella in "Into the Woods" and Beth (brilliantly) in "Merrily We Roll Along". Sondheim teaching is a joy to behold!

Sondheim has crazy eyes...hahaha the lady was awesome, she gave me the chills. the dude, well he can sing but man he really need acting classes. probably this people are like 50 now lol

Sondheim's evil grins lol

Oh how i wish he filmed these kind of classes of all his songs. Just sureal to watch him teach...chills

I think the guy is having a hard time tapping into the character's madness. Sweeney Todd is one of the most effed up characters in musical theater; you really have to let yourself go to a very dark place as an actor in order to convey the perversity. It's so hard to do in a workshop setting like this.

@TomCatFromMA

7 жыл бұрын

You unknowingly validated what I observed. The kid must have shit his pants because he's with Sondheim.

she was incredible...really felt the character come through and you could feel the ache she had when she was singing.

Sondheim is completely charming and he makes me wish that HE had played this role! He is so *involved* and committed and open even though he is not the one singing it. I see him responding with his whole body, mouthing the words. He makes you crave his praise! What an amazing person!

"Make love to the razor" sorry Mr. Sondheim I'm already circumcised.

I can't imagine....what an honor to be coached by a master!

I saw the original production when I was a teenager and my mother took me to NYC for the first time for a few days from our small city in Canada (we took the bus there!) and I remember sitting in the audience before the show, watching the gravediggers do their thing and being really intrigued by that. I was so impressed by the show - it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I don't know how we ended up seeing it (we only saw a couple of shows) but my mother picked well - she was very intelligent.

I was lucky to see the original Broadway cast of Sweeney Todd. It was bone-chilling, one of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen. Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou were perfect. And Cariou’s portrayal was mad, indeed. Great to get a glimpse of how Sondheim wanted it played.

Silver's good enough for me Mr. T. RIP Stephen Sondheim.

holy crap! his genius amazes me! sondhiem, the 's' principle, his understanding - each carefully thought out composition of the song. watching his glaze expression as he watched his work being performed. Gosh, I love him!

5:42 I just love that. Kept rewinding it again and again.

Singing this piece for a recital. What a good resource! Sondheim is a genius.

When he knew what choices to make he became so much more expressive. The girl nailed it and I can't imagine a greater compliment than hearing the creator himself recognize your effort. By the end he had it, but I'm sad that last cry wasn't as elevated as I was hoping. Still leaves me with an incomplete feeling watching it after all these years.

@harmoniabalanza

2 жыл бұрын

he's in high school for heaven's sake. They wouldn't be in this school if they didn't have the real talent and potential.

and we learn -- as we are taught

I would kill to have him giving me pointers. Now, I haven't been in a production, but still...to know what it was written to sound like...golden opportunity right there!

Don't you love the look sondheim does with his eyes when he's miming holding the razors!

He's such an insightful director. What an inspiration.

"make love to the razor" oh my that must hurt.. I love this vid, Sonheim´s a genius!

"Make love to the razor!" - probably the most painful thing one could do. Sondheim is priceless. You've gotta love the man. Done wonders for musical theatre

How exciting to receive instruction from Sondheim about his own masterwork! How could you not be a success with that kind of genius tutoring you?

Just read some of the Wiki bio on him. His mother. So sad. Amazing that he became so great.

At 4.50, Sondheim's face. Just a beautiful sight; an artist absorbed completely in his work. Great man.

I Wish That Jacqui Dankworth Would Play Mrs Lovett Judging By This Clip She Would Be An Amazing Mrs Lovett

Sondheim's creepy as hell, yet his genius in undeniable

@glenhumphries8277

6 жыл бұрын

His mannerisms and expression and his language and positively ... well, Sweeney. As though Barker himself is in the room explaining it.

@susanballard1284

2 жыл бұрын

Seriously? "Creepy"???? Wow, I guess you don't really understand his genius. He's PASSIONATE. He's a master story teller, his lyrics are brilliant. I found him to be so nurturing, so unpretentious. so REAL. My God to have been a student of his!!

@Shcreamingreen

2 жыл бұрын

@@susanballard1284 He'd undobtedly give his lips a few passes with his tongue upon seeing the scale of your enthusiasm.

This was great, to see how Sondheim wanted it sung! That guy was a great singer as well!

I’ve been understanding in these clips that a lot of the students are wonderful singers and Sondheim works mainly to pull a performance out of them- turn them into the actors of his vision. I thought this guy was doing alright granted it is a learning experience but then Lovett started singing and wowwww

It's really just magical to see how much the performance improves in a short space of time.

An artist on the scale of a Renaissance master. How will we bear it when he is gone?

Rest in peace. He was the greatest.

I feel like the actor definitely improved the second time. It doesn't have to always be some blood-curdling shout of glory. Crazy comes in a lot of different forms, yo.

Omfg Sondheim is a genius everything he says is absolutely correct no matter what anyone says. Obviously I'm not a legendary writer or director but I would of said slow the tempo down just a bit. But since he thinks over wise I am wrong

Jaqui was really amazing - they both gel well. Was some really good coaching. Lifted the performance really fast!

I like how he ignores every piece of advice and just sings it the same way every time.

The guy playing Sweeney has a quality to his voice that reminds me of Ian Curtis. And I really like it. Works very well for Sweeney and being hypnotic.

This lesson was truly fascinating to watch! I have a greater appreciation for the talented individuals, who sing this beautiful song and even more appreciation for Stephen Sondheim! He is amazing!

I love getting a glimpse into Sondheim's genius here. Really gives you the perspective of how much thought went into his songwriting.

What an honor and a privilege to be taught by a Master...pure genious!! 😊👌♥️

As soon Sondheim started talking, I lost my cool!! HE'S JUST SO AMAZING!! Good teacher too!

I would be SO nervous LMAO

Wow! This is awesome! How lucky were those students to be there learning from Steven Sondheim! Thanks for sharing with us!

its so incredible to hear Sondheim's resonig behind this song! There is so much meaning behind it that I could never imagine (the S's, the "square time," etc.) It's really fascinating and inspiring. What I would give for an hour with that man....

These vids are priceless! I love watching him work with young talent. I wish I had him to push me out of myself at that age.

I'm always in awe when I watch these videos and hear Stephen Sondheim talking about music. The man truly is a genius and he has such passion for music. It's inspiring.

I watched this years ago but it's reflective to see this again, especially since his passing. Wonderful to see a wonderful teacher.

Forever the best

This was a beautiful watch. I'm happy it came up in my suggested videos. May Sondheim rest in peace.

omg they are fabulous. terrific singers

The girl who is playing Mrs. Lovett is amazing

The development of the student is truly incredible I could definitely feel the passion

this is GOLDEN. to have such an artist explain the method and rhyme behind his creation is immeasurable.

I don't do a lot of musical theatre or auditioning, but when I do, this is my audition piece. The existence of this video is an absolute gift. I can follow the lessons he is imparting, and listen to this performer, who is very good, without being intimidated by Len Cariou or my favorite George Hearn. Nor do I feel the frustration of moving the piece to a tenor piece for Depp... I think I watch this video more often than I actually do auditions.

I am a huge Sondheim fan. He is absolutely amazing. Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Company....Ahhh I love them allll!!!!!

The creator process is so important to capture. Thank you.

I LOVED Mrs. Lovett! You could totally see that Stephen thought she was wonderful too... totally worth sitting through that guys mediocre Sweeney for her. I love Sondheim's response when he tells the guy to be more Shakespearean and he just is a tiny bit louder.... "That's good."

It's called being in character love. You wouldn't expect someone like Mrs Lovett to sing nicely with a gorgeous tone. She needs that bit of rough in her voice.

It's so great to watch Johnny Depp's version of the song after watching this. You can see Johnny Depp doing all the things Sondheim said.

"The words have a whisper-like quality, keep the whisper" *Sings louder* Fuck's sake...

@firekingII

7 жыл бұрын

Well, whisper on stage doesn't mean not loud

Watched this religiously during my time in the theater rest well Stephen...you gave us something special 😔

These vids are priceless! I love watching him work with young talent. I wish I had him to push me out of myself at that age. And my father did a show with him. He's cray all right. Crazy like a fox.

@ariana.m.lamark

5 жыл бұрын

psychomusicana wow! Which show did he get to do with Sondheim?