Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber: The New Musical (Applause Books) - Softcover

Citron, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1480386499 ISBN 13: 9781480386495

Publisher: Applause, 2014

Synopsis

In this third volume of the distinguished The Great Songwriters series, musicologist Stephen Citron takes on two leading contributors to the lyric stage, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd-Webber. By exploring the works of these two giants of musical theater and those of their contemporaries, Citron also simultaneously guides readers along the winding path of musical theater.

Beginning with Sondheim's lyrics-only works West Side Story, Gypsy, and Do I Hear A Waltz? through his scores for A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park, and Into the Woods, among other classic musicals, Citron presents major, milestones of musical theater, exploring the influence of the artist's youthful training and private life upon his creative output. Lloyd-Webber's musical contributions – from his early works The Likes of Us and Joseph to his smash hits Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera, among others – are also thoroughly analyzed.

As in Citron's previous critically acclaimed books in this series, the artists'works are clarified and put into context with their contemporaries. Complete with a quadruple chronology that reveal Sondheim's and Lloyd-Webber's lives within the scope of world events, copious quotations from their works, and many never-before-published illustrations, Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber is a must-read for anyone interested in musical theater.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

A dual biography of two giants of the modern musical ? from the author of Songwriting.

Eminent musicologist, Stephen Citron, takes on two contemporary greats of the lyric stage. His powerfully fascinating, in-depth study traces changes to the musical as an art form, through Sondheim and Webber?s works, and the music of their contemporaries. As with his other critically acclaimed books ? lives of Noel Coward, Cole Porter and Oscar Hammerstein ? Citron stresses the impact of their early training and private lives on the two artists? remarkable creative output. A vitally significant, critical work for anyone interested in contemporary theatre.

About the Author:

Stephen Citron (1924-2013) was one of the world's best-known musical theater historians; he also a composer, pianist, lyricist, and lecturer. His book Songwriting is the standard reference work on the subject. He has also written acclaimed biographies. including in-depth music analysis in such works as Noel and Cole: The Sophisticates, The Wordsmiths: Oscar Hammerstein 2nd and Alan Jay Lerner, and Jerry Herman: Poet of the Showtune. Citron lived in Beverly Hills, California, and past away at the age of 89.

About this edition

• Publisher: Applause
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1480386499
• ISBN 13: 9781480386495
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464