Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Wilk, Max

Found in

1. Interviews for the book "They're playing our song".

Description

1. 1 streaming audio file (approximately 1 hr.) : digital, mono.

Summary

1. Stephen Sondheim, a composer and lyricist, speaks about Oscar Hammerstein's, Burt Shevelove's and Arthur Laurents' influence on his lyric writing and points out the principles he considers the most important: clarity of expression; the importance of thought before expression (that is, more stress on the idea than the rhyme); the notion and significance of the subtext in a play; having staging in mind while composing a song for a musical; and writing songs from a playwriting perspective. He demonstrates these ideas by analyzing his musicals "Gypsy" and "Westside story," and discusses other topics such as why he doesn't want to collaborate with composers anymore and instead writes his own music; his talented associates (J. Robbins, L. Bernstein, J. Styne, A. Laurents); what he doesn't like about Larry Hart's lyrics and how Rodgers and Hart worked when they were a team; writing hit songs versus musicals; and more.

Alternative title

1. They're playing our song.
2. Interviews for the book "They're playing our song".

Subject

1. Sound recordings
2. Interviews
3. Lyricists > United States > Interviews
4. Composers > United States > Biography
5. Sondheim, Stephen > Interviews

Genre/Form

1. Interviews.
2. Sound recordings.

Call number

1. *LDC 53174

Note

1. Title supplied by cataloger from information on the original container.
2. Original interview conducted by Max Wilk, playwright, screenwriter and author of fiction and nonfiction books, for the book "They're playing our song" published in 1973.

Access (note)

1. Access to original item restricted.

Additional formats (note)

1. Also available on CD (1 audio disc : digital, mono ; 4 3/4 in.) copied from archival original in *LDC 53174.

Linking entry (note)

1. Forms part of: Interviews for the book "They're playing our song."

Author

1. Sondheim, Stephen, interviewee.

Title

1. Interview with Stephen Sondheim, 1971-11-12.

Production

1. 1971.

Playing time

1. 005942

Type of content

1. spoken word

Type of medium

1. audio
2. computer

Type of carrier

1. audio disc
2. online resource

Performer

1. Stephen Sondheim, interviewee ; Max Wilk, interviewer.

Event

1. Recorded in New York City 1971 November 12.

Access

1. Access to original item restricted.

Additional formats

1. Also available on CD (1 audio disc : digital, mono ; 4 3/4 in.) copied from archival original in *LDC 53174.

Linking entry

1. Forms part of: Interviews for the book "They're playing our song."

Local note

1. Archival original: (1 audiotape reel : analog, 7 1/2 ips., 1/2 track mono ; 10 in.) in *LT-10 2180.

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Music Division Audio and Moving Image material
2. NYPL Digital Collections

Added author

1. Wilk, Max, interviewer.

Added title

1. They're playing our song.
2. Interviews for the book "They're playing our song".

Found in:

1. Interviews for the book "They're playing our song".

Research call number

1. *LDC 53174
2. *LT-10 2180