Track Listing

1. Overture and Night Waltz
2. Now/Later/Soon
3. Glamourous Life
4. Remember
5. You Must Meet My Wife
6. Liaisons
7. In Praise Of Women
8. Every Day A Little Death
9. Weekend In The Country
10. Night Waltz I: The Sun Won't Set
11. Night Waltz II: The Sun Sits Low
12. It Would Have Been Wonderful
13. Perpetual Anticipation
14. Send In The Clowns
15. Miller's Son
16. Send In The Clowns/Night Waltz
17. Glamorous Life

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80729 in Music
• Released on: 1999-02-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack

Customer Reviews

Sondheim's most enchanting work
This might just be my favourite Sondheim score, witty, haunting and achingly beautiful. The original cast is wonderful, with two superb leading performances from Johns and Cariou (the latter would create another indelible Sondheim character in 1979's "Sweeney Todd").

Sondheim's music in this score is so rich and full of suprises, all written on variations of 3/4 time. These include the utterly delectable "You Must Meet My Wife", the wonderfully witty "Now" and the torrid "The Miller's Son". Of course, Sondheim only real hit song also makes its debut, "Send in the Clowns", a song which has been done to death but only truly comes to life for me when heard in the context of the whole score. Every number in this musical has something special to say, and I have a particular fancy for the "Night Waltz" which pops up throughout the play, a haunting, off-key little thing which always gives me goosebumps!

I could go on listing highlights - just buy the CD and wallow in this glorious mix of wit, melody and sensuousness.

Utter, utter bliss
I've scarcely stopped listening to this CD since I bought it a few months ago, and there are few things that give me more pleasure. It'll always be best known for "Send In The Clowns," but it's so much more than that. In my opinion, this is Sondheim's most beautiful and melodic score, filled with little gems. Personal highlights include:

Now/Later/Soon
The Glamorous Life
You Must Meet My Wife (one of Sondheim's wittiest lyrics)
In Praise of Women
Every Day a Little Death (my personal favourite- beautiful and haunting)
A Weekend In The Country
The Miller's Son (Sondheim's own favourite)

The cast is superb, led by Len Cariou as the middle aged lawyer Fredrik Egerman, struggling to convince himself that his marriage to his eighteen year old virgin bride Anne has been a success. Glynis Johns is a real class act as the earthy and luscious Desirée Armfeldt, one of the most bewitching heroines in all of musical theatre. Hermione Gingold as Desirée's formidable mother, a retired courtesan, is the ultimate grande dame, who milks her solo, "Liasions" for every nuance that it's worth. Special mention should also be give to Victoria Mallory's perfectly judged Anne, who has an absolutely gorgeous voice (Sondheim actually wrote the role with her in mind) and Laurence Guittard as the highly jealous dragoon Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, who sings "In Praise Of Women" thrillingly- he was also a wonderful Fredrik in the 1995 revival at the National Theatre opposite Judi Dench's Desirée.

Listening to this album is akin to sipping a flute of the finest champagne- revel in the gorgeous melodies, brilliantly witty and insightful lyrics and enjoy.