Is it possible to have a more sublime combination than the erudite music of Stephen Sondheim and the ethereal song stylings of Judy Collins? Originally broadcast on PBS, this 2016 concert finds the legendary songstress performing the Broadway master's finest works at Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall, backed by the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Glen Cortese. Collins has a unique talent for recreating Sondheim's most biting and acidic songs with a distinctive sense of ruefulness—a bit of musical magic that lends a new layer of ironic serenity to tunes that are too-often plumbed for bitterness. Here, Sondheim classics including “I'm Still Here” and “Send in the Clowns” are presented as introspective last laughs at an uncaring world, while “Gun Song” offers a disturbing note of wonderment to a harrowing portrait of a dreadful weapon. Collins's beautifully-phrased performances of intellectually intricate songs like “Children and Art” and “Finishing the Hat” offer a magnificent display of the songwriter's peerless command of language. Oddly, Collins also includes a few non-Sondheim numbers in this 18-song set—including the Joni Mitchell-penned pop hit “Chelsea Morning” and a pair of John Denver songs—that do not fit the marvelous mood created by the Sondheim canon, but this is still a magical show. Presented in stereo, extras include an interview with Collins, and rehearsal footage. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)
Judy Collins: A Love Letter to Stephen Sondheim
(2016) 90 min. DVD: $19.95. Music Video Distributors (avail. from most distributors). Volume 32, Issue 2
Judy Collins: A Love Letter to Stephen Sondheim
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