Another High Song To Sing? (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Member Name: pjs21

Product:	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Date:	28/01/03 (251 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You can turn it down, Or Off

Disadvantages: You may have to sit through it

Okay, here we go.

For those who have read my opinion of Stephen Sondheim you will know my feelings towards Mr Webber. For those who may well have read my opinion on The Phantom of The Opera, you too will know my feelings towards Andy W.

For those of you who haven't read either of these, you are yet to learn my feelings of Mr Webber.

Andrew Lloyd Webber was destined to be one of the countries most respected composers after having his first piece of music published at the age of 9. By the age of 40 he had written seven major musicals, most of which had his name in lights on both sides of the Atlantic. He was the first British composer to have three shows running simultaneously in the West End and on Broadway, which is, or was, a huge thing to achieve.

So what has he written?

The question is, what hasn't he? Well, he wasn't behind West Side Story, Chicago, Carousel, Kiss of The Spider Woman, South Pacific, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd.

He was however behind Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; Jesus Christ, Superstar; Evita; Cats; Song & Dance; Requiem; Starlight Express, Phantom of The Opera; Sunset Boulevard; Aspects of Love; Whistle Down The Wind; and The Beautiful Game. There are no doubt more than I have listed, but to be honest, I got bored just thinking about them.

Now, I've been singing professionally for about 12 years now, and believe me when I say I've sung a lot of his music. From Phantom to Cats, Joseph to Evita. It is incredibly popular and an evening of music is almost not complete unless you include atleast one of his songs. As showstopping numbers for a singer to show off their voice, they're good fun to do. As great pieces of writing they don't stand up. The lyrics are often banal and the melodies hummable but insipid and lazy.

His music often contradicts the emotion of the song but is written that way to make it m
ore be
autiful. He seems to be scared of writing something truthful that may not be comfortable to listen to. Sondheim, Kander & Ebb are both spot on when it comes to writing music which tells us the truth behind the words being sung. This is genius writing.

Neither of the above particularly write show stopping numbers, Sondheim uses his big numbers to make a point, not purely to give the singer a moment to show us how great they are at hitting big notes.

I remember seeing Aspects of Love with the god-awful Michael Ball. He was directed to stand forward away from the action to sing Love Changes Everything. What was that all about? Awful show, awful music. Phantom of The Opera is based around two or three songs which keep getting repeated, I fell asleep. Cats ? good poems that should be left in a book, bad music. Starlight Express is a great show for kids, and the probably his best, however this is not around any longer, but I have heard talk that it may come back in it's own purpose-built theatre.

Sunset Boulevard, what was that. I remember laughing a lot. Terrible, terrible. A couple of good tunes wrapped up in tosh.

Jesus Christ, Superstar. Hmm, maybe this is better than Starlight. It's probably his only good adult musical. It does have some great songs. Evita, take or leave, leave the Madonna version - what were they thinking of. Mind you if it was a choice of Madonna or Elaine Page, it would have to be Madonna, but that?s a different opinion for another time.

I know this review may upset a few people. Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals are loved by the masses. They should be, Andrew Lloyd Webber writes simple music that appeals, it is easy listening and accessible. What it is not is challenging, demanding, or well written. It is pap on a plate served up for general public to sup on. I haven't seen beautiful game, and I didn't bother with whistle down the wind, but heard the music a
nd
it sounded the same as most of his others with equally bland lyrics.

There was talk a long time that one of his musicals (I can't remember which one now) was written around the notes of West Side Story, some great musician deconstructed it and discovered this. I don't know whether that?s true or not.

So, if writing great music means taking it up an octave after every chorus until you reach the highest possible note to finish on, then yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber is a great composer. However, if music should be intelligent, clever, versatile, challenging, truthful and moving, he is not, and should not be compared to the likes of Mozart, Bach et al.

If you want to know great music for the stage, see Chicago, see A Little Night Music, See Carousel, see Sweeney Todd, see West Side Story, see Kiss Of The Spider Woman. None of these had to rely on stunning special effects to keep you interested.

Listen to George Gershwin, Sondheim, Bernstein, Kander & Ebb, Cole Porter, Verdi, Mozart, Puccini etc. But please, don't think Webber is wonderful. He's good, but he's not great and there's a big difference.

I'm sorry if any one is upset, this is my opinion, but hey, if he was a genius this would have been a much nicer review. Still he does get two stars purely for doing something I can't.

Summary: