[Sweeney Hyde]

They did this in the Les Miserables forum so I thought we should give it a try here. Compare each recording that you know/want to by character, chorus, and orchestration and then explain.

OBC = Original Broadway Cast Recording
OFS = Original Film Soundtrack
RCR = 2005 Revival Cast Recording
LCR = 2000 Live Concert Recording with the NYC Philharmonic

Sweeney Todd
LCR George Hearn is my favorite Sweeney on the recordings. His character and personality of said character shines through the recording, making me feel like I'm seeing him act it as well as hearing him act it. Perfection.

Mrs. Lovett
OBC Angela Lansbury has always taken the cake for me as far as Mrs. Lovett is concerned. I don't think I really need to elaborate on why.

Judge Turpin
OBC and OFS tie. I really love both interpretations of Turpin from both the OBC and the Film. Edmund gives the Judge a very evil and almost demonic feel whereas I think Alan gives him a stalker-like and seductive quality to the Judge. I think that these different personalities also are evident in their singing. Lyndsdeck is very booming and dark whereas Rickman's was a bit lighter and smooth. I really wish Rickman would have been given the chance to do "Mea Culpa."... I think it would have been beyond creepy.

Beadle
LCR and OFS tie. I love Timothy Spall's Bealde, however, I really don't think the part is complete without the Parlour Songs and the Kiss Me Quartet. For this, I like John Aler of the LCR best of the ones that were given the chance to record.

Johanna
OBC I think Sarah Rice has the best voice of all the Johannas. It's light enough, unlike Betsy Joleson who lays it on pretty darn hard, and but not too like, that that of the OFS.

Anthony
OBC I have loved Victor Garber in everything I've heard him in. I love his voice for Anthony. It has the perfect lightness and forlorness to it while maintaining his masquilinity. Cris in the 1982 DVD has a stronger voice but doesn't convince me as a sailor at all.

Pirelli
LCR I think this man was the perfect Pirelli. Olsen had an amazing operatic tenor which he used to really lay on the over-the-top aspect of Pirelli in every way, his humourous and evil side.

Tobias
RCR I love Manoel Felciano's Toby. It has that dash of insanity that I think is pivitol. I also love his Not While I'm Around better than any others. It's strong when it needs to be strong and light when it needs to be light.

Beggar Woman
LCR Two words: Audra McDonald. She's just so strong the whole way through. She's also the only one who gets to sing "The Beggar Woman's Lullaby" which I think adds so much to the character right before her death.

Orchestrations
OBC The orchestrations for the OBC are so strong and full it's nearly orgasmic. I mean, the NYC Philharmonic was great too, but I just don't think it was ballanced with the voices as well. I mean, that 41 person pit they used for the recording of the OBC is just so strong and clear. It's a perfect ballance of strings to winds to percussion. I think that the NYC Phil was a bit string heavy, which, seeing as how crucial the brass section is to adding that industrial element to the music, wasn't the best for it.

Chorus
OBC This was an absolutely amazing chorus group. They were stirring, rich, and full. Listen to the "Lift your razor high" part of the opening Ballad. Where else do you hear a chorus for this show more perfect that on the OBCR? No where!

[mastachen]

I'm gonna ask the same question that I asked in the Les Mis forum then. Are we only limited to legal recordings, or whatever audios we might own?

[Sweeney Hyde]

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Sweeney, I agree with all of your choices save orchestrations.

The OFS orchestrations are, in many ways, brilliant. Even on the strength of just the underscoring (Main Titles, Transition To Lovett's House), the improvement is clear.

[Sweeney Hyde]

[javertim]

I'd say OBC for just about everything. The only two exceptions may be for Judge Turpin and (to a lesser extent) Pirelli. Edmund Lyndeck is a fun Judge, but he just doesn't strike me as an authoritative figure. He plays the Judge as very, very old, and his constant grunting, etc. makes the character seem like he's not much to be afraid of. Paul Plishka on the other hand has an astounding, powerful voice and one cannot help but notice it. However, he seems to have a hard time interpreting some of the spoken lines ... Funnily, in his Opera performances, I most often find the reverse to be true -- that his acting and inflection are spot-on, even if the voice is not always the end-all-be-all for basses.

Furthermore, I wish Timothy Nolen had been included, even if the DVD might not be what some consider a "recording." Now here's a voice that is strong, commanding, and scary. Also, Mr. Nolen has the visuals to work with too, which may give him an unfair advantage, but he plays the Judge with so much intensity that it's easy to see why he intimidates people. However, the key word there is see, in which case he cannot really be considered.

As for Pirelli, Joaquin Romaguera nails the inflections, the accent, etc ... But Stanford Olsen has such a voice! One thing about Romaguera in the high tessitura, it seems like his voice takes a very long time to make it to the written note (think "grace," "race," etc.). This is not the case with Olsen -- he hits the notes spot on and hold them wonderfully. Still, it depends on which you hold more dear: acting or singing. Thus, if I'm listening to a recording, I'd rather have Olsen, whereas if I'm seeing it onstage, I'd rather have Romaguera.

I'm not going to talk about Sweeney or Lovett, because I think I've made my opinion on whom I like the most quite clear in previous topics. However, it astounds me as to how anyone could think there has been a better Beadle than Jack Eric Williams. The poor man has never gotten his due attention; truly not the "fashion of the day." Also, Merle Louise's Beggar woman is the unsung hero of the OBC. What an astounding performance!

As for the orchestrations, I prefer the OBC to the film soundtrack, as the latter implemented a few changes that were just too glaringly apparent to me. Most importantly, the final bit of harmony in "A Little Priest" (when Sweeney sings "Have charity toward the world ...") was changed for the film and it just irks me because I thought it was perfect as it was originally. Also, the film omits that huge orchestral surge in "Johanna" that occurs around Anthony's last "I feel you, Johanna" ... Some would call this nitpicking ... Still, I will acknowledge that if the OBC orchestrations have any rival, it's definitely those of the film soundtrack.

[Dots Parasole]

Does nobody here own the Barcelona recording? Geez.

[Salome]

and dont forget Merle LOuise won the Drama Desk award for her Beggar Woman.

[Kragey]

Going on a song-to-song comparison--with no LCR and legal recordings only--I vote for OBC all the way, except for "By the Sea" (liked the shorter version in the film) and it's a tie between Depp and Hearn's "Epiphany." The revival cast doesn't do a whole lot for me.

I love the bright tone in film!Anthony's voice, but I've wanted to sex Victor Garber since I was a fourth grade girl watching Titanic in theaters, so there you have it. XD

[Mistress]

[Salome]

Lansbury has a better voice than luPone by far.

[Mistress]

I don't know...Lupone's lower notes seem richer, but Lansbury definitely has really nice high notes.

[Salome]

LupOne has to shout in her softer moments she cant control her voice. plus she has terrible diction.

[Mistress]

[Sweeney Hyde]

[Yakko]

I'm surprised no one has said much about Neil Patrick Harris.
He OWNS Not While I'm Around. (I think)

[Dots Parasole]

[Mistress]

[YouGotsToLovett]

[Yakko]

where can I find the Barcelona recording?

[qmechanic]

[qmechanic]

I thought Patti LuPone was pretty awful in the "LCR" recording with the New York Philharmonic in 2000. But I really love George Hearn's performance in those concerts. What to do? I bought the San Francisco concert DVD (where Patti's performance was better) and I ripped all the DVD audio into mp3 and flac audio files.

I would say more but SweeneyHyde wanted only to compare audio-only recordings. Anyways, I just mention this because if anyone really liked the San Francisco concert, you can rip the audio like I did.

[Salome]

[Mistress]

[qmechanic]

[Sweeney Hyde]

[actor]

[Mistress]

[dolbinau]

Sweeney Todd.

LCR - I really think Hearn is Sweeney. His performance of "My Friends" and "Epiphany" do it for me; The only thing that irritates me is the cheesy "OH MY GOD" when Lucy dies .

Mrs. Lovett

RCR - I think LuPone's voice is very seductive; I prefer this to the annoying 'hag'/almost 'duck' style voice that Angela (puts on?) for her performance. HBC's voice is too weak to be considered the 'winner' for me, but she is close. LuPone's performance was (not surprisingly) much better on this recording than the live LCR IMO.

Judge Turpin

LCR - Rickman is a close second.

Beadle

OFS - Timothy Spall is such a great actor, I really 'get' his 'camp'/self indulgent personality. I don't necessarily favour his singing (no preference really), his character makes him my most favourite Beadle by far.

Johanna

I really have no preference - As long as it isn't the movie.

Anthony

OFS - I think there is more contrast with Anthony and Sweeney's voice in the film, even though this subplot was not explored very well in the film I like the 'young lovers' vibe.

Pirelli

LCR or OFS - I preferred the singing aspect of the LCR but SBC (maybe by the effect of his last roles) was more humorous.

Tobias

OFS - Ed Sanders almost stole the movie, such an amazing performance. I 'got' the vibe of a vulnerable Child wanting to 'protect' Lovett more than an overgrown boy who couldn't grow up

Beggar Woman

I really have no preference

Orchestrations OBC or OFS - I'm not sure if it is the actual orchestration or the recording. Definitely in the case of the 2005 revival the full orchestra works better, but in the case of the LCR vs OBC recordings I think the OBC just has a higher quality recording. The movie is haunting and rich, It doesn't sound as 'raw' as the OBC. (I know people may think this is a bad thing, but meh) - I especially love "My Friends" and the Ballad part at the end (even if some kind of chorus contributes to it), the opening titles and the final scene.

Chorus

LCR - The ballad accompanying My Friends gave me chills. I'm sure it's Hearn/Orchestra contributing though - The piano in the 2005 revival isn't as powerful but that's no fault of the choir.