[blackbird_fly]

I got the idea from the Wicked forum.

[musical_maven]

Everything in ALL of Sondheim's musicals impresses me. The man's a musical genius!

[Monsieur D'Arque]

This might not count, and don't take me for a movie bleeder, but my absolute favourite thing about the film orchestrations is that they began their orchestra with a combination of the Sweeney Organ Prelude and Bach's Toccatta And Fugue- subly setting the mood as well as giving a nod to a great composer of the past. Not to mention that the movie's main line of inspiration was the Hammer Horror films, a classic franchise known to use Bach's famous organ solo (forever associated with one horror monster or another).

[Little_Nell]

I love the small section of music between the end of 'The Barber and His Wife' and 'Worst Pies'. I can't explain it any better than that, but it's really dramatic and exciting and it makes me smile every time I hear it. For me, this tiny bit of music is Sweeney Todd.

[Joshua]

[Tenalto]

I love how he worked the "Dies Irae" into almost everything. It's most noticeable in the Ballads, but I was watching this making-of documentary on YouTube about the original London production. There was a lot of footage of Sondheim at a piano, playing snippets here and there and explaining them. When he began on "Epiphany," he pointed out how the "Dies Irae" was worked into the chords. My jaw dropped and I swore in amazement; it was really obvious once he mentioned it, but before that I hadn't ever noticed. Maybe I'm just unobservant. Nevertheless, the man is an utter genius.

[Sweeney Hyde]

I LOVE how the industrial revolution subplot/theme works in directly with the score. Because of this, we have such great moments as the transition between "The Worst Pies in London" and the crazy nuts chord progressions in Sweeney's "Johanna".

I'll post more later when I have more energy.

[Barberous]

I love two brief, repeating musical phrases (or whatever) that underlie 'No Place Like London' and 'The Barber and his Wife'. I can't describe them in musical terms. But the first one is first heard, I think, on the last word of Sweeney's line "Life has been kind to you... you will learn." The other is perhaps first heard after "For the cruelty of men is as wondrous as Peru, but there's no place like London." They're both so melancholy.

[Kiwi]

Besides the entire thing being amazing, one little thing I found really cool is in Not While I'm Around there's a slight difference in the orchestrations behind Toby vs. Mrs. Lovett: there's a solo eerie sounding violin playing behind Mrs. Lovett, much like what's playing in relation to parts with Sweeney. Almost like what Sweeney told her to do with Toby playing in her mind at the same time that her care for Toby is playing in it. I thought it was interesting. Maybe I'm reading too far into it, but I like to think I'm clever.

[Joshua]

[Mistress]

It's hard to just pick one part, but I have to say I LOVE the asylum patients' City on Fire...it's been a while since I've actually heard it (since I only really see it when I rent the Hearn/Lansbury film...haven't bought the OBC yet) but I love how eery and psychotic the music is...I mean you could play it without the singing, and the music itself would just scream mental institution.

[Sweeney Hyde]

The way the chimes are used for St. Duncan's church...especially how they are used throughout the second act.

[Joshua]

I love the use of the Dies Irae chant throughout the score.