New Artwork (Sweeney Todd)
*peeks around corner*
Is the strike over...?
Can I post?
Can I?
Hi there, my dears, here I am finally, bearing new artwork I'd like to share with you. Hope you enjoy it. :-)
I've seen Sweeney Todd now twice in cinema and have to say: it's a truly fantastic experience! Yes, it IS bloody, it IS gruesome, but it is a masterpiece of a film IMHO. While I found the blood spurting in "Sleepy Hollow" to be unnecessary and irritating, all the blood that is being spilled throughout Sweeney Todd's campaign of vengeance is true to the tale's grim and dark character and remarkably apt.
What surprised me most is that I (being not a great musical fan, I tend to like opera a lot better) liked this Sondheim musical immediately, liked it very much indeed. I found an explanation for this in an interview with the composer:
Debuting on Broadway on March 1, 1979, Sweeney Todd was unlike anything seen on stage before: Original, witty, and dark, with otherworldly music. (...)
A film version of "Sweeney Todd" seemed logical to Sondheim since his musical was inspired by a score from Bernard Herrmann, best known for his Hitchcock films ("Vertigo," "Psycho"). "I've been a movie fan since I was a kid," admits Sondheim. "When I was 15, I saw 'Hangover Square' with Herrmann score. It's a flamboyant Edwardian melodrama about a composer who goes crazy--when he hears certain sounds, he goes out and murders beautiful girls. I remember just loving that score, and I thought it would be fun to scare audiences and see if I could do it with singing."
I think he succeeded. :-) I was really impressed by the singing all the actors did. Wow! Taking singing lessons myself for over a year now, I know that it's not easy at all to sing alone. Singing in a choir is a diffent matter, you always feel secure in the crowd, but as a soloist you are pretty... er, well, alone.
Curious person that I am, I watched several clips of Broadway productions of ST on youtube, mostly with Angela Lansbury as Ms. Lovett and Len Cariou and George Hearn in the part of the demon barber. Each of them had their own, characteristic way of portrayal and they are trained singers, of course, able to fill a stage and the auditorium in a theatre with their voices. And yet, I thought, none of the actors in Tim Burton's film version didn´t need to fear the comparison with the pros.
Tidbits of the music and some of the songs you can hear on the film's official website:
http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/
I absolutely loved Sacha Baron Cohen. Ha! His Signor Pirelli was one fop, just hilarious. Would you believe it, the whole world knows him as "Borat". Not me, I've never seen Borat, but at least I've seen him once as Ali G. - I read that Tim Burton regrets that he had no videotape at hand when Cohen auditioned for the role - he sang the entire score of Fiddler on the Roof! :-D
Helena Bonham Carter was a gorgeous Ms. Lovett. Down-to-earth and wonderfully matter-of-fact in any situation. :-D
Alan Rickman was the reliable evil charismatic guy as ever. Oh, and I loved his singing voice very much!
Needless to say that I loved Johnny Depp's portrayal of ST, a lost and tormented soul. He frightened and amused me, at some points at the same time! He's creepy and sexy. What a mixture! I intended to write more about his performance, but I find myself somewhat at a loss for words... it seems all my emotions have gone into the drawing...
Drawing this face was an absolutely delightful thing to do. It was like sculpturing; and it was so enjoyable, I worked for about 8 days on it. It's my first go at a portrait with pastel pencils.
Here's a more detailed view:
Technique: Pastel on velour-surface paper, 24 x 33 cm
After only three weeks, the movie has left our cinemas already, so I am now waiting for the DVD...
ETA: I've added a fascinating compilation of a teaching Stephen Sondheim held for Guildhall School students back in the 80's regarding the song "My Friends", and how it is interpreted in the film by Johnny Depp. It is wonderful how close he is to Sondheim's idea of Sweeney.
Is the strike over...?
Can I post?
Can I?
Hi there, my dears, here I am finally, bearing new artwork I'd like to share with you. Hope you enjoy it. :-)
I've seen Sweeney Todd now twice in cinema and have to say: it's a truly fantastic experience! Yes, it IS bloody, it IS gruesome, but it is a masterpiece of a film IMHO. While I found the blood spurting in "Sleepy Hollow" to be unnecessary and irritating, all the blood that is being spilled throughout Sweeney Todd's campaign of vengeance is true to the tale's grim and dark character and remarkably apt.
What surprised me most is that I (being not a great musical fan, I tend to like opera a lot better) liked this Sondheim musical immediately, liked it very much indeed. I found an explanation for this in an interview with the composer:
Debuting on Broadway on March 1, 1979, Sweeney Todd was unlike anything seen on stage before: Original, witty, and dark, with otherworldly music. (...)
A film version of "Sweeney Todd" seemed logical to Sondheim since his musical was inspired by a score from Bernard Herrmann, best known for his Hitchcock films ("Vertigo," "Psycho"). "I've been a movie fan since I was a kid," admits Sondheim. "When I was 15, I saw 'Hangover Square' with Herrmann score. It's a flamboyant Edwardian melodrama about a composer who goes crazy--when he hears certain sounds, he goes out and murders beautiful girls. I remember just loving that score, and I thought it would be fun to scare audiences and see if I could do it with singing."
I think he succeeded. :-) I was really impressed by the singing all the actors did. Wow! Taking singing lessons myself for over a year now, I know that it's not easy at all to sing alone. Singing in a choir is a diffent matter, you always feel secure in the crowd, but as a soloist you are pretty... er, well, alone.
Curious person that I am, I watched several clips of Broadway productions of ST on youtube, mostly with Angela Lansbury as Ms. Lovett and Len Cariou and George Hearn in the part of the demon barber. Each of them had their own, characteristic way of portrayal and they are trained singers, of course, able to fill a stage and the auditorium in a theatre with their voices. And yet, I thought, none of the actors in Tim Burton's film version didn´t need to fear the comparison with the pros.
Tidbits of the music and some of the songs you can hear on the film's official website:
http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/
I absolutely loved Sacha Baron Cohen. Ha! His Signor Pirelli was one fop, just hilarious. Would you believe it, the whole world knows him as "Borat". Not me, I've never seen Borat, but at least I've seen him once as Ali G. - I read that Tim Burton regrets that he had no videotape at hand when Cohen auditioned for the role - he sang the entire score of Fiddler on the Roof! :-D
Helena Bonham Carter was a gorgeous Ms. Lovett. Down-to-earth and wonderfully matter-of-fact in any situation. :-D
Alan Rickman was the reliable evil charismatic guy as ever. Oh, and I loved his singing voice very much!
Needless to say that I loved Johnny Depp's portrayal of ST, a lost and tormented soul. He frightened and amused me, at some points at the same time! He's creepy and sexy. What a mixture! I intended to write more about his performance, but I find myself somewhat at a loss for words... it seems all my emotions have gone into the drawing...
Drawing this face was an absolutely delightful thing to do. It was like sculpturing; and it was so enjoyable, I worked for about 8 days on it. It's my first go at a portrait with pastel pencils.
Here's a more detailed view:
Technique: Pastel on velour-surface paper, 24 x 33 cm
After only three weeks, the movie has left our cinemas already, so I am now waiting for the DVD...
ETA: I've added a fascinating compilation of a teaching Stephen Sondheim held for Guildhall School students back in the 80's regarding the song "My Friends", and how it is interpreted in the film by Johnny Depp. It is wonderful how close he is to Sondheim's idea of Sweeney.
Click to view