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Tim Burton’s Introduction to the Songs
My Friends / Including Underscore based on The Ballad of Sweeney Todd & No Place Like London
Epiphany
And The Video / Interview with Depp on Epiphany’s Recording
Johnny Depp’s Sweeney Todd Studio Sessions
Add to My Profile | More VideosJohanna
Johnny Depp, Laura Michelle Kelly and Jamie Campbell Bower perform “Johanna,” one of the best songs from Sweeney Todd, while Depp and and Helena Bonham Carter also perform “Epiphany ” and “My Friends” (two other signature tunes). This is a phone recording from the Lincoln Center screening.
This should put to rest any fears about Depp’s vocal abilities. Also, purists will be delighted to know that the original orchestrator from the show, Jonathan Tunick, worked on the movie and actually expanded on the score to make it more “big.” He did this by augmenting the orchestra, and — while some songs like the ballads were cut — the instrumentals still remain.
As for me, I’m one Elfman fan who’s really looking forward to this…
Stylistically, Burton chose a musical with startlingly similar characteristics to a Danny Elfman film score. The “dies irae” motif that Elfman plays around with (in scores like Sleepy Hollow or Nightmare Before Christmas) is instrumentally interwoven into the Ballads. The chordal structures as well are based on Bernard Herrmann’s film work (just like Danny’s own scores) and the orchestration that Tunick wrote based on Sondheim’s direction is a mix of Ravel, Stravinsky and Prokofiev — using dissonance as well as bouncing, jagged harmonies for a cold or even sinister effect. Familiar?
For more, here’s an interview with TIM BURTON just before the Lincoln Center screening
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/files/tim_burton.mp3-Flynn
Sounds like Tunick was able to improve his already brilliant orchestrations. Hopefully he’ll be able to reprise his role in next year’s “Nine.”
rkeaveney Wrote:
> HAHA.
>
> Not a bad performance of “Epiphan”, but certainly
> lacking the bravado of Len Cariou.
>
> RyanI agree, though I do think Depp is a better actor.
One thing I forgot to mention: I really like how the themes from the show are used as underscore, in the first clip at least. The “tragedy” motif which is first heard in “No Place Like London” — after Todd tells Anthony that he’s young and that he will learn — is used in the lead-up to the “My Friends” clip on solo cello after Carter tells Depp not to be afraid. I can’t see what’s happening on screen (presumabely he looks into a cradle) but the arrangement is perfect.
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