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Stephen Sondheim Quotes


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Quotes by Stephen Sondheim

Showing 51-60 of 69 Quotes by Stephen Sondheim

The fact is popular art dates. It grows quaint. How many people feel strongly about Gilbert and Sullivan today compared to those who felt strongly in 1890?

~Stephen Sondheim

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My idea of heaven is not writing.

~Stephen Sondheim

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On stage, generally speaking, the story is stopped or held back by songs, because that's the convention. Audiences enjoy the song and the singer, that's the point.

~Stephen Sondheim

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When the song is part of the action and working as dialogue, even two minutes is way too long.

~Stephen Sondheim

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Every single song I've ever written is sung by a character created by somebody else. Some might have a jaundiced view of love, some don't. But none of these songs is me singing - not a single one.

~Stephen Sondheim

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I was essentially trained by Oscar Hammerstein to think of songs as one-act plays, to move a song from point A to point B dramatically.

~Stephen Sondheim

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I'm always conscious of what I'm writing, conscious of what the actor may ask me. I have a defense for nearly every line in the song.

~Stephen Sondheim

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When I'm writing a song, I try to be the character.

~Stephen Sondheim

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Every time one can write a self-deluded song, you are way ahead of the game, way ahead. Self-delusion is the basis of nearly all the great scenes in all the great plays, from 'Oedipus' to 'Hamlet.'

~Stephen Sondheim

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I was a mathematician by nature, and still am - I just knew I didn't want to be a mathematician. So I decided not to take any mathematics courses.

~Stephen Sondheim

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Composer

Born: March 22nd, 1930

Links

Find Stephen Sondheim on Amazon

Related Authors

Malcolm Arnold
Gavin Bryars
Cy Coleman
Jerry Herman
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