tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post5813571547634231066..comments2024-03-10T00:00:31.355+00:00Comments on BRIAN SIBLEY : his blog: A LITTLE SATURDAY NIGHT MUSICBrian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-78007550395505826052010-08-06T08:00:09.311+01:002010-08-06T08:00:09.311+01:00...Also, there is something pathetic about the sit......<i>Also</i>, there is something pathetic about the situation in which that Desirée finds herself which remind us that 'clowns' (think of Charlie Chaplin or, in circus terms, the white-faced clown with the down-turned mouth) are often characters of pathos - even comically tragic.Brian Sibleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-87227215090848121662010-08-06T07:42:15.992+01:002010-08-06T07:42:15.992+01:00Yes, Steven, that is right.
In a 1990 interview, ...Yes, <b>Steven</b>, that is right.<br /><br />In a 1990 interview, Sondheim said:<br /><br />"I get a lot of letters over the years asking what the title means and what the song's about... I wanted to use theatrical imagery in the song, because she's an actress, but it's not supposed to be a 'circus'...<br /><br />"It's a theater reference meaning, 'if the show isn't going well, let's send in the clowns'; in other words, 'let's do the jokes.' I always want to know, when I'm writing a song, what the end is going to be, so 'Send in the Clowns' didn't settle in until I got the notion, 'Don't bother, they're here' which means that 'We are the fools.'"<br /><br />Interviewed again, in 2008, Sondheim added:<br /><br />"As I think of it now, the song could have been called 'Send in the Fools.' I knew I was writing a song in which Desirée is saying, 'aren't we foolish' or 'aren't we fools'? Well, a synonym for fools is clowns, but 'Send in the Fools' doesn't have the same ring to it."<br /><br />And he was right!Brian Sibleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-45791543978438689452010-08-06T02:33:49.715+01:002010-08-06T02:33:49.715+01:00I saw Judi Dench singing 'Send in the Clowns&#...I saw Judi Dench singing 'Send in the Clowns', brilliant!<br /><br />I heard that the song is apparrantly about a woman who had an affair with someone years ago, and the word 'clown' I heard about doesn't actually refer to circus clowns, I think it was another description of 'fool'.Steven Hartleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13825398324719609394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-19995330858728502292010-08-03T00:42:45.082+01:002010-08-03T00:42:45.082+01:00It was a very special night to be sure. :)It was a very special night to be sure. :)Brian Sibleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-46093132323635945092010-08-02T22:44:18.443+01:002010-08-02T22:44:18.443+01:00Ooh, lovely! (What a wonderful birthday present!)
...Ooh, lovely! (What a wonderful birthday present!)<br /><br />I've been listening to BBC3's iPlayer broadcast since a friend in Ireland alerted me to the concert. How wonderful it would have been to have been there in person!<br /><br />Thanks for sharing. Glad you enjoyed it!scbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12048966584552769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-63117763297487219042010-08-02T08:43:39.000+01:002010-08-02T08:43:39.000+01:00Poladotsoph - :)
SharonM - You're right: Son...<b>Poladotsoph</b> - :)<br /><br /><br /><b>SharonM</b> - You're right: Sondheim doesn't go for the easiest, most obviously appealing, melody line and his lyrics are complex and challenging, but the rewards are considerable. <br /><br />Wonderful though the concert was, to understand and appreciate many of the songs ('Send in the Clowns' is an almost stand alone exception) you need to see the shows - which is not easily done since (unlike the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber) they don't run on the London - <i>or</i> Broadway - stage for 20 years or more.<br /><br />However, some productions are on film and you'll find the first page of them at Amazon.co.uk <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=sondheim&x=16&y=19" rel="nofollow">here</a> and I'm sure cheaper, s/h, copies are out there on ebay.Brian Sibleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-43492885358882594512010-08-02T07:11:55.359+01:002010-08-02T07:11:55.359+01:00It was a terrific Prom and has made me appreciate ...It was a terrific Prom and has made me appreciate the music of Sondheim more. It's not the easiest to get into, but it's certainly growing on me after Sunday night.SharonMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17369769107190148944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-26730403325096286612010-08-02T00:13:29.051+01:002010-08-02T00:13:29.051+01:00:>:>polkadotsophnoreply@blogger.com