American musical master Stephen Sondheim dies
2021-11-27 12:59:02Source: China News Network
China News Agency, New York, November 26. According to US media reports on the 26th, Stephen Sondheim, a famous American musical, film music composer and lyricist, died that day at the age of 91.
The New York Times reported that Sondheim’s lawyer and friend Richard Pappas announced the death of the artist. Pappas said that Sondheim died earlier in the day at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. He also spent Thanksgiving with relatives and friends at home the night before. He had not been diagnosed with any major illness before, and his death was sudden.
Sondheim was born in a clothing manufacturer’s family in New York in 1930. In his youth, he was enlightened by the famous playwright and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II and embarked on the road of music. The famous musicals that he composed and composed include “Barber Todd”, “Spring in the Old City”, “Partners” (company), “Funny Show”, “Serenade”, “Sunday with George in the Park”, ” “Visit the Forest” and “Assassination” and so on.
“The New York Times” said that Sondheim’s first musical “Spring in the Old City” was a huge success, with 964 performances in the Broadview. However, his second work, “The Whistle Everyone Knows”, which arranges lyrics and music, only played 9 games. For his works on Broadway, it is often difficult to recover production costs in the early stages.
Sondheim has won 1 Oscar, 9 Tony Awards, 8 Grammy Awards and 1 Pulitzer Prize. According to the Associated Press, Sondheim “reshaped the American musicals of the second half of the 20th century” by virtue of intelligent and intricately rhymed lyrics, evocative melodies, and grasp of unusual themes.
The “New York Times” commented that Sondheim is a rigorous artist who constantly seeks new creative paths. Even if not the most popular composer and lyricist, Sondheim is also the most respected and influential songwriter in theaters in the second half of the 20th century.
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