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Oh, You Know How I Hate the Opera1

How Stephen Sondheims Sweeney Todd became a 20th-Century Black Operetta


by Connor Lidell
Introduction
Stephen Sondheim (1930-) considers writing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet
Street his most intimate project.2 Sweeney is a bold foray into the musical theater stage, as it is
one of the first genuine thriller pieces to be performed on Broadway. The Chambers Twentieth
Century Dictionary defines a thriller as a sensational or exciting story, especially one about
crime and detection. The thriller genre was exemplified and refined by the film culture of the
early 1900s. Sondheim himself, infatuated with horror movies and their musical scores, gave the
subtitle of a musical thriller to Sweeney Todd. Adapting the story from Christopher Bonds
play of the same name, Sondheim transforms this drama into his own vision: a dark thriller for
the stage with operatic voices. Because the show was originally conceived to be more like an
opera than a musical, Sondheim worked closely with material from the romantic opera era of the
late 1800s borrowing ideas from composers such as Richard Wagner. Even so, there is also a
certain humor to the show through the character of Mrs. Lovett; this comes from the tradition o
lowbrow comedy fashionable in Gilbert and Sullivans operettas. Stephen Sondheims Sweeney
Todd, conceived as a musical, has compositional elements used in romantic opera of the 19th
century, using Gregorian chant as a plot and character device, and the grotesque presentation of
life and humor in operetta to craft a new sort of genre altogether: a black operetta.
The inception of Sweeney Todd happened when Sondheim witnessed a version of
Christopher Bonds play. He enjoyed the story so much that he spoke to a director at the

1

Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, Company (New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 2002),

18.
2

Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Genius, In The Oxford handbook of Sondheim studies, ed. Robert Gordon,
(New York: Oxford University Press, 2014).

Metropolitan Opera, asking him if Sweeney might make a good opera. John Dexter, the Met
director working in London at the time, encouraged Sondheim to pursue the rights for the show.
Stephen Sondheim began working on the future musical intending it to be an opera.3 Because of
various factors such as length, scope, and Sondheims own sense of practicality, he quickly
abandoned the idea and began to look at it as a musical with Harold Prince and Hugh Wheeler.
Compositional Process: Borrowing from 19th Century Opera
Stephen Sondheim began his writing process considering Sweeney Todd to be an opera.
However, as he wrote the piece, he discovered that the show would be very long-winded and
would not serve to keep the interest of the story alive. In The Art of the American Musical, a
panel interviews Sondheim. They ask him: What happens when your shows are done in opera
houses as operas? He responds:
Sometimes they work and sometimes they dont. Ive said before that an opera is defined
as what is done in an opera house. Therefore, when The Medium and The Telephone are
done on Broadway, theyre Broadway shows. The expectation of the audience affects the
reception When its done at an opera house, its an operetta, a black operetta. Opera is
designed to show off the human voice, but Sweeney is about telling a story and telling it
as swiftly as possible.4
Sondheim is analyzing his own opinions on the opera genre. His objection to Sweeney being
called an opera is quite clear. This stems from his compositional process. He had composed
twenty minutes of music, and he realized that the show would be nine hours long before it would
be completed.5 The idea of Sweeney being an opera would never work in his mind because he
felt that the music would get in the way of the story. As he trimmed and cut the piece with the
help of Hugh Wheeler, he realized that the piece was a musical after all. The piece had to be

3

Meryle Secrest, Stephen Sondheim (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 289-291.
Jackson R. Bryer and Richard A. Davison, ed. The Art of the American Musical
(Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2005), 201-202.
5
Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Broadway Musicals (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of
Michigan Press, 1993) 286.
4

primarily a story telling work. As a story telling work, Sweeney could not be all about opera and
the human voice. It had to be about the drama, and the music was to be the driving undercurrent
carrying the story along. The music, being the structural foundation upon which the rest of the
piece is held up, had to be inspired by the characters and the action.
The end of Sweeney Todd is a smorgasbord of all the musical ideas from the characters
and action. As the story comes to a culmination, the themes developed are all superimposed on
top of each other. These ideas are the beginning of Sondheims appreciation for leitmotif and
using themes for compositional structure. Meryle Secrest, one of Sondheims biographers, recalls
Sondheims own words about the use of themes:
His idea that musical ideas would collide at the end was always there. I determined
that it would be fun to start each character with a specific musical theme and develop
in the true sense of the word on the previous one. That handy compositional principle
served him well6
There is a sense of drama and propulsion in the music of Sweeney Todd. Sondheim introduces
the themes of the musical thriller one by one. The first real theme comes about as Sweeney and
Anthony talk in the first scene. As Sweeneys themes of brooding anger (see Fig. 1) and
Anthonys themes of British idealism (see Fig. 2) come to a head at the climax of their scene (see
Fig. 3), their musical ideas wash and intersperse, flowing away like the waves they rode into
town had done.

Meryle Secrest, Stephen Sondheim (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 280.

Fig. 1
The rocking eighth notes represent the swinging bells of London. Sondheim uses close
harmonies here to simulate the intonation of the bells and their complex high harmonics. In mm.
9 through 11, there is another version of the bells in the form of high, syncopated beats.7

Fig. 2
The low sustained chords signify Sweeneys deep-set brooding. These figures in the top voices
are akin to the tightening of a rope so tight that it may burst. The tension in these moments is
very high as Sweeney recalls his dreadful memories of the past. There is use of a split third style
chord, but instead of the traditional third, it is using both the raised and lowered 7th scale degrees
building off of F-sharp. F-sharp, C-sharp, E-natural, E-sharp.8

7

Joanne Lesley Gordon, The American musical stops singing and finds its voice: A study of the work of
Stephen Sondheim (PhD diss., University of Califormia, 1984).
8
ibid.

Fig. 3
We see Sweeneys taking over of Anthonys idealist theme. The harmonies are generally of a
similar sort, but there is a clear move towards the more obviously dissonant brooding theme of
Figure 2. In m. 213, the chords are formed using the dissonant split seventh idea presented in m.
65.
Sondheim takes these motifs assigned to each character and mangles them together in a
nasty kind of way, giving each character a sense of harmony and style. Sweeney gets his themes
through brooding and extremely dissonant chords, while Anthony gets his themes through
interesting bell imagery and mock intonation harmony.
Sondheim takes on the idea of leitmotif in his score through incorporation of these themes
as part of a contrapuntal fabric. Stephen Banfield discourses on these themes in his book
Sondheims Broadway Musicals, detailing Wagners influence on Sondheims creative process:
Wagners model of musical theme/flux and representation, as developed by Puccini for
purposes of verismo characterization, was as invaluable to Sondheim as it has been to
countless other composers for the stage and the screen.9
As shown in Figure 4 below, the motivic ideas follow a kind of expository pattern, introducing
the various characters. Then, as characters and themes are involved in the show, they recur. For
instance, the theme of the bells is used throughout the act as a signifying of London and the call
for nostalgia. These themes lead the plot, and provide scenery and commentary on the story.

9

Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Broadway Musicals (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of
Michigan Press, 1993) 305.

Fig. 410
A snapshot of the leitmotif themes in Sweeney Todd, and their recurrences in Act I.
In order to see how these leitmotivs influence the story, I will focus on the borrowing of
Gregorian chant as a means of showing character and plot development through musical motif.
Borrowing from Gregorian Chant as an Example of leitmotif
Sondheim borrows more than just the idea of leitmotif, he borrows the often quoted Dies
Irae chant theme from the early Gregorian church tradition. This is an example of Wagneresque
leitmotif because of its effect on the drama. Mark Horowitz, author of Sondheim on Music, asks
Sondheim about the marching theme incorporating Dies Irae:
But for the anger, I wanted to use a chugging sound. And thats what the second idea is
an attempt to find a chug. And then I got the idea of utilizing the Dies Irae here, so that
you get the theme in the accompaniment Im characterizing mood. Im characterizing
urgency, then Im characterizing anger11

10

Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Broadway Musicals (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of
Michigan Press, 1993) 288.
11
Mark Eden Horowitz, Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decision
(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2010), 200-203.

In Figure 5 below, the first instance of the Dies Irae chant in the show is depicted. It first comes
about as part of the turning point in Sweeneys movement from brooding to full blown anger.

Fig. 512
In example a, the outline of the beginning of the Dies Irae is matched up to the tones of a similar
build within two examples of the musicals score. Shown below in their context, each example
relates to the chant tune in musical composition and in thematic similarity, commenting on the
meaning of such moments.

Example d
Here the theme follows the contour of the melody of the chant tune. Here Sweeney is talking
about his critique of London society. The elite of London has imprisoned Sweeney, and this is

12

Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Broadway Musicals (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of
Michigan Press, 1993) 299.

his way of disdaining their lifestyle. The rumbling low tones are a form of the tune, but it feels
more like a brooding undertone waiting for the right moment.13

Example e
In Example e, this is more of the same as in Example d, but fragmented in its melodic borrowing.
Here, instead of the full theme being presented, the idea is given in a more hinted and subtle
way. As shown in Figure 5, there is only part of the theme shown. Sondheim tends to use these
fragmented moments to show the brokenness of the themes. Like, in measure 217 where there is
a suspension of the melody combined with the Sweeney split seven motivic idea, this is a place
where the themes interact and become symbolic of memory.


13
Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Broadway Musicals (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of
Michigan Press, 1993) 300.

Sweeneys Dies Irae thematic material transforms throughout the show, eventually
moving from brooding to the idea of pure unadulterated anger. Sondheim states in Banfields
Sondheims Broadway Musicals,
To demonstrate musically that [Sweeneys] mind is cracking I switched between violent
and lyrical passages, and had rapid rhythmic shifts, from quick to slow. His murderous
vengeance announce to a chugging engine-like theme (the Dies Irae disguised) alternated
with a keening threnody for his wife and daughter.14

Fig. 6
In Epiphany, the number where Sweeney finally loses his cool and becomes very angry, the
chant theme appears in the accompaniment, much less hidden and more fully stated. It is as if the
culmination of Sweeneys emotional state results in the fuller statement of the musical theme. To
find the chant tune, look in the bottom voice of the right hand (stems up) and follow the contour
of the line. Check this against Figure 5.

Fig. 7


14

Stephen Banfield, Sondheims Broadway Musicals (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of
Michigan Press, 1993) 297-298.

In the right hand of the accompaniment, the outline of the chant theme is there. This is the
Lucy theme, symbolic of Sweeneys loss.
As seen in Figure 6, the Dies Irae is incorporated into the accompaniment hidden within the
march-like framework. The theme is also exemplified in the Lucy Theme that comes about in
Epiphany as well (see Figure 7). The theme is often used as a model for anger and passion for the
coming of the end of days. In this case, the theme of the Dies Irae is indicative of the
unadulterated sense of hopeless anger Sweeney is pointing at nobody. When he screams, And
Ill never see Johanna. No, Ill never hold my girl to me Finished! there is a sense of
impending peril in the music as it screeches to a powerful boom. The Dies Irae theme is woven
into this Johanna/Epiphany march theme (see Figure 6). And, from this point on, whenever the
theme appears, it shows Sweeneys passion. There are moments in the show when Sweeney is
about to kill and we hear this theme, but Sweeney remains perfectly calm. This is a way in which
the leitmotivic structure betrays the drama and gives us the real emotional content when the
actors are being true to their masked intentions.
The Lighter Side: Borrowing from the French and British Operetta Tradition
Sweeney Todd is a quandary when it comes to identifying the tone of the piece. Is it a
melodrama, or is it a dark comedy? It is fairly difficult to say. While the premise of the show is
extremely dark, there are many moments of lighthearted comedy. Subject matters of rape,
murder, and betrayal are contrasted with comic relief through situational comedy, the character
of Mrs. Lovett, and the histrionic Signor Pirelli.15
This begs the question: Where does this dark comedy come from? Why use it in a show
that is mostly about dark themes? The answer lies in the origins of musical theater as a genre. In

15

George Whitney Martin, On the Verge of Opera: Stephen Sondheim The Opera
Quarterly 6 (1989): 76-85.

the 1800s, French operetta evolved to be shorter, lighter works to contrast the opra comique that
had tragic plots.16 In the beginning of operettas evolution, certain composers and librettists
formed new ways of expressing these lighter plots in fashion with the culture of the time.
Jacques Offenbach is one composer who popularized operetta with grotesque portrayal of life
and almost pornographic representation. Another is the team of Gilbert and Sullivan, two
composers who developed the British operetta culture using wit and wisdom to create
memorable plots and characters. Sweeney borrows from both of these traditions, using ideas from
both origins of operetta to lift itself higher than simply a musical and to pay homage to the roots
of the shows beginnings as an opera.
Jacques Offenbachs Orpheus in the Underworld is an example of operettas dark
orgiastic style. In Figure 817, there is a scene of people with wild facial expressions and people all
crowded together in a kind of harem idiom.

Fig. 8

16

Gerald Bordman, American Operetta: from H.M.S. Pinafore to Sweeney Todd (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1981).
17
Jules Cheret, Playbill from a French Production of Orpheus in the Underworld, Painting, 1874,
http://www.histoire-image.org/site/etude_comp/etude_comp_detail.php?i=732&d=1&a=431&y=10&id_sel=1286

Playbill for Jacques Offenbachs Orpheus in the Underworld


Christopher Bonds play uses many of the melodramatic elements of this early operetta. While
the plots of these light operas still have serious plot lines, they have large amounts of spectacle to
go along with them. This is because the patrons of these early operettas were upper class citizens
who wanted this kind of lowbrow spectacle. In the Offenbach, you might have had courtesans
playing the lead roles, creating basically a musical whorehouse in the theater. Compare this to
Sweeney Todd, where there are large chorus scenes of almost absurdist quality.
This dark, gritty operatic sense of spectacle is present in the opening to Act II of
Sweeney. In this scene, there is a clear sense of simply mad expression and complete cacophony
in the chorus and orchestra. But, it is also humorous. Here we have a very serious plot moment:
the serving of human meat pies; but, everybody is running around making jokes, enjoying
themselves, and generally having a good time. This is the kind of sick, dark spectacle that
Sondheim borrows from the early spectacle of French operetta.
On the other side of the coin, Sondheim is not without style when he borrows from
Gilbert and Sullivan. Christopher Bonds play draws on the ideas of Gilbert and Sullivan humor
and Sondheim comments on this relationship in his Finishing the Hat memoirs.
I knew that in writing the character of Mrs. Lovett, I had to write for a lowbrow queen of
the stage. In [Bonds] play, Mrs. Lovett was like something out of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Her lines and characters were almost vaudevillian, which gave me a precedent to write in
a darkly humorous character masking the tragedy of somebody so sad and lonely.18
Gilbert and Sullivan wrote low comedy. They had gags and puns in their shows. The same is true
in Sondheims show. Sweeney could have easily taken place around the same time as many
Gilbert and Sullivan shows, and the characters of Mrs. Lovett, Signor Pirelli, and Tobias almost


18

Stephen Sondheim, Finishing the Hat (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011), 230

certainly come directly from that tradition of low comedy. In the number A Little Priest, there
is a string of puns and gags that promote this sort of low humor.
It's priest, have a little priest
Is it really good? Sir, it's too good, at least
Then again, they don't commit sins of the flesh
So it's pretty fresh19
Using these jokes helps provide a sense of levity to this point in the plot. Sweeney has
just expressed his utter anger at everything in the world, and Mrs. Lovett tries to lighten the
mood with these remarks. What makes these moments so interesting is that the humor does not
negate the darkness of the tone. The jokes are still made at the expense of characters dignity and
to be rude. In Priest, there are many moments when they are joking about killing and eating
human beings. In the context of this show, this is certainly a lighthearted moment. Without the
context, the very idea of those jokes would come off as offensive and threatening.
These moments of intense grotesqueness coupled with lowbrow humor create an
interesting concoction. Not only do we see the creation of a new genre, but we see how there can
be a reconciliation between comedy and drama. To address the question from the beginning of
this section, Sweeney is not a comedy or a drama; it is something of each, a sort of black
dramedy, using black humor yet serious treatment of the music to create something new.
Putting it Together: The Conclusion
The power of Sweeney Todd lies in its complexity of creation yet seamless execution. All
of the interweaving musical devices and inspirations do not feel slapped together like a jigsaw
puzzle. Rather, the material has been carefully considered, and Sondheim has placed each of the
ideas right where he feels they belong. Sondheims influence from the operatic traditions led him

19

Stephen Sondheim, Finishing the Hat (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011), 235.

to create a bedrock of flowing music lasting the whole two and a half hours. This foundational
material provides the structure for the piece, giving it the character of an opera. Deviating from
that idea, Sondheims experience is in musical comedy, and there is plenty of it in this show.
Sondheim uses irony, high speech, and comedic musical moments to create character and drama.
This separates, in Sondheims mind, the show from its operatic roots, carrying it into more of an
operetta setting. Of course, there is text and speech throughout as well, contributing to the idea of
operetta. Using these ideas, Sondheim did not just write an opera, or a musical comedy, or a
proper operetta even; it was some kind of combination of the three. He created the black
operetta, using his own terminology. He created something new. This idea would be carried
onward.
Many black operettas have been conceived and performed since then. A couple of
examples are Frank Wildhorns Jekyll and Hyde and Michael Gores Carrie. Many shows have
taken advantage of Sondheims formula and unique concoction of ideas. In this sense, Sondheim
was an innovator, paving the way in the 1980s and beyond for a new form of entertainment on
the Broadway stage.

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