PERFORMANCE

MERKIN Merkin Concert Hall
What Makes It So Great?

The Songs of Stephen Sondheim

Only a handful of artists in the 20th century redefined their fields as completely as Sondheim redefined musical theater, yet his fundamental temperament is almost directly at odds with the upbeat aesthetic of the Broadway musical itself.

“Ambivalence is my favorite thing to write about, because it’s the way I feel, and I think the way most people feel.” How did Sondheim turn this ambivalence into the most important theater music of the last 50 years? Join Rob Kapilow and singers, Sally Wilfert & Michael Winther, to explore Sondheim's magical art of ambivalence in music from A Little Night Music, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George and Company. 

Kapilow – conductor, composer, author and NPR music commentator – unravels and explores great musical masterpieces with audiences and performers on stage, asking what makes great music great? He takes listeners inside the music, unraveling, slowing down and recomposing key passages to hear why a piece is so extraordinary. Next, the piece is performed in its entirety, followed by a Q&A with the audience and performers.

The 2014-15 series begins on October 20 with an exploration of “Spring” and “Summer” from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and continues with Beethoven's Appassionata piano sonata, Mendelssohn's Octet for strings, and the songs of Stephen Sondheim performed by soprano and tenor.

Characterized by his unique ability to create an “aha” moment for his audiences and collaborators, whatever their level of musical sophistication or naiveté, Kapilow’s work brings music into people’s lives, opening new ears to musical experiences and helping people to listen actively rather than just hear. As the Boston Globe said, “It’s a cheering thought that this kind of missionary enterprise did not pass from this earth with Leonard Bernstein. Rob Kapilow is awfully good at what he does.”

“Rob Kapilow's commitment to bringing the joy and wonder of classical music to audiences of all ages and backgrounds makes him an excellent partner for Kaufman Music Center," says Lydia Kontos, Kaufman's Executive Director. "We're excited that in addition to Merkin Concert Hall audiences, our students at Lucy Moses School and Special Music School will have this opportunity to hear great music with new ears."

What Makes It Great? made its debut on NPR’s Performance Today over 20 years ago, and soon developed into a full-length concert evening that has sold out regular subscription series in places as diverse as Kansas City, MO and Cerritos, CA, as well as at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Celebrity Series of Boston, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the National Gallery of Canada and the Toronto Symphony.

Kapilow has appeared on NBC’s Today Show in conversation with Katie Couric; he presented a special What Makes It Great? event for broadcast on PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center; and he has written two highly popular books published by Wiley/Lincoln Center: All You Have To Do Is Listen, which won the PSP Prose Award for Best Book in Music and the Performing Arts, and What Makes It Great? (2011), the first book of its kind to be especially designed for the iPad with embedded musical examples.


Here's the Wikipedia site that tells the story of the song.

The story of the song...

Frank Sinatra singing the song...