Stephen Sondheim
"Music straightjackets a poem and prevents it from breathing on its own, whereas it liberates a lyric. Poetry doesn't need music; lyrics do."
15 Quotes
"Music straightjackets a poem and prevents it from breathing on its own, whereas it liberates a lyric. Poetry doesn't need music; lyrics do."
"تُقيّد الموسيقى القصيدة وتخنق أنفاسها، بينما تُحرّر الكلمات الغنائية. فالشعر لا يحتاج إلى الموسيقى، أما الكلمات الغنائية فتحتاجها."
Stephen Sondheim
Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics, 1954-1981, With Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines, and Anecdotes
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."
"الفن، في جوهره، سعيٌ لإقامة النظام من الفوضى."
Stephen Sondheim
"Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audience's imagination and create a suspension of disbelief, by which I mean there's no fourth wall."
"المسرحيات الغنائية، بطبيعتها، مسرحية، أي شعرية، أي عليها أن تحرك خيال الجمهور وتخلق تعليقًا للارتياب، وبذلك أعني أنه لا يوجد جدار رابع."
Stephen Sondheim
"I'm very opinionated about movie musicals when they're adapted from live shows. You'll sit still for a three-minute song in a theater. But in movies, a glance from someone's eyes will tell you the whole story in a few seconds."
"لديّ موقفٌ حازمٌ تجاه الأفلام الموسيقية المقتبسة من المسرحيات الحية. ففي المسرح، قد تستكين لأغنية تمتد لثلاث دقائق. أما في السينما، فنظرةٌ من عينٍ كفيلةٌ بأن تحكي لك القصة كاملةً في ثوانٍ معدودة."
Stephen Sondheim
"One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on the music in such a way that you're not aware there was a writer there."
"إن من أصعب ما في كتابة الكلمات هو جعلها تنساب على اللحن بحيث لا تشعر بوجود كاتب لها."
Stephen Sondheim
"I'm interested in the theater because I'm interested in communication with audiences. Otherwise I would be in concert music."
"أنجذب إلى المسرح لاهتمامي بالتواصل مع الجمهور؛ وإلا لكنت في عالم الموسيقى الكلاسيكية."
Stephen Sondheim
"Over a period of time it's been driven home to me that I'm not going to be the most popular writer in the world so I'm always happy when anything in any way is accepted."
"تَرسَّخَ في وجداني مع مرور الزمن أنني لن أكون الكاتب الأكثر شعبية في العالم، لذا يسعدني دائمًا أي قبول، مهما كان ضئيلًا."
Stephen Sondheim
"Musical comedies aren't written they are re-written."
"تُعاد كتابة الكوميديا الموسيقية، لا تُكتب."
Stephen Sondheim
"The dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and the public gets used to them."
Stephen Sondheim
"Music blows lyrics up very quickly, and suddenly they become more than art. They become pompous and they become self-conscious ... I firmly believe that lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you not only have the music, but you've got costume, story, acting, orchestra. There's a lot to take in."
Stephen Sondheim
"If I cannot fly, let me sing."
Stephen Sondheim
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."
Stephen Sondheim
"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."
Stephen Sondheim
"The worst thing you can do is censor yourself as the pencil hits the paper. You must not edit until you get it all on paper. If you can put everything down, stream-of-consciousness, you'll do yourself a service."
Stephen Sondheim
"One difference between poetry and lyrics is that lyrics sort of fade into the background. They fade on the page and live on the stage when set to music."
Stephen Sondheim
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