in a way that paints humanity as ceaselessly interrelated despite differing views, opinions, and ideologies( Dizikes, 1993). In Sweeney Todd, Sondheim,“ has perfected a form of contemporary recitative.”( Dizikes, 1993). Dizikes further asserts that,“ The musical structure is complex— arias, duets, ensembles, motifs that recur as a way to sustain narrative.”( Dizikes, 1993). Thus, it seems very clear that though New York opera is very much at the compositional heart of the work, Sondheim has made it more intricate in a way that seemingly enhances the work as a whole. Within Opera in America, Dizikes describes most of Sondheim’ s work as post-New York opera on the timeline, and Sondheim himself declares his repertoire as not opera at all( Dizikes, 1993). Therefore, it is my inclination to believe that New York opera is at the heart of, and has greatly affected modern musical theatre composition by paralleling its creative approach as a operatic sub-genre to traditional opera. Sondheim’ s“ operas,” or whatever one would care to call them, are not operas by account of the composer, and cannot compositionally be deemed musical theatre in the same vein as Wicked or Girl Crazy— to represent stylistic extremes.
This difficulty in classification is nearly identical to the foundational principles of New York opera, existing neither in opera nor musical theatre. However, by inspiring and training composers such as Bernstein, Rodgers, and Sondheim, New York opera served lay the compositional foundations for the music of modern musical theatre and represent a very Americana or“ New York State of Mind,” to coin Billy Joel, in its trailblazing individuality. This serves to further my initial statements regarding New York serving as the operatic hub of the United States in that it established its own sub-genre of the art form which later compositionally evolved into modern musical theatre, one of
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