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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