Stephen Sondheim slams Lady Gaga's 'Sound of Music' performance, Oscars producer slams back

[Fiona Apple 13,006]

I think the biggest problem was his choice of the word "travesty", which the performance clearly was not and is simply an inflammatory word to be using.   Basically like members here who drag Gaga to hell for something and then call it "constructive" criticism.

He could have simply said how he would have preferred it to be sung, or gave an actual reasonable critique.  Instead he chose to use inflammatory language which was unnecessary.  In the same interview it also seems he is quite biased by the fact that she is a pop star and that colored his perceptions.   Even musical geniuses have their own built in biases, and he clearly has a preferred way and type of person that he believes should sing those songs.

But "travesty", no way.   Was Gaga perfect, no.   She did on rare occasions lose strength in her breath, and she came into the last note just slightly flat.   But "travesty?"  Not even close.

​Are you even serious lol? Non of this is true.. Gaga actually sang it perfectly.. Couldn't be better 

[Fiona Apple 13,006]

​Blablabla

Now can you imagine how Gaga is feeling right now? She is a human after all, when people criticise something that you worked really hard on it sucks. And she wasn't alone in this project, all of Oscar produtors were involved in too. So Craig has all the right to respond to his comment. 

​Actually Gaga got the biggest praise she've ever gotten for that performance..I don't think she cares about a stupid comment

[Didymus 34,379]

He means nothing to me haha. I'm not really involved in theatre anymore. I've never done a Sondheim show and I've never seen one professionally performed (apart from recordings and movies). I would have this defense for anyone: Stan culture sucks and just because you don't like what he says doesn't mean you have to engage in personal attacks or try to trivialize his accomplishments. That's what is disrespectful. And Craig was unprofessional.

​Of course I should've known we were fighting for a common cause.

Totally agree.

[giskardsb 12,565]

I also see where he was coming from. Gaga is a true alto, not a soprano. And while I loved the quality she brought to the performance, and I do believe she made a connection with the lyrics, I can understand why he might have wanted... not necessarily something better, but something else. 

​I definitely think she had connection to the lyrics, I'm not sure what Sondheim was looking for there.   Being that she wasn't actually performing as in a musical anything too directly theatrical would have been out of place IMO.   And if we are honest, there are a multitude of true sopranos (although not well known to the public) that could have handled the material with technical ease, but Gaga brought herself into the performance in her own way that others would not have done.    I think sometimes people, including Sondheim, get too enamored of a particular way of performance and don't appreciate when an artist injects something of themselves into a performance and change the way they think it should be done.  I particularly liked the way Gaga handled the "and when the dog bites".. part of My Favorite Things, I liked that little extra drama and force she put in there.

[darkchylde 14,857]

​Yeah, it's only one of the most iconic and widely respected musicals ever written.

​And still, it sends the wrong message. 

[djBuffoon 12,030]

​I definitely think she had connection to the lyrics, I'm not sure what Sondheim was looking for there.   Being that she wasn't actually performing as in a musical anything too directly theatrical would have been out of place IMO.   And if we are honest, there are a multitude of true sopranos (although not well known to the public) that could have handled the material with technical ease, but Gaga brought herself into the performance in her own way that others would not have done.    I think sometimes people, including Sondheim, get too enamored of a particular way of performance and don't appreciate when an artist injects something of themselves into a performance and change the way they think it should be done.  I particularly liked the way Gaga handled the "and when the dog bites".. part of My Favorite Things, I liked that little extra drama and force she put in there.

​Agreed 100%. They could have brought in a legit soprano who would have done the music justice, but Gaga gave it a contemporary edge and her trademark dramatic touch.

[giskardsb 12,565]

​Are you even serious lol? Non of this is true.. Gaga actually sang it perfectly.. Couldn't be better 

​She was slightly flat coming in and then fixed it by the time she got to vibrato.  There is actually no argument there.  To me it does nothing to diminish the performance, it just proves that she's human performing a difficult piece for her and was performing live.

 

[Runway 27,876]

Clapback ha!

[djBuffoon 12,030]

​She was slightly flat coming in and then fixed it by the time she got to vibrato.  There is actually no argument there.  

​Truth. It was just under pitch, but she got right back on and ended it beautifully in her mix.

[Fiona Apple 13,006]

​She was slightly flat coming in and then fixed it by the time she got to vibrato.  There is actually no argument there.  

 

​It is on purpose this way... It's a technique 

[giskardsb 12,565]

​It is on purpose this way... It's a technique 

​lol, so first she was "perfect" and now it's a "technique."  Dude.. it's ok...  Gaga can be slightly less than perfect when performing a difficult piece for her, it doesn't detract from what she did.  

the truth is unless someone has spent a lot of time training on an instrument or voice they probably didn't hear it.  

[Fiona Apple 13,006]

​lol, so first she was "perfect" and now it's a "technique."  Dude.. it's ok...  Gaga can be slightly less than perfect when performing a difficult piece for her, it doesn't detract from what she did.  

 

 

​Dude it was on purpose..She sang it exactly the way she wanted to sing it..And the flat starting and the vibrato in the end is a technique she uses all the time..  I don't have a problem to say it when Gaga's vocals aren't perfect or something.But in this performance she was pretty flawless

[giskardsb 12,565]

^^^ whatever... nobody starts off like 10 cents of an interval flat.  She was ***that*** close, which was pretty damn amazing coming into that note basically from nowhere.  Nobody is perfect, and vocal teachers everywhere could nitpick Gaga's performance, but that doesn't take from the fact that it was still a great performance.

[Luiz 4,253]

i'm not interested in classical music or opera or broadway or w/e but this sondheim name is one you know you've heard and never knew why its familiar  

 

love those old people who will speak their mind and **** on everyones parade and not give 2 ****s haha. 

[Fiona Apple 13,006]

^^^ whatever... nobody starts off like 10 cents of an interval flat.  She was ***that*** close, which was pretty damn amazing coming into that note basically from nowhere.  Nobody is perfect, and vocal teachers everywhere could nitpick Gaga's performance, but that doesn't take from the fact that it was still a great performance.

​As you want