Anthony De Mare - Liasons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano

2015 release.

US concert pianist Anthony de Mare pays tribute to musical theatre composer Stephen Sondheim in a fascinating project. De Mare invited contemporary composers from a broad variety of genres – from jazz to classical to film music – to “re-imagine” a Sondheim song as a piece for solo piano. Contributing re-composers included Steve Reich, Wynton Marsalis, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Fred Hersch, Ethan Iverson, William Bolcom, Frederic Rzewski, Nils Vigeland, Gabriel Kahane, Thomas Newman, Jake Heggie and more – in total, 36 composers from seven countries.

“Each of the composers is having a conversation with Mr. Sondheim,” Anthony de Mare told the New York Times, “with his material but also his influence, his musical wit and his craft.” Sondheim’s response? “To hear composers take my work and take it seriously … it’s a thrill.”