A secret song by Sondheim? Bonjour Tristesse - Juliette Gréco
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- Опубліковано 21 бер 2024
- Johnna Murray, the original stage manager of Into the Woods was the guest for episode 28 of Ben Rimalower's podcast Giants in the Sky. In it she states that her father, lyricist John Murray (sometimes credited as Jack Murray), was hired to write the lyrics for the title song of the 1958 movie BONJOUR TRISTESSE but was bought out and Stephen Sondheim ended up writing them. Officially the lyrics are credited to Arthur Laurents who also wrote the screenplay. This led me to read everything that was available about the movie's production. Arthur Laurents was not too pleased with it and doesn't mention it at all in any of his own books. If he's indeed the lyricist that was the first and last time he wrote a song.
The song was written to be performed in the movie in English by Juliette Gréco who would also dub it in French and later released an alternate French version as a single. Filming took place in the early summer of 1957, a period during which Sondheim and Laurents were closely working together on West Side Story which would have its tryout later that summer. Could it be that Arthur went "Hey Steve, wanna write lyrics for this song?" ?
American singer Gogi Grant released a single of the song in English to coincide with the movie's premiere in January 1958. She would later include Sondheim songs in her concerts and even participate in a tribute concert in LA in the early 90s. Could it be that she knew Sondheim wrote the lyrics to "Bonjour Tristesse" making her one of the earliest Sondheim interpreters?
Sadly I do not have the answers to these questions. All I have is the song. That is all. What do you think? Could Sondheim be the one behind the lyrics?
Listen to the mentioned episode here: broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/po... The podcast is a must for any Sondheim fan so you'd do well in listening to it! - Розваги
This is so wonderful for two reasons - this wonderful song and Johnna Murray directed me as Arpad in "She Loves Me" when I was a teenager! I have always wanted to reconnect with her. She was so wonderful to work with and she taught me so much. Thank you!!
Wow, and the thought that Sondheim would have "collaborated" with Georges Auric - incroyable!!
"Facts bore me. What matters is the song!" 😉
How interesting!
That Laurents is given as the lyricist somehow 'almost' prove the story to be correct. That is a means sometimes used when you have to cover for what is not really a ghostwriter, but close enough. It is easier to say to someone: I'll write it myself than to tell them, that they have been replaced - at the time even with a young colleague, who had nothing more to his name than supplying additional lyrics to West Side Story.
Good point!
Hmmm I'm not sure about this one. The lyrics and rhyme scheme are a bit simple for Sondheim. Nothing about the lyrics really screams Sondheim to me either. But perhaps I am missing something?