US concert pianist Anthony de Mare pays tribute to Stephen Sondheim in a fascinating project. De Mare invited contemporary composers from a broad variety of genres – from Sondheim’s own world of musical theatre to jazz, classical, pop, film and beyond – to “re-imagine” a Sondheim song of their choice as a piece for solo piano.

Sondheim is more than America’s pre-eminent composer of musical theatre, and his influence has resonated far beyond Broadway. Contributing “re-composers” include Steve Reich, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Wynton Marsalis, Nico Muhly, William Bolcom, Jake Heggie, Michael Daugherty, Frederic Rzewski, Mary Ellen Childs, Duncan Sheik, Nils Vigeland, Gabriel Kahane, Tania Leon, Fred Hersch, Ethan Iverson, David Shire, Thomas Newman and more – in total, 36 composers representing seven countries and 29 Grammy, Pulitzer, Tony, Academy and Emmy Awards!

Among the Sondheim songs featured are Being Alive, Pretty Women, I’m Still Here, The Ladies Who Lunch, No One Is Alone, Johanna, Finishing the Hat, the title numbers from ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ and ‘Into the Woods’, and, of course, Send in the Clowns.