Contains an account of the musical and dramatic influences in Sondheim's music. This is the first book to provide a general overview of his style. Stephen Sondheim has made it clear that he considers himself a playwright in song. As such, this book addresses the ways in which disciplines not normally associated with musical composition - in Sondheim's case, theater and film - influence Sondheim's choices as a dramatic composer. This book differs from others on Sondheim in that it is thematic rather than chronological in nature. It traces the development of Sondheim's musical language, showing how that language, forged before Sondheim had a successful Broadway show, appears throughout his career.