Sweeney Todd Errata - Full and Alternate 9-Piece Orchestrations

This is intended to be a resource for anyone preparing the Full or Reduced/Alternate 9-piece orchestrations of Sweeney Todd. Errata/discrepancies with the published piano-vocal score are also included. This list is by no means exhaustive. Having done Sweeney Todd a few times (full and alternate orchestrations), in addition to errata, I've also noted below some places where balance is sometimes problematic.

AVAILABLE SCORES

Piano-vocal - Rilting 1997, 1999 - available for purchase

Piano-Conductor - included with all rental material, indicates cues for the full orchestration

Full Score of Reduced/Alternate 9-Piece Orchestration - included in the rental package, hand written and really only usable for reference only. Contains vocal lines but no lyrics.

FULL ORCHESTRATION (scroll down for alternate 9-piece orchestration)

No. 1 The Ballad of Sweeney Todd

No. 1 mm. 63-64 - potential balance issues against chorus

mm. 169-170 Discrepancies in dynamics in the parts. I've found the decrescendo (in the string parts) does not really fit the orchestration, which in the winds and percussion is marked forte and orchestrated for forte.

No. 2 No Place Like London

m. 9-10 Chimes are in percussion part and keyboard part - both are not necessary, just one

m. 19+ The English Horn tends to be very heavy in this underscore whenever it appears. A strong English Horn player with good dynamic control is important, along with reminders that the marked dynamic is piano

No. 3 Worst Pies In London

Brass can cover the singer in this number if they're not sensitive to the written dynamics

No. 6 Green Finch and Linnet Bird

m. 4 the flute part has the first four notes as 16th-notes, while the piano-vocal and piano-conductor have eighth-notes

m. 18 the oboe figure appears in m. 19 in the reed book.

mm. 35-40 the horn part has different pitches from the piano-conductor score

No. 7 Ah, Miss

mm. 38-39 Intonation is difficult in the woodwinds with the bassoon at the very top of its register. A quick fix (if necessary) is to have the bassoon play down an octave

No. 8 Johanna (Part I)

The bass part is missing arco/pizz indications

No. 8 A Johanna (Part II)

mm. 1 and 2 the orchestration in this vamp tends to cover the dialogue. I have the brass tacit  in mm. 1-2 then have them enter in mm. 3-4

m. 14 this is the only place there is a discrepancy in the rhythm of the melody between the voice part and the clarinets. It's arguable whether this is intentional or not, but I've personally opted to alter the clarinet part so that it resolves to the G on beat 3 along with the singer

No. 9 Pirelli's Miracle Elixir

mm. 1-4 contrary to the instrumentation listed in the piano-conductor score, the trumpets have nothing in these bars. The resulting orchestration sound grossly unbalanced. I recommend adding the pitches in the piano-conductor score to the trumpet parts.

mm. 5-6 this is an in sanely thick orchestration for underscore, along with m. 7. I've opted to play mm. 5-6 only twice under the whistle, and then repeat m. 7 under the dialogue. I also have the oboe facet in m. 7

m. 9 the violin parts contain the two eighth-note pickups  to m. 10, doubling Tobias

No. 9A Pirelli's Entrance

mm. 3-7 and 11-14 the violins play on every beat, which is not indicated in the full score. In order to provide the singer more flexibility (as the clarinets can easily follow him), I've opted to have the violins tacit in these bars

m. 15 after the downbeat, the rest of the written pitches in the full score under the vocal line do not exist in the clarinet parts. It's easier this way, and gives the singer more flexibility.

No. 10 The Contest (Part I)
mm. 1-4 the trombone parts are missing a dynamic, which should be piano so as not to cover the dialogue

mm. 53-53A and 60A-61 the percussion book contains sand blocks for the stropping, which is not indicated in the conductor score

No. 10 The Contest (Pt. I)

m. 55 the harp part has a grossly inaccurate chord that includes F-flat and C-flat. I altered it to a E-flat dominant seven chord to match the strings, clarinet, and piano-conductor score.

m. 74 the clarinet part does not have the material indicated in the piano-conductor score

No. 10A The Context (Pt. II)

m. 11 again, the harp part has a grossly inaccurate chord that includes F-flat and C-flat. I altered it to a E-flat dominant seven chord to match the strings, clarinet, and piano-conductor score.

No. 11 Johanna (Judge)

Note that this number appears in the orchestra parts in consecutive order

mm. 29-32, 51-54, 69-74, 99-104 without microphones and depending on your singer and setup, the brass can be very overpowering in these bars. Mutes are one option to help with this.

No. 12 Wait

mm. 11-12 it is not clearly indicated in the piano-conductor score that the trumpets and xylophone only play on beats 2 and 3

m. 22 the horn does not continue to sustain the B-flat as indicated in the piano-conductor

mm. 54-55 the violin parts have a D-nature, which should be D-flat

m. 77 the violin parts have a D-natural, which should be D-flat

No. 12D Underscore

It is odd that Cue 3 would be exactly the same as Cue 2. It makes more sense for there to be a Cue 3 if you adopt the idea in the piano-vocal score that the celeste would play Cue 3 up an octave

No. 14 Ladies In Their Sensitivities

mm. 55-56 no parts have the final two D-natural eight-notes of m. 55 leading to the E-flat in m. 56. I add it to the horn part, but it could also be added to the harp part

No. 16 Pretty Women (Part I)

m. 25-36 the piccolo doubles the Judge. Though somewhat problematic for balance, it is helpful for ensemble

No. 16A Pretty Women (Part II)

m. 46 the clarinet part has a C#. Note that m. 46 is C-natural while m. 62 is C-sharp, where it's also sung by the Judge. It's arguable whether or not this is intentional. I choose to follow the full score and have C-natural in m. 46 and C# in m. 62.

No. 17/17alt. Epiphany

Note that both keys are included in the orchestra parts.

I move the vamp to m. 4 and bring the trombones, cellos, basses and percussion in the last time after Mrs. Lovett's line "... the fat's in the fire for sure." It is safer for timing.

Note that both long and short endings are included in the parts

No. 18 A Little Priest

m. 2 the harp is missing a tie and is thus indicated to re-articulate the chord on the downbeat of m. 2 I opt to have the harp tie over into m. 2 as written in the conductor score

mm. 202 and 272 the trumpet parts are missing the slur from the F-natural to F-sharp

m. 319 the flute parts as indicated in the conductor score appear one bar later in m. 320 with the brass. I move them to m. 319 to reflect what's in the conductor score, otherwise m. 319 feels empty

No. 19 God, That's Good!

mm. 1-4 time should be devoted to balancing the brass chords

m. 24 in the percussion book, the low C-sharp with bassoon, timpani and bass appears in the wrong measure in the percussion book

mm. 58-63 (and similar moments) lack dynamics in the flute and oboe. A piano dynamic prevents them from covering the singer.

mm. 231-232 note that the percussion book here indicates rim shots for the final three knocks, which may or may not reflect the blocking. Adjust accordingly.

m. 314+ it is an easy detail to miss the creative effect that is instructed in the piano conductor score (and not the piano-vocal score) that the chorus should begin singing this coda with their mouths full, as though they're chewing, and gradually open their mouths by m. 322

No. 21 By The See (Part I)

m. 6 though not indicated in the piano-conductor score, the woodwind parts contain the grace notes and chords figures on the downbeats of bars 6 and 7, as in m. 5

m. 57 there is a discrepancy of pitches on the third beat between the piano-conductor score and the published piano-vocal score. The parts match the piano-conductor score, though it sounds more jarring

m. 37 and 72 technically there should be a notated tempo change in both of these bars, with the former quarter-note equalling the new dotted-quarter note
No. 24A Parlor Songs (Part II)

m. 39 the second and fourth notes in the vocal part should be B-flats

m. 49 and similar, the percussion books have no xylophone parts as indicated in the piano-conductor score

Note from No. 24 to the end of the play, the sequence of music, action, and dialogue is more clearly outlined in the piano-conductor score than in the published piano-vocal score. Careful attention should be paid during rehearsal to making sure this sequence is staged for dramatic accuracy.

No. 22 Wigmaker Sequence

m. A the violin and organ parts do not contain the initial sforzando marking that is indicated in the piano-conductor score

No. 25 Fogg's Asylum

m. 35-37 there are entrances in the brass parts that are not indicated in the piano-conductor score

No. 27 Searching (Part I)

m. A contains a vamp in the orchestra parts

m. 6 strangely the orchestra parts contain a vamp

mm. 46-47 the orchestra parts do not have repeat signs indicated

the piano-vocal score contains a m. 45A that is not in any other scores or parts

No. 27A Searching (Part II)

mm. 1-4 the bass clarinet has errors. These bars should contain F, D, F, D consecutively.

m. 24 the piano-vocal score has eight-notes where the conductor score and orchestra parts have quarter-notes

m. 25 again, the piano-vocal score has eight-notes where the conductor score and orchestra parts have quarter-notes

mm. 38-38B the oboe part is missing the key signature

m. 38G there is a discrepancy in the singer's rhythm between the piano-vocal score and the piano-conductor score

Note the short and long versions are both in the orchestra parts

No. 28 Judge's Return

m. 13 contains a crescendo in the oboe and clarinet parts which tends to cover the dialogue

No 29. Final Scene (Part I)

m. 7 the percussion and clarinet books have parts that are not indicated in the piano-vocal or conductor score. There is an A-flat bell-tone on the downbeat in the percussion book, and then the clarinet plays the last three quarter-notes, doubling the singer's pitches

No. 29B The Ballad of Sweeney Todd

m. 71 there is no timpani entrance in the percussion books, as indicated in the piano-conductor score



ALTERNATE/9-PIECE ORCHESTRATION

No. 1 - Ballade of Sweeney Todd

There are missing or inconsistent dynamics in the orchestra parts at the end of the number. Some parts indicate a crescendo to forte, others decrease do to pianissimo, others have no dynamics at all.

No. 2 - No Place Like London

mm. 9-11 there are no chimes in the percussion parts, as indicated in the piano/conductor score

m. 27 of the piano-vocal does not exist in the piano-conductor score or the orchestrations

m. 43a of the piano-vocal does not exist in the piano-conductor score or the orchestrations. Instead, m. 43 is indicated to be played twice.

No. 3 - Worst Pies In London

m. 62 clarinet has a quarter note on the last beat, which is not indicated in the piano-conductor score

No. 5 - My Friends

m. 70, right hand piano piano-conductor score should have top note as E-natural, not G-natural

No. 6 - Green Finch and Linnet Bird

No instruments are scored to cover the piccolo or clarinet parts in mm. A-E of the "bird music." The clarinet covers the oboe parts only.

No. 8 - Johanna (Part I); and No. 8A - Johanna (Part II)

Both numbers appear in the piano-conductor and are orchestrated in the key of F Major!

No. 9 - Pirelli's Entrance

Mm. 1-23 are in A-flat Major in the piano-conductor and orchestra parts. The piano-vocal is incorrect. Transposed, material in m. 36 is altered to lead into F Major at m. 37. M. 37 to the end is correct.

The orchestra parts are marked to vamp m. 6 only, not 5 and 6, as indicated in the piano-conductor score.

Text in m. 40 does not match that of other reliable sources

m. 138 there is no melodic material represented in the orchestra parts, as indicated in the piano-conductor score.

No. 9 A - Pirelli's Entrance

In mm. 3-7 only the clarinet accompanies Pirelli on the lower third. No instrument doubles Pirelli's line. The bassoon enters in m. 8 with a pick-up.

No. 10 - The Contest Part I

The opening, mm. 1-45 are orchestrated in A-flat. I mention this because there is an old score floating around out there with these measures in F Major. A-flat is the correct key.

There are no dynamics in the orchestra parts in mm. 5-8 (missing crescendo and decrescendo)

In m. 67 the clarinet doubles the last eighth-note D-flat with the voice, which is not indicated in the piano-conductor score.

No. 10A - The Contest Part II

This number is not in the orchestra parts or the full score for the alternate 9-piece orchestration. However, it does appear in the piano-conductor score.

No. 11 - Johanna (Judge)

This number appears in the piano-conductor score and the orchestra parts in show order.

No. 12B - Pirelli's Death

Orchestra parts are highly inconsistent and I accurately marked. Some parts lost the bars as mm. 1-7, others mm. 66-72. Some parts do not show all measures. It's confusing for the players.

No. 12C - Ballade (Three Tenors)

Orchestra parts are highly inconsistent in mm. 1-4. Some indicate four full bars to be repeated, others are the two-bar vamp as indicated in the piano-conductor score, but the orchestration doesn't really match up to the piano-conductor or piano-vocal. Musical Director will need to make a decision and re-notate as needed.

No. 14 - Ladies in Their Sensitivies

There are discrepancies as to where the vamp should occur. The piano-vocal score indicates the vamp at mm. 1-2, the piano conductor at 3-4, and the orchestra parts at 5-6.

No. 15 - Kiss Me

The piano-conductor score does not indicate to repeat mm. A-B, though the piano-vocal and orchestra parts do.

There is an optional repeat of m. 44 indicated in the piano-conductor score, but not in the piano-vocal or orchestra parts.

No. 16 - Pretty Women (Part I)

The orchestra parts contain a vamp in mm. 5-6, though the piano-conductor and piano-vocal do not.

No. 17 - Epiphany

The piano-conductor includes an alternate version in C Major, but this is not included in the orchestra parts.

The piano-conductor indicates an optional short ending. Doing the short ending would require minor adjustments in the orchestra parts and/or piano-vocal score in mm. 80 to the end.

In m. 80, the woodwinds do not have e sixteenth-notes. Xylophone has quarter-notes. In m. 82, no one has quarter-notes or eighth-notes as indicated in the piano-conductor score.

No. 20B/No. 21 - By the Sea (Part I)

The piano-conductor indicates that No. 21 begins at m. 1 on p. 265 of the piano-vocal score, with the introductory material on p. 264 of the piano-vocal score labled No. 20B - "I am a Lass." All orchestral parts match the piano-vocal score (NOT the piano-conductor score), except for the percussion book, which matches the piano-conductor score. Very confusing in rehearsal.

The repeat of mm. 21-24 is indicated in the piano-conductor score, but not in the orchestra parts.

Mm. 29-30 are marked as a safety vamp in the orchestra parts, but not in the piano-conductor score.

No. 22A - The Letter

In m. 29-30, orchestra parts indicate melodic material as D-sharps resolving to C-sharps, which is contrary to the piano-vocal and piano-conductor. The orchestra parts seem to make more sense aurally, but this is conjecture.

No. 23 - Not While I'm Around

M. 3 is marked as a safety vamp in the wind parts, vaguely in the string parts, and not at all in the piano-conductor or piano-vocal scores.

Mm. 75a and 76a of the piano-vocal score are not in the piano-conductor score or orchestra parts. Instead, the vocals enter the last time through the vamp of mm. 75-76.

The Parlor Songs (Nos. 24, 24A and 24B) and all the Organ-only interludes (Prelude, 20A, 22B, 23A,
25A   are not even mentioned in the orchestra parts, though not necessarily needed.

No. 24A - Parlor Song II

Voice part in m. 39 should be C-natural, B-flat, A-natural, B-flat

No. 25 - Fogg's Assylum

M. 38 is indicated in the orchestra parts with a fermata. The measures occupied by the continuing chorus parts are not present in the orchestra parts.

No. 26 - City on Fire

Mm. 37 or 37a do not exist in the orchestra parts. Instead, they are indicated as a safety vamp in mm. 36-37, thus creating a moment of potential confusion.

No. 27 - Searching (Part I)

The piano-conductor and orchestra parts begin with one m. A, which is a safety vamp in 2/4.

m. 45a in the piano-vocal does not exist in the piano-conductor or orchestra parts

No. 27 A - Searching (Part II)

The piano-conductor and the orchestra parts include both a short insert and a long insert. The long insert matches the version found in the appendix of the piano-vocal score. The short insert in the piano-conductor score matches the non-appendicized version written in the piano-vocal score, HOWEVER the orchestra parts are missing mm. 36-39!

m. 24 in the piano-vocal score should be two quarter-notes, not two eighth-notes

The melodic material in m. 25 of the piano-vocal score should be a quarter-note followed by a half-note, not two eighth-notes tied to a half-note.

Note: Exit Music appears in the piano-conductor score, but not in the orchestra parts or the piano-vocal.

VIOLIN

No. 1
There should be 4 bars of rest at m. 55
There should be 10 bars of rest at m. 70

No. 2
Change in time signature missing at m. 17
No tempo markings

No. 7
m. 1 contains an extra beat (two extra eighth-notes)
m. 9 is missing

No. 17
There's an extra m. between mm. 36 and 37
m. 72, 2nd note should be a C-sharp

No. 27
Missing 3/4 time signature at m. 45

No. 27A
mm. 48a and 49A are missing, and remaining bars are mis-numbered.

CELLO

No. 2
m. 3 should be arco

No. 7
mm. 13-15 has wrong rhythm

No. 10B
m. 11 should be pizzicato

No. 12C
m. 1 should be arco

No. 14
m. 55 is missing repeats

No. 16A
m. 57 should be arco
no. 64 should be pizzicato

No. 18
Safety vamp is incorrectly marked in mm. 132-133. Should be mm. 128-129.

No. 19
m. 140 should be a quarter-note, not an eighth-note

No. 21
missing mm. 21-22

No. 29
missing time signature in m. A

BASS

No. 4
3/2 time signature is missing

No. 5
m. 15 missing 3/4 time signature
m. 39 missing 3/4 time signature

No. 12
1 bar is missing between mm. 16 and 18 (m. 19 is too early by 1 bar)

No. 12B
mm. 6-7 are missing

No. 17
missing 4/4 time signature in m. 54

No. 27A
6/4 time signature is missing in m. 3a

No. 29
no time signature in m. A
no time signature in m. 1
no time signature in m. 14
no time signature in m. 30

HORN

(no notable errors)

BASSOON

No. 16
mm. 52-53 should have a quarter-note followed by a dotted quarter-note, not two dotted quarter-notes

PERCUSSION

No. 4
m. 158, xylophone's 4th eighth-note is wrong - should be B-natural

No. 17
Cymbal should be on the "and" of the third beat.

No. 19
m. 231 and 272 are wrong - indicates tom, not bass drum

No. 27
missing time signature in m. 13a

No. 27A
no instrument marks at mm. 17 or 23-24

CLARINET

Several awkward page turns in part

No.10
wrong notes in mm. 50-52

No. 28
m. 53 is missing

TRUMPET

No. 4
wrong pitches at mm. 174-175 (concert G-sharps should be G-naturals)

No. 17
time signature missing at m. 64

No. 17
note should be on the "and" of third beat.

No. 19
mm. 3-4, last quarter-notes should be B-naturals