I’d chalk it up to the excellent standards of the Swedish education system. I think in Night Music, there is also the understanding that they are singing in their native language, whereas in WSS, Sondheim perceived Maria is singing in English.
I didn’t tend to agree with him about this criticism until the recent film, which went to great strides to separate Spanish from English; in that context, the song felt too cute by half when sung in English.
It’s also possible that we’re witnessing Sondheim’s own bias in terms of what he expects of a Puerto Rican immigrant versus a Scandinavian domestic. |
