# The Stephen Sondheim Collection

Famed lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim bequeathed thousands of rare and personal items to the Library of Congress — a staggering historic acquisition which covers decades of Sondheim’s work. The collection includes music and lyric sketches and final “fair copies” for virtually all of Sondheim’s songs. In addition, there are rare recordings, personal correspondences, drafts of plays, screenplays and teleplays Sondheim wrote (or co-wrote), including for the film “The Last of Sheila.” There are scrapbooks that include clippings, programs and opening night telegrams. The collection items provide an intimate view into the life and legacy of one of the greatest lyricists and composers of the 20th century. Stephen Sondheim is credited with shaping musical theater and Broadway as we know it today, starting his career with writing the lyrics for “West Side Story.” He then wrote the lyrics and music for landmark shows that include “Company,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Into the Woods” and “Sunday in the Park with George.” Through these collection items, particularly through lyric and music sketches, we can see the lengthy process in which Sondheim poured enormous attention and detail into crafting iconic Broadway hits, such as “A Little Night Music” and “Sweeney Todd.” Senior Music Specialist Mark Horowitz guides us through a riveting tour of this newly acquired historic collection, looking at never-before-seen items such as the specialty lyrics adapted for Barbra Streisand, as…

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2025
- Runtime: 5 min
- By: Horowitz, Mark
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/video-10802/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/video-10802?play=1)