Maybe it is because Pippin is getting ready to close on Broadway, or perhaps because it has been announced that a big-screen adaptation of the piece is in the works, or maybe it is because I generally enjoy the music and lyrics of Stephen Schwartz no matter the overall quality of the musical they derive from, but I have found myself exploring his compositions a lot lately and growing to appreciate all of the wonderful poetry and imagery therein. Schwartz blends achingly palpable emotion, heightened drama, humor, evocative elements of nature, and rich, atmospheric melodies in all of his scores that both transport the listener and illuminate their personal human experience.