Follies represents a unique point in the history of the Broadway musical as it looks both backward and forward: backward by referring to songs and composers of musical theater's rich history in precisely observed musical pastiche; forward by using these materials evocative of the past to comment on the limits and dangers of such nostalgia. Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics are interwoven with James Goldman's book to allow for study of the work as performed on Broadway in 1971. Publishing the music in full score (a rarity for musicals) allows for a full appreciation of both its detail and Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations.