....the 1991 Paris cast recording of "Les Miserables". I saw this
production back in 1991, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'd forgotten how good this is, actually. The songs sound better in
French, and the French text used here is mostly rather better than the
English lyrics for this version of the show, a couple of rather clumsy
passages for Valjean aside (this French text, the second French-language
version of the show, is an odd mix of stuff from the first version,
stuff that's translated back from the English version, and stuff that's
completely new. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best stuff tends to be in
the first and third groups).
But what really makes this recording worth seeking out is the cast.
Robert Marien is an admirable Valjean who negotiates "Comme un Homme"
("Bring Him Home") beautifully. Patrick Rocca may be the best Javert
I've ever heard - sounds older than the role is usually cast, has a
good, strong baritone, and acts the hell out of his role, even on
record. His "Sous les étoiles" ("Stars") is magnificent. And Jerome
Pradon - an actor I've never liked when I've seen him working in English
- is a terrific, callow-sounding Marius who is nicely paired with Marie
Zamora's sweet Cosette. The chorus singing is absolutely superb.
What really makes this recording a must-hear, though, is the two
principal women, both of whom, coincidentally, are Canadian rather than
French. Stéphanie Martin's "Mon Histoire" ("On My Own") is a masterclass
in how pop singing in musical theatre *should* be done - free of
excessive ornamentation, clearly enunciated, and while her voice is
formidable, she doesn't fall into the pop-belter trap of forgetting to
act when she goes for the biggest notes. And even she, as good as she
is, is outclassed by Louise Pitre, this recording's Fantine, who is
simply spectacular (I *really* regret, listening to this, that there was
no OBC of "Mamma Mia". Pitre is one of the very best singers working in
musical theatre *anywhere*). Her "J'avais rêvé" ("I Dreamed a Dream") is
magnificently desolate - she knows when to break your heart with an
absolutely pure sound, and she knows when to sacrifice purity of tone
for acting considerations, and the overall effect of this performance is
very, very moving (it's a song, by the way, that often leaves me cold if
it isn't done well). Her death scene is similarly stunning, as is her
return in the finale (another sequence I often don't like). This might
be the definitive performance of the role.
I don't often need a "Les Mis" fix, but when I do, this is the recording
I go to. So what are YOU listening to?
--
Stephen
Veronica: Okay, I'm Veronica. I'm from Neptune. And I once shot a man in
Reno just to watch him die.
Dean: Oh, how'd that go?
Veronica: It was a bit of a letdown.
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