Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Quique |
Favorite SongsDefinitely "In My Life" and "A Heart Full Of Love."Those two songs bring me so much joy. They are lush and simply beautiful. I have a soft spot for the "On My Own" orchestrations. The song itself is nice, but the orchestrations are spectacular. They are so emotive and expressive. Here is my own backing track that I created some time ago--It's pretty accurate, except the second french horn, some of the cymbals, piccolo, and harp are absent during the second half. Forgive the skip @ 3:06. You can download and listen to it here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/n7wpdv "Bring Him Home." This song never fails to make me cry. Especially Randall Keith's rendition. I cried buckets! Fantine's Arrest. Wow. When performed right, it is so beautiful. The Finale. Simply perfect. I look forward to it every time I see the show, yet am very distressed as the show is about to end. Anyway, what are your favorite songs in the show? Which ones pull those heartstrings most? |
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
Ooh.
Every Day/A Heart Full of Love (reprise) is my favorite song in the show, hands down. It's so hopeful ... and bittersweet ... and Valjean's part ("she was never mine to keep/she is youthful, she is free") is so touching. Cosette hanging out on the high C at the end is pretty much pwnage, as well. I love the Javert solos, but really only when they're sung by Quast. I've listened to others, and they don't do the songs justice. One Day More is pure sex, obviously. ABC Cafe/Red and Black. I just love it when French boys plan revolutions. And then DYHTPS ... When done will (see Anthony Crivello) Drink With Me is sob-worthy. Speaking of sob-worthy ... there are really only 2 songs in the show that make me flat-out cry every time. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, if the Marius is properly emotionally invested. And Finale. In both songs, when the dead students reappear, it's tissue time for me ... The first A Heart Full of Love, too. And In My Life. Such a good song. There are also so many little snippets of song that I love: Javert's Arrival: From "Listen my friends" to "hit us from the right." With an emphasis on the little Enjolras solo. Fantine's Arrest: "Tell me quickly, what's the story? Who saw what and why and where?"  
Valjean's Soliloquy: From the beginning up until "just for stealing a mouthful of bread." The First Attack: "See how they run away? / By God, we've won the day! / They will be back again, make an attack again. / For your presence of mind, for the deed you have done / Let me thank you, M'sieur / when our battle is won." Umm ... yeah. 
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| lesmisloony |
I actually have a different favourite song every few weeks, I think... all of them have been my favourite at some point (except Turning...  )
But right now I'm obsessed with the PRC, and my favourites therein are... Tu viens, cheri ! (Lovely Ladies--this is currently my favourite song ever) L'eveque de Digne / Pourquoi ai-je permis a cet homme ? (Valjean Arrested/Valjean Forgiven and Valjean's Soliloquy) J'avais reve (IDAD) La mort de Fantine (Fantine's Death/Come to Me, duh) La confrontation (...) And, in any language, "Plumet Attack" and "The Robbery"... I think we all know why. |
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| flying_pigs |
One Day More pwns all 
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| mezzo_soprano |
I dreamed a Dream - Just beautiful
One day more!! |
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| mastachen |
Stars, On my Own, One Day More | ||||||
| EponineMNFF |
Hm.... On My Own is my favorite. I know I know. But I would be lying if I said it wasn't.
I ADORE Confrontation. My friend and I learned the parts (I'm Valjean and she's Javert) and we just break out into song all the time. Javert's Suicide is excellent. I also love the bit before the official song stars with, "It's you Javert, I knew you wouldn't wait too long!" That is one of my favorite parts in the show. I actually do like Every Day quite a bit. It's so sweet. 
I'm not sure if this counts as a song, but the orchestra's Bring Him Home reprise after the barricades fall. Ahhhhh love it. Come to Me and A Little Fall of Rain are also great. I'll probably add more--it'll probably end up being a list of all of the songs in the show. |
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| Kragey |
Re: Favorite Songs
That song meant nothing to me for years. Then I heard Anthony Warlow perform it, which gave it musical meaning, followed by JOJ, which gave it emotional merit. Now I love it. |
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| ChorusKidx3 |
I love Heart Full Of Love and A Little Fall of Rain, both which I have used for auditions. It's a great musical and very well done, better each time. | ||||||
| lesmisloony |
That, my good sir, is undeniable truth. |
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| ChorusKidx3 |
Ah yes.
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| bigR |
I change favorite songs all the time, too.
But right now my favorite parts are mainly javert smaller bits: Fantine's arrest, Confrontation, The robbery and all his bits at the barricade. I have a soft spot for all the barricade boys ensemble songs. At the end of the day is among my favorites right now too. And for some reason, although for a time it was among my favorites, I now loath One day more. I find it just noisy
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| MunkuSwarley |
My favorite is probably A Heart Full of Love. However, On My Own is right behind that. It was after hearing that song that I wanted to see this show, which turned me into a theater geek. | ||||||
| Orestes Fasting |
It changes. Right now it's probably Bring Him Home and the Finale--and the Drink With Me reprise, which I have never seen performed live. (Woe.) | ||||||
| lesmisloony |
^I like the DWM reprise if it has the COAC thing tacked onto the end of it. That broke my heart the first time I heard the CSR.
*wonders what that post might mean to a non-LM fan* |
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| bigR |
I've always seen it with the reprise when I've seen it live. I've only seen it without it recently in some videos and I really hate it.
It is so rushed that you don't get the feeling of what's happening. And then, they actually start fighting when the women and fathers are still there, since they don't have the time to go out before the fire starts. it does not make much sense... |
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| Quique |
I miss the DWM reprise, too. Love that it ends with the Castle On a Cloud melody. They used to have one of the women let out a big ol' cry right before she left. It was heartbreaking. | ||||||
| EponineMNFF |
I agree; I love the COAC meldoy, but I don't miss the reprise too much.
*Ducks* Then again, I never saw it live with it included, so I probably don't know what I'm missing.
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| lesmisloony |
But... it was only like, three seconds... how can it possibly earn dislike? | ||||||
| EponineMNFF |
Hahahaha. 
I mean I don't hate it, but I don't think it's exactly necessary in an Act II that's already long. |
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| lesmisloony |
Okayy, fine. But I miss it. It made me feel all poignant inside. | ||||||
| EponineMNFF |
Awww.
Did you ever see it live? I wish I could've. Maybe there'll be a regional production near me soon that doesn't cut it. |
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| lesmisloony |
I don't think I saw it live, unless they cut it after 2000 or 1999 or whenever it was I first saw the show... *can't remember  *
I know I was in the sixth grade... |
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| bigR |
you didn't write this because of what I said about hating it, didn't you? Beacuse what I hate is that they cutted it out. The reprise + COAC i love. I've always seen it live without the cuts, and although I don't mind the other cuts so much, the barricade feels too rushed now and I really dislike it. And I'm really glad they put everything back in London, since I already have my plane tickets for next april! |
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| Fantine |
Where are you from? |
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| lesmisloony |
Ohno, I was talking to EponineMNFF who said she didn't like it. Sorry for confusion... | ||||||
| bigR |
madrid |
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| Catherine |
I can't be the only person who loves the Prologue. Surely??
Also, Fantine's Arrest, Come to Me and the Finale are amAHzing. |
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| lesmisloony |
Mmmmm I love Come to Me and Fantine's Arrest! ("Can this be?")
AND THE PROLOGUE. The opening notes of the show (assuming you aren't watching the revival orchestrations) are orgasmic. |
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| Catherine |
Yayy! Someone who agrees! London still has the origination orchestrations right? |
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
I agree!! |
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| Catherine |
Wheeee! Lets make a fan club. | ||||||
| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
hahaha YAY for our fanclub!
Can I also say that I think that the end of "Red and Black" (from "Lamarque is dead" to the end) is the sexiest piece of music in this show? Except perhaps for Quast's "Suicide." |
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| lesmisloony |
I'm obsessed with the Runaway Cart music. It's pwny. | ||||||
| Fantine |
Oh totally. |
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| Quique |
Yes, they still use John Cameron's original orchestrations there. Lucky them. The only thing they've changed is that they've reduced the number of musicians and supplemented them with a machine called the Sinfonia, which is a "virtual" computerized orchestra of sorts. Last time I heard clips of the London orchestra, I was quite impressed at how well the machine replicates the sound of most of the missing instruments. It's actually not too bad. I was once very upset about this, but compared to what they've done in the Broadway revival--completely rewrite an entirely new, inferior sounding orchestral score--what they've done in London is nowhere nearly as bad. The new orchestrations completely change the show's trademark sound, and the passion that came along with it. It feels stripped, tinny, and sounds bombastic. They've adapted John's original orchestral score for smaller pits before, like in the U.S. tour, but adapting them to be played by a reduced number of instruments and rewriting a whole new score are two very different things. I believe Sean Alderking was responsible for adapting the original score for the tour's smaller orchestra (18 members. The original Broadway production had over 23). But it sounded nearly identical and full, and had basically John's original score intact. In fact, the only difference is that most short tour stops did not hire a string section and used two synths instead. On longer stops, they hired local string players--usually a cellist, a viola, and two violinists. |
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| Quique |
I also <3 the opening notes. Especially with the old synth, as 80's as it sounds, lol.
Fantine's arrest is so beautiful and sad. The ATEOTD intro is spectacular (the original. The revival one as heard in the vid I posted sounds grotesque). |
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| eponine5 |
Words can't describe how much I love the very end of Waltz of Treachery and the merging of it into Look Down! | ||||||
| Quique |
^ I agree. Especially before the cuts. | ||||||
| Timmy_Wishes he was Quast |
I adore the surging brass in the segue between the Bring Him Home instrumental following the final battle and "Dog Eats Dog" I think it's a wonderful section and such a subtle change in music. John Cameron got it right!
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| Quique |
Oh, I think I'm in love with you, Timmy.
It takes a real appreciation for orchestral music to recognize the brilliance of John Cameron, imo. |
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| EponineMNFF |
I agree with everything on this page. Haha.
I just remembered how much I LOVE the Well Scene. |
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| Timmy_Wishes he was Quast |
The Well Scene can come across as a little...well creepy...but it is still lovely. In fact thats one of the parts on the CSR where the performers actually sound like they might have been less than a million miles away when they were recording. | ||||||
| Fantine |
Oh God, does anyone know the Sound of Music recut trailer? *Is getting a brilliant idea now* I could make a recut for Les Mis. If anyone has that lalalalala bit from the Well Scene... It would be so scary... |
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| Moci |
The Well Scene isn't on the CSR, it wasn't added to the production until several years later. |
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| lesmisloony |
I haven't seen the Sound of Music recut, but I have seen Mary Poppins and The Shining Recut. Those are brill. | ||||||
| Fantine |
Yeah, that Mary Poppins one is a classic. The SOM one has been removed apparently... 
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| Timmy_Wishes he was Quast |
"La la la la la" is the end of it is it not? I know it isn't in it's current form on the CSR (as in JVJ doesn't ask Cosette her name?) but i would have thought the la's hinted at this? No? |
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| Alexis Fernandes |
My Top 10 Les Miz songs:
1 - Master of the House 2 - Drink with Me 3 - One Day More 4 - Stars 5 - On My Own 6 - I Dreamed a Dream 7 - A Little Fall of Rain 8 - Finale (Epilogue) 9 - Bring Him Home 10 - The Confrontation (ahah, I love when Valjean and Javert sing at the same time, yayy )
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