# Les Miserables sung by operatic voices ?



## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Is there a recording of the musical Les Miserables sung in a more operatic way, than the 2012 movie ? 

I feel dissatisfied with the voices, the way I wasn't dissatisfied by other musicals such as film version of West Side Story, My fair lady or the stuff by Andrew Lloy Webber.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

BBSVK said:


> Is there a recording of the musical Les Miserables sung in a more operatic way, than the 2012 movie ?
> 
> I feel dissatisfied with the voices, the way I wasn't dissatisfied by other musicals such as film version of West Side Story, My fair lady or the stuff by Andrew Lloy Webber.


The movie was cast with actors rather than singers, who were made to sing their pieces live rather than lip-sync to a pre-recorded soundtrack. I was disappointed with all the voices, too, after years of waiting for the movie to be made. 
Most of the stage versions were cast with musical theater talent, whose voices are not operatic, and they are usually amplified.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> The movie was cast with actors rather than singers, who were made to sing their pieces live rather than lip-sync to a pre-recorded soundtrack. I was disappointed with all the voices, too, after years of waiting for the movie to be made.
> Most of the stage versions were cast with musical theater talent, whose voices are not operatic, and they are usually amplified.


Actually Hugh Jackman first made his name in musicals. In fact, I saw him as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's production of *Oklahoma!* He certainly had charisma.










However I take your point about how the movie of *Les Misérables* was made. I just kept wishing they'd lowered some of Jakcman's keys. He'd have had a much easier time of it.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Actually Hugh Jackman first made his name in musicals. In fact, I saw him as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's production of *Oklahoma!* He certainly had charisma.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, interestingly enough, he was one of the greatest disappointments - I saw his Curly in *Oklahoma *and he was pretty good. He had much more than charisma to his name, as you show in the photo!


----------



## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Actually Hugh Jackman first made his name in musicals. In fact, I saw him as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's production of *Oklahoma!* He certainly had charisma.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would have loved to hear the rationalizing in the conversations about why the key should have been left as they were. “.....this is a story about tough, strong people in dire circumstances, why should we try to make it sound nice?”.......uh.....because what we just recorded sucks?!??? The man IS a musical theatre performer, let him do it where it’s best for him. I’ve always wondered if HE got pridey about the key.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

ScottK said:


> I would have loved to hear the rationalizing in the conversations about why the key should have been left as they were. “.....this is a story about tough, strong people in dire circumstances, why should we try to make it sound nice?”.......uh.....because what we just recorded sucks?!??? The man IS a musical theatre performer, let him do it where it’s best for him. I’ve always wondered if HE got pridey about the key.


He should certainly have said something about it; it is obvious that he was very strained. The director must‘ve noticed.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> He should certainly have said something about it; it is obvious that he was very strained. The director must‘ve noticed.


It's quite possible that the composers objected to transpositions. My singing teacher, who taught many a Valjean, said that they were quite adamant about keeping things in the original keys.


----------



## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Tsaraslondon said:


> It's quite possible that the composers objected to transpositions. My singing teacher, who taught many a Valjean, said that they were quite adamant about keeping things in the original keys.


That sounds believable- now I’ll add the cynical touch - particularly if they were determined to be thought of as people who wrote an opera as opposed to songwriters


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> It's quite possible that the composers objected to transpositions. My singing teacher, who taught many a Valjean, said that they were quite adamant about keeping things in the original keys.


I’ve got to admit that those very keys keep the poignancy of the “God on high” going. In that case they should‘ve cast someone else, but I get the Jackman name would guarantee funding. He would’ve made a dynamite Javert, though.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> I’ve got to admit that those very keys keep the poignancy of the “God on high” going. In that case they should‘ve cast someone else, but I get the Jackman name would guarantee funding. He would’ve made a dynamite Javert, though.


And we'd have been spared the strangulated Russell Crowe.


----------



## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

MAS said:


> I’ve got to admit that those very keys keep the poignancy of the “God on high” going. In that case they should‘ve cast someone else, but I get the Jackman name would guarantee funding. He would’ve made a dynamite Javert, though.


There also would have been other musical advantages to casting Jackman as Javert.


----------



## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

If there were to be a version of Les Miserables cast with opera singers singing operatically, you might find yourself disappointed.

Compositionally it was written for miked/amplified voices. You'd be especially moritfied at Eponine's wispy death duet with Marius to be completely at odds with the composers' intents. 

It would sound more like "Opera Bombing". Like this Opera Bombing of George Michael's "Last Christmas":


----------



## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Tsaraslondon said:


> And we'd have been spared the strangulated Russell Crowe.


Ope, you got there just before.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

pianozach said:


> If there were to be a version of Les Miserables cast with opera singers singing operatically, you might find yourself disappointed.
> 
> Compositionally it was written for miked/amplified voices. You'd be especially moritfied at Eponine's wispy death duet with Marius to be completely at odds with the composers' intents.


This is a good point. Maybe the question should be, "Are there better sung versions of the score than the film soundtrack?" to which the answer would be a resounding, "yes, almost any of those that emanated from stage or concert performances."


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I've always preferred this version.






Stay with it for the first two minutes.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

pianozach said:


> If there were to be a version of Les Miserables cast with opera singers singing operatically, you might find yourself disappointed.
> 
> Compositionally it was written for miked/amplified voices. You'd be especially moritfied at Eponine's wispy death duet with Marius to be completely at odds with the composers' intents.
> 
> It would sound more like "Opera Bombing". Like this Opera Bombing of George Michael's "Last Christmas":


This was the equivalent of having The Beatles music played by a symphony orchestra.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

jegreenwood said:


> I've always preferred this version.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hahaha! I love it. I was swing for the show when it came to London, so I know it pretty well.


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Hahaha! I love it. I was swing for the show when it came to London, so I know it pretty well.


I saw it 4-5 times over many years, given there were always new shows to skewer.


----------



## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

All cued up... "I Dreamed a Dream" -

When this first aired, my wife and I were staying in exotic Cardiff, Wales - I was keeping her company for a week while she was finishing up a project - and much like Amanda Holden, with tears streaming down her eyes, she jumped up and gave Susan Boyle a standing ovation when she hit that 5-note climb on 'shame" and didn't stop clapping until Boyle finished off with that sustained _seemed_ in the line, “So different now from what it seemed.” 

One of those "stays with you forever" memories...


----------



## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

And asidefrom the fun and cheese versions, one of those anniversary concerts has Philip Quast and Lea Salonga absolutely on fire!!


----------

