Which Les Miseraables recording for a novice?

[wewdie]

Hello all,

I have no experience with the score of Les Miserables save for the random listening of I Dreamed a Dream and On My Own. As I prepare to see the movie, I have a feeling I will want a proper cast recording of the score rather than the movie soundtrack. Which one do you recommend? The original London cast, the original Broadway cast, symphonic, or 10th anniversary?

There seem to be a lot of choices. I'm unsure which one will give me the best listening experience.

Thanks for any advice.
-Eddie

[alwaysrose]

Personally, I enjoy the 2010 cast recording, and it is more complete than some of the other recordings. However, I would suggest the Symphonic cast recording as it features the entire score. Both versions are pretty easy to find via Amazon or eBay.

[Jane2]

I'm not sure which is the best but the London OCR has Patti Lupone and Colm Wilkinson, if I'm not mistaken.

[Queen of the Night]

I like the 10th anniversary and original Broadway cast recordings best myself.

[alwaysrose]

If you have Spotify, you can listen to all of the above recordings and decide which you like best.

[wskrs4]

I personally like the "completeness" of the symphonic cast recording, but as a whole, I prefer the cast of the 10th Anniversary Concert (there is a lot of overlap). Either one of those two would be my recommendation.

[ashley77]

My go-to has always been the original London Cast. I prefer LuPone, Allam, and Caine to their Broadway counterparts.

The best cast overall is the 10th Anniversary concert version. No one can beat Phillip Quast as Javert (IMO)

[Rainbowhigh23]

There's so many recordings to choose from, why not start with the premiere recording, the original London cast, and go from there? A lot of great actors on it - Rebecca Caine, Colm Wilkinson, Patti LuPone, to name but a few.

[My Oh My]

I say the Complete Symphonic.

It is complete with the exception of the well scene added to the Broadway production for its 10th anniversary in 1997, then made an official part of every production.

All versions that follow the Complete Symphonic either cut stuff out, speed the tempos to ridiculous levels, or crap up the orchestrations.

The Complete Symphonic has a kick ass symphony playing the original John Cameron orchestrations. This is the man who also orchestrated the original French concept album. Anyone who has listened to the concept album knows just how much John Cameron contributed to the evocative sound of that version, and surely, the Complete Symphonic and all productions since.

The Complete Symphonic has casts from some of the then current productions playing around the world, as well as members of the original London cast: then-current London; Broadway; Australian; Japanese; and Los Angeles productions. The latter being awesome because a certain 11 year old first saw the show with them. =)

I also recommend the London 10th anniversary and Broadway cast recordings. I am hesitant in recommending the London cast recording as a first version to a novice because many songs no longer resemble those original versions. But I do highly recommend it to any fan or anyone wanting to be moved, as that recording has this very deep, rich FM-like sound that I just love and puts me in a distinct mood that separates it from all other Les Mis recordings.

And it has the Lupone and the Caine.

[tobiasragg]

I live for the complete symphonic recording but the 10th anniversary I think has a better cast. However, the CSR is the one I go to for the original orchestrations. Just listen to the prologue -- it's EPIC.

[My Oh My]

It really depends on each listener's needs.

Apart from the orchestra, I know I tend to want to sing along full-out sporadically while listening. I notice I tend to feel most inspired to do so when singers like Warlow, Morris, or Ball step up to the plate. I tend to feel less enthusiastic when Byrne and Shimada come in, even though I think they are both fantastic as Fantine and Eponine, respectively.

So when I want to belt the sh*t out of "I Dreamed a Dream" or "On My Own," I press eject and put in Randy Graff of the original Broadway cast recording and either Frances Ruffelle or Linzi Hately for Eponine's 2nd act shout-fest. Those ladies can scream beautifully, and Frances, with a Rock-tinged flavor. Gotta love her.

When I feel like slitting my wrists (figuratively!!!), I put on Nagy Aniko's rendition from the original Hungarian cast recording. She's the most beautiful sounding wounded animal I've ever heard.

And when I am not interested in "singing along." I chuck it all to one side and slave away, creating my own orchestral tracks, to which I allow myself to sing to only if I am satisfied by how it turns out. Anal, I know.

And if that's the case, the neighborhood will strike contorted expressions for the next hour, or so, as I SING the crappola out of those songs, complete with machine-gun vibrato and scooping notes a-la-Lupone, leaving the barrio stunned, paralyzed, and trauuuuuuumatized.


Calm down. I kid.

[JP2]

My go to is always the Complete Symphonic, just because it's exactly what it says it is. Heck, after seeing the movie that's what I felt compelled to listen to.

People always mention how the cast isn't perfect, but it's never bothered me.

If you have Spotify, I'd just listen to all 500 recordings and pick the one you like best.

[OperaBwayLover]

For an enjoyable experience overall, I'd recommend the 10th Anniversary Concert recording. However, if you want to hear the full score, go with the Complete Symphonic.

I'd stay away from the Original Broadway Cast; if you're a Marius fan, you will HATE David Bryant's version (I do. :-p). Also, the Thenardiers just sound weird (Madame T's kinda weak, and T sounds like Tigger, IMO), and I find Randy Graff's Fantine unbearable. The OBC does have a special place in my heart/collection because of Terrence Mann's Javert and Michael Maguire's Enjolras, though.

Also, the Original London Cast is fun to listen to because of the differences in the score that we're used to. It has the Cosette solo "I Saw Him Once" that was later cut, as well as the full version of "Little People."

[CarlosAlberto]

Get ALL OF THEM and listen to them BACK TO BACK and then over again....that's the only way to appreciate LES MIZ.

[WestEndAndy]

I still like the OLC best.It has a fantastic set of principals, some like Michael Ball virtually unknown at the time, and the sound is full and grand with lots of nice fat reverb. Too many studio recordings are dry and too close-miked for my taste. The OLC sounds like it did in the theatre.

Oddly, as a longtime Les Mis fanatic (now reading the novel in preparation for seeing the picture) the music didn't impress me much on first hearing. I was awed by the staging at the Barbican in London, but found the songs overloud and simplistic - after all, Master of the House is virtually based on three chords. It wasn't until I bought the album (yes, it was in the days of the LP) that I was knocked out by the power of the music.And nobody will ever sing Bring Him Home more movingly than Colm Wilkinson. For me, he will always be Valjean.

The style of the music and singing has changed since the 80s. It is less poppy and more classic Broadway. Strings replace synths. Where are the drums? There used to be a rawness to the score which the film version appears to have softened - but I await the full movie experience.

[broadwayfever]

Hey Eddie,

For now, I would skip all of those that have been mentioned and simply watch the 25th Anniversary Concert.

Then after you watch the film, you can go back and start with all the other suggestions.

[My Oh My]

I change my mind. Forget the Complete Symphonic.

Get one of the near-complete foreign cast recordings, like one of the 6, live Japanese cast recordings. Well, unless you can understand Japanese, of course.

That way, you will place more focus on the music! Like WestEndAndy mentioned, the basic music is not very complex. Beautiful, but very accessible. But the orchs, now that's something else! Make sure it's John Cameron's originals. The variety of colors and textures and harmony, the way they blend and create whole new sounds, the way those DIRTY keyboards come in and jar the senses at first but then you find they've created this aural urgency that always seems to be ready to boil over. The way it all works together to support what is being sung, what's going down. It has attitude, it's unsophisticated while being often complex. It doesn't tell you what to feel, it steps aside and lets you discover it for yourself. It's opera but it's not. It's pop, but it's not. It never completely slips into melodrama or pretentiousness, even if it flirts with it whorishly!!! I LOVE it!

The 25th anniversary train wreck may appeal to you if you're feeling masochistic.

[ClapYo'Hands]

The plus side to the 25th anniversary cast recording is John Owen-Jones' Jean Valjean.

Also, the Complete Symphonic Recording doesn't include the scene change music before ABC Café.

[WestEndAndy]

On the subject of the score and the various different versions, can somebody enlighten me about one moment?

In the original staging the building of the barricade was breathtaking. The two halves of the Paris tenements trundled together and then tilted vertically 90 degrees before slotting together. This was set to the grand chords that are used for the Overture, before Look Down. Then in the London production there was a burst of Red and Black before the revolutionaries rushed on to the newly 'built' barricade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7RXWDIZfLY

In every version since, this has been cut and the excitement is lost, to my mind.
When something works so magnificently, why muck about with it?

[WestEndAndy]

Double post

[PopAria]

watch the 25th anniversary.... Watch the film in theaters... then go back and listen to the Original London Cast... I liked the performances in the movie but didn't like the singing...

[CarlosAlberto]

watch the 10th anniversary...watch the 25th anniversary...watch the film in theaters...listen to the OBC, then the OLC, then the Symphonic Recording, then the audio CD's of the 10th anniversary concert and the 25th anniversary cast, then the Original French Concept Album, then blow your brains out...

[My Oh My]

^ Wow. You're so passionate!

[CarlosAlberto]

I'm Latino....the passion is built-in..

[jacobsnchz14]

Which recordings contain the libretto in the booklet?

[canmark]

I'd recommend the Original Broadway Cast. It retains Colm Wilkinson (Valjean) and Frances Ruffelle (Eponine) from the London cast and adds the likes of Randi Graff (Fantine) and Terrence Mann (Javert).

Tony Awards performance of One Day More: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdsnb6rahI

Randi Graff performs I Dreamed a Dream (on Donahue): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pOwOCZrqVo