L' Homme de la Mancha (Man of La Mancha 1968 French Cast) [Soundtrack]

Joe Darion, Mitch Leigh, Jacques Brel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 12, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Drg
• ASIN: B0007W7HF2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,718 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brel is Don Quijote, April 28, 2005

By 

Merilahti Kristiina (Finland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: L' Homme de la Mancha (Man of La Mancha 1968 French Cast) (Audio CD)

This cd was already known for me, when Thelma sent me another copy, provided with a copy of original American casting. It was interesting to hear it, the original casting was very good. I enjoyed their beautiful voices and Sancho Panza's comic performance.

BUT: Jacques Brel did it better. There never was a singer as dramatic and different from anyone else. When I first heard his 'La quete', I understood Don Quijote for the first time, though I didn't know much French back then. Brel's voice said it all: the struggle of a man, whose vision of the world is dramatically different from "normal", but who still hangs on to his truth, no matter how much hardship and ridicule he has to take because of it. There the human tragedy, loneliness and heroism surpasses the comedy of Don Quijote. Brel could do this: bring out all the aspects at once, make us laugh and pity at the same time. He did touch similar themes several times in his original songs: a man who lives believing in an illusion created by alcohol (L'ivrogne), hopeless love (Madeleine) or just dreams (Knokke-le-Zoute tango), at times recognizing the truth but deciding to hang on to his illusion, because it's better. And it could be the real truth, though others are too blind to see it. Especially Knokke-le-Zoute takes one back to this performance and the point where Don Quijote meets the knight of mirrors who convinces him to see the truth - but he starts thinking: "What if.. it wasn't a dream?"

Joan Diener was apparently a very goodlooking woman and a marvellous singer. However, she did much better in original version, in French the operatic side seems to take over and her singing is out of place compared to Brel's harsh, natural style. Except in Aldonza, where she lets her voice crack and bring out more than an operatic singing can do.

The leaflet provided contains some information of Brel's production and is written by Thelma Blitz, an ardent fan who knows more about Brel than I do. It's well worth reading. Thank you Thelma, I did enjoy listening to these. And I do think the original American version was very good, but it's not their fault there was only one Brel. He was an actor/singer/songwriter wrapped in one person and exceptional in all those areas. You don't have to read the book to understand Don Quijote, you don't even have to understand many words of French, just listen to Brel's voice.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In French but Great Anyway, December 6, 2005

By 

John Boland "John Boland" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: L' Homme de la Mancha (Man of La Mancha 1968 French Cast) (Audio CD)

I know French speaking people are going to hate the above title of this "review". I'm speaking for "the average" English speaking person here. I didn't compare the English versions with this one. In listening to this one I am taking it on "its own merits" as a "listenting experience". Even though I couldn't understand most of the words, I do know the story which helped me understand "the emotion" underlying the words. After listening to this CD twice, I can honestly say that it is an "experience" ---- a "fulfilling experience" to hear the different types of voices in this production....and to hear the emotion conveyed by the singers. Without making any protestations that this is "the best one", I will say that I think if you like "Man of La Mancha" you will appreciate this version very much. Why not buy one of The English versions AND this one to complement them....or vice versa....as I say, I'm not comparing here----all I'm saying is that this one is very good and possibly "great" in its own right. You will enjoy it!(There are two editions of this version: An import with French Liner Notes and this one with excellent ENGLISH Liner Notes by Thelma Blitz of NYC. Of course, this is the edition to purchase if you happen to be one of those people who are "handicapped" by speaking only English! :o) Email:boland7214@aol.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Profound Paths Cross, July 5, 2004

By 

Ken Schneyer (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homme De La Mancha (Audio CD)

One of those artistic miracles that is almost impossible to believe. Man of La Mancha, of course, is the Show That Cannot Die. (I've been in productions that were so bad they *should* have died, but that didn't stop the standing ovations for one of the most profound musicals of the 20th century.) Brel, meanwhile, is a singer whose passion, sorrow and wisdom cut through any language barrier. So how strange and wonderful that Brel should translate Man of La Mancha into French, then star it it himself! What prompted him I've never fully understood. (The story is recounted in Eric Blau's book about "Jaques Brel is Alive and Well...") I gather that Brel, who himself always seemed so intent on facing life as it is with courage, found some strange sympathy with the Cervantes who said "Perhaps insanity lies in seeing life as it is, and not as it should be." There is no way to listen to this recording without hearing both the English (Richard Kiley) version and Brel's own songs in one's head. You'll be pondering it for days afterwards.