Customer Reviews

Les Miserables Live

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Les Mis is arguably one of the most popular musicals ever created. This 2 disk, live recording of the 25th anniversary tour edition joins a plateau of Les Mis recordings, each of which possess different positives and negatives. Fans of earlier Les Miserables recordings will probably be unable to avoid comparing some of the interpretations of the roles performed on this CD to earlier recordings. On a whole, the cast is a good representation of the show, boasting a performance of an almost-complete score, with some fantastic tweaks from the original for a great addition to the Les Mis catalogue.

The Cast - the main area that most fans will be interested in. General consensus is that the definitive Valjean is Colm Wilkinson, but John Owen Jones shines in his role. His approach to Valjean is more subtle and emotional than Wilkinson, however he still manages to produce a commanding and powerful tone in the urgent moments of the score. 'Bring Him Home' is a highlight of the soundtrack, with the vocals soaring over the orchestration, flicking with ease between the high and low register with such dynamics and emotion the result is breathtaking. Another commendable effort is delivered by Earl Carpenter as Javert. Filling the shoes of Phillip Quast is probably impossible, but like Jones, Carpenter delivers an excellent and commendable spin on Javert. The performance of 'Stars' is excellent, showcasing his vocals as a strong baritone, and delivering Javert's soliloquy passionately.

The majority of the cast are good, but some are left behind in the shadows of their predecessors. Madalena Alberto boasts an impressive array of ways to sigh and breathe, her interpretation of Fantine coming across a little flawed on this recording. Her voice is distinctively musical theatre, however it also seems to be a hybrid of pop as her voice belts quite a lot and frequently scoops to notes, making her role slightly emotionally detached compared to Ruthie Henshall. The most bizarre spin on the characters is Eponine, with Rosalin James producing a dramatic contrast with original Frances Ruffelle or fan favourite Lea Salonga. The performance of 'On My Own' on this recording is by far my least favourite, with the opening being altered to a bounce/swing/cakewalk. Like Alberto, James possesses a formidable and distinct musical-esque voice, but her embellishments and licks on the belt notes are unremarkable, generic, and sound out of place amongst the classic orchestration of the score.

The rest of the cast are fine. Both Gareth Gates and Jon Roybns deliver well on Marius and Enjolras, but both possess such youthful voices their timbre and richness in tone are lacking. This doesn't stop them in their showcase moments in the score - Gates' performance of Empty Chairs and Tables is quite touching, and Roybns' leading the cast in 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' is still a string anthem. Katie Hall delivers a sweet and innocent Cosette with an interpretation that is a delight for the ears. The Thénardiers and Gavroche are fairly pedestrian with their performances sounding a little grating on the ears, but then again, a recording of the live show embodies a great amount of character that wouldn't have been remembered otherwise.

The number of pros out-way the cons in this CD set. With a rare exception, this is almost an entire recording of the show, an excellent quality that not all the Les Mis CDs have. The chorus on this recording is excellent - the live atmosphere and raw emotion of the cast is caught so well that this recording could probably boast the most vibrant and lively chorus in the Les Mis series. The orchestration is also a highlight, with the score wisely and largely sticking to the original score, but with a much fuller sound via embellishments and ornamentation, and superior mixing. The only production downside of the recording is that much of the spoken dialogue and 'reactions' are caught. The dialogue isn't so much of a problem, but in certain instances (such as 'A Little Fall of Rain') the gasping/moaning/crying is just too much and far too over the top, I'm not sure if I can face listening to it again. Ultimately it just detracts from the beauty of the music. Since I'm being pedantic, in addition the cast also have a diverse catalogue of accents that make the score sound slightly disjointed and inconsistent, but that's hardly . While there are some cases where the music seems a little off balanced, the mixing and overall production is incredible, rivalling some studio recordings for such articulate and well captured sound.

So overall, would I recommend this CD? Yes, for Les Mis fans and passionates it's a fine addition to the Les Mis canon, and for new-comers it is a good introduction to the musical, especially when it boasts such sophisticated production from a live show. While the cast have some weak points, overall they are very pleasing to listen to, and they are backed by a great ensemble and band which manages to effectively represents the show, and there's great value to be found in this set which is essentially the complete show. I don't really have much to complain about here - this is recommended from me.

Where do I start?

I did like some of the re-orchestrations, especially the opening prison scene--very energetic, pulsating, hypnotizing.

What I did/didn't like:

--I did NOT like the fellow who played Jean Valjean--he was too angry, too harsh. Jean ValJean is supposed to be a true protagonist with nobility and suffering in his voice. This gentleman just sounded angry most of the time.

--Earl Carpenter was so-so as Javert. But then as far as I'm concerned, nobody can or will ever measure up to Philip Quast's interpretation of the role. In many instances it alomst sounded like Carpenter was whispering, mumbling.

--I REALLY didn't like the voice of the woman who played Fantine. She belted out "I Dreamed a Dream" like Liza Minelli singing "Life is a Cabaret"--and that is not what the role of Fantine is about!! Fantine is a tragic, suffering, almost fragile character who should engender great sympathy purely through her voice. This singer failed to move me at all.

--The Thenardiers were blah, unmemorable. I measure them against Alun Armstrong and Jenny Galloway and they just don't measure up.

--Marius was okay, thankfully wasn't as weak as Nick Jonas in the 25th Anniversary concert

--Enjolas was blah, unmemorable. Michael McGuire (10th Anniversary concert) and Ramin Kamirloo (25th Anniversary Concert) were vastly superior.

--Cosette was wonderful; I believe this is the same actress who appeared in the 25th anniversary concert.

I own multiple versions of Les Miserable recordings--original Broadway cast recording, 10th Anniversary "Dream Cast" concert, Complete Symphonic Recording, and this recording (my least favorite).

What I would REALLY like to have is the CD recorded version of the 25th Anniversary Concert. I have the DVD, would love to have the CD to play in my car.

John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter are, in many ways, the definitive Valjean and Javert. Their vocals are brilliant, and you can sense the on-stage tension between the two in this live recording. Highly recommended for Les Miz fans.

The Les Mis 25th Anniversary Concert edition is great but it's not as well done as some of the other editions. It has some wonderful standout performances by a couple of people; Alfie Boe as Val Jean is one of the best performers I've seen take on this role (and I'm a HUGE fan of Colm Wilkinson!!). Listening to him sing the high notes sends chills down my spin and leaves me breathless. Colm Wilkinson will always be Val Jean, but Alfie Boe gave him a run for his money. Anyone who can hit the notes he hits with the grace and power he has should win a Tony Awards hands down! And then there's Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras. (also known as the guy who is the Phantom of the Opera in the sequel Andrew Lloyd Webere is doing right now). Ramin rivals anyone whose played that role prior. I was never a fan of this character; thought him to merely be the pretty boy of the cast, but Ramin was able to show emotion and for the first time, I didn't want him to die. The only downfall of this cast really is Nick Jonas who should not be in it at all. Yes he hits his notes and evokes some emotion while acting, but his singing skills are no where near what is needed to take on the role of Marius. He's a pop star and I'm not a fan of pop stars in musical theater. They are trained differently and I respect how they've honed their craft so they can sound raspy and sexy while singing without hurting their vocal chords, but I don't like that they try to bring their style into Musical Theater. It's a different set of rules and those that are in musical theater have been trained to sing in a different way then the pop stars of today. Sorry...tangent I know, but anyway. This is definitely a Les Mis DVD worth adding to your collection.

absolutely amazing. saw Les Mis for the first time on PBS on mrach 6th and fell madly in love with it. absolutely obsessed now. the whole cast was fabulous and i still get chill watching it. i watch it 5 times a week basically... i got it for my birthday (the dvd) and the book. the book is amazing too so pick that up! Alfie Boe absolutely gave EVERY Jean Valjean a run for their money. Ramin Karimloo just WAS Enjolras, no doubt abou that. Samantha Barks as Eponine ... ohmygosh she was amazing. Katie Hall as Cosette really was great, she acted as Cosette acted in the book. NICK JONAS AS MARIUS. Absolutely fantastic. He was Gavroche when he was about 7 and he came back and totally deserves the part. Anyone who thinks he got it because of his Jonas Brother-ness is crazy. He deserved to be there just as much as anyone. He worked for it, and he got it rightfully. AMAZING. xXx