What Les Miserables Can Teach Us About Music
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This video examines aspects of Les Miserables, and some of its greatest songs, including I Dreamed a Dream, One Day More, On My Own, and others. Sorry Russell Crowe.
With "What Have I Done" and "Javert's Suicide," it's actually not *just* the endings that match, but both songs are pretty much identical from starting note to ending note. And it's absolutely deliberate as those songs come to both men as they reach a moral crossroads that challenge their whole way of viewing the world. Valjean chooses life at the end of his song, Javert chooses death.
Yup!
Funny story. I was playing Javert in my senior production of Les Mis and I got my words confused opening night and started singing Val Jean's soliloquy, and I couldn't get back on the right lyrics for several lines. I recovered it, and I think most people didn't notice, but that was 100% my most terrifying moment on stage.
@@jacobmohler3677 That would be so terrifying!
Exactly. It’s a litmus test for their world views. Valjean can change and grow, but Javert can not function in a world where he owes someone like Valjean anything.
I was watching a student production of les mis and jevert got the words mixed up, he said "they gave me a number and murdered.. him" poor guy looked like he about to faint. Thankfully I don't think anyone else noticed
It really sold the "I am reaching but I fall" part though
Phillip Quast as Javert is an absolute win.
At first I didn't think Phillip Quast was anything unique because I heard other people do the role. But when I rewatched the 10th anniversary concert, I noticed his subtle acting acting choices. Now, he is the reason I kept coming back to that concert
He's a beast vocally and he also really looks the part. And somehow, this giant of a man manages to look vulnerable in the death scene.
I get chills even listening to snippets of this stuff... I don't know much out there that even touches the emotional impact of les mis
you may already know this but if not: Miss Saigon is by the same people and it has very similar styles and also adds a more modern feel to some songs (its set during the Vietnam war) which worked surprisingly well. It's not les mis level chills but there are certain songs that made me cry actual tears of joy from how beautiful they were when I saw it live. You can definitely tell it's written by the same people.
Ria “Bui Doi” was one of Saigon’s pieces that gave me as much chills as Les Mis, particularly Peter Polycarpou’s rendition.
Ria mentioned Miss Saigon, but Hamilton does a similar thing to Les Mis where it’s constantly developing themes across the entire show. I often get chills from snippets.
Me too. My eyes sting every single time I hear the "Do You Hear The People Sing?" chorus in the finale, unfailingly: I almost cried more than once while watching this video.
@@Ria-cf1wp Not sure why but I did not care for Miss Saigon., but Les Miserables I love as I do Phantom. Seen them both many times in different cities.
The guys that wrote Les Mis also wrote Miss Saigon, and that's it, no other musical theater. They were just like "eh, I'll dabble, drop a few masterpieces, then peace out"
Sorry but they also wrote Martin Guerre
The first musical they wrote was La Révolution Française
One of my favourite instances of a repeating musical idea is the fact that Empty Chairs At Empty Tables is the same tune as the section with the bishop in the prologue (“come in sir for you are weary” etc). I’m not quite sure what it means but I love that a tune that signifies such unprecedented kindness and hope in the very first part of the show is then flipped on its head and used to show the futility of the students’ deaths much later on, in a song belonging to a completely different character. I think it makes Empty Chairs so much more emotional, because even subconsciously you recognise that tune and it feels like all the kindness and hope has left
Both songs invoke the imagery of the Holy Communion.
I think the reason for its inclusion is more technical than thematical:
The 1980 original french version did not have the 20 minute prologue, and did not have an overture either, but started directly with At the end of the day.
When Cameron Mackintosh and James Fenton adapted the original version for the 1985 London production, they decided a prologue had to be included that explained Valjeans's origins. Schönberg used this oppurtunity to create the overture/medley which the original version had lacked, so he wanted to include all major tunes within it. The bishop's tender and soft moment where he forgives Valjean seems to be the most appropriate placement of the Empty Chairs melody. And I love it :)
Here’s a connection, coincidental or not, but in the book, it’s said that the bishop had lost family due to the revolution… similar to Marius losing his friends.
Three years late to this video, but to me the link between the two moments is guilt and forgiveness. Valjean is redeemed by the Bishop's act of forgiveness. Marius suffers from survivor guilt and begs his fallen friends to forgive him for being alive.
@@horstdieter10I think having the "L'air de la misere" melody introduced by Valjean is better than the way Fantine introduced it in the 1980 show. What's funny is that after having bought the Original French Concept Album in 1990, it's only recently that I've found a recording of the whole show, and had no idea that parts of the show which were present in the English version but absent from the OFCA had existed in the original show.
The score of Valjean's death makes me cry, even without the lyrics.
Please do The Prince Of Egypt!!! I think its the most underrated soundtrack ever that doesn’t get enough credit. The legend that is Stephen Schwartz and Hanz Zimmer. Songs like “Deliver Us”,”All I Ever Wanted”, “Through Heaven’s Eyes” and of course, “When You Believe!!! It would be great for you to analyse the latest Prince Of Egypt London Soundtrack! It’s INCREDIBLE.
PLEASE, that would be a feast!
^^^^^ THIS!
What kills me every time when watching or listening to it, is the sequencw you play at 11:30 and onward. The climax of "Bring him home" - and it sounds just as you see Enjolras' body slumped across the barricade after the final battle.
No, this young man and many others won't come home. Someone else's ardent prayer was left unheeded.
I break every single time.
This musical never fails to give me chills. Thanks so much for talking about it and reminding me to watch it again.
Do you know what me too Derek Llewellyn feel it in side effects from musical show documentary about biography of full story about tour
On a vocal level, this musical more than another I can think of resembles the closest to opera. It is very rare a word is spoken throughout (outside the dramatic bursts) but rather there is recitativo, secco, but most accompagnato. As “musical-opera,” it’s a curious mix of Verdi’s “singable tunes”, Wagner’s transformation melodies and harmonies, and even Gilbert and Sullivan’s tongue and cheek. Wonderful analysis!
I was wondering if anyone would compare this to operas. I have long looked at this as a modern opera for the reasons you mentioned.
Tongue IN cheek. But you're right. It's a rare modern opera. There are a few others worth mentioning... One can consider Hamilton an opera, as the music is pretty much non-stop (see what I did there?) and all dialogue is mostly rapped as a recitative. Burn is gorgeous and very much an aria.
I tried for Vealjean during auditions but got thenardier. And my god his music is so hard. Not only is it high, but it’s just confusing. The sheet music made my head spin off.
@@nolenmccabe5270 - I'm writing a book on the show and would really like to hear your comments on Thenardier. Could you email me @ ruthhkenyon@yahoo.com and if we can have a chat?
@mrplatnik - I'd really love to talk to you about this (writing a book on the show and could do with some input on music as it's not actually my area)
If I ever start listening to any song in Les mis, I just continue from there on to the end
Another thing I find fascinating about Les Mis is how these moments of musical symmetry you mention were often borne out of sorta hasty last-minute rewrites and additions. For instance, the prologue as a whole didn't exist in the original French production, so "Javert's Suicide" existed entirely as Javert's piece--and you can hear how the song is built out of his musical material. You mention the constable motif towards the end of the song, but the opening bars ("who is this man/what sort of devil is he...") can also be heard in "Javert's Intervention" ("another brawl in the square/another stink in the air..."). It then gains this new meaning when they give the song a new lyric and give it to Valjean for the newly-added prologue (which, you'll notice, as a result of it being added so hastily, consists entirely of pre-existing musical material).
Similarly, "On My Own" was not originally Eponine's song, but a song for Fantine entitled "La Misere", underscoring the focus on the poor and downtrod--hence why it has such prominence in the score. But in the translation to English, they struggled to find an adequate direct translation and decided instead to adapt the song to fit a different moment in the show. Dramatically, this really shouldn't work, but Trevor Nunn is a savvy dramatist and placed it in exactly the right spot that Eponine's plight can be mirrored with that of the barricade boys (helpfully made explicit later by a soldier telling them "You're on your own..."). What ends up being brilliant about Les Mis is how much it's born out of the rushed and hasty nature of musical theatre, but manages to create all of these subtle meanings and recurrences in the final product.
How interesting!!
I've definitely encountered other situations where, once the core material has been created, late creative decisions and implementations/restructuring can be incredibly effective in similar ways - creativity is such a complex fascinating process, and so different from the Romanticised idea of it all flowing out of your pen in one go
@@InsidetheScore I enjoyed the video very much. I'm writing a book on the show and having done some research and had help on the music (it's not really my field while other parts of dramatic theory are more so) I know about a few of the things you are saying. 'Tracking the musical parallels and motifs in Les Misérables' by Kelly Dean Hansen is very interesting and available on the net if you search for it. I impressed myself by spotting how the 'I dreamed a dream' / 'On My Own' theme turns up in various ways (which is actually a reused song called La Misère from the original Palais de Sports show which the London team adapted.) The other interesting one is the three note theme used in 'Who Am I' and 'One Day More' that occurs a number of times when Valjean appears on scene (even in another key when he's there to save Fantine from Javert). Many years ago when I was first watching the show multiple times when it opened (I am that old) I scribbled notes to myself about it and have been able to quote them in the chapter where I am talking about this. What I WOULD be interested in are your thoughts on why on earth the theme the Bishop uses when he's handing over the candlesticks turns up sung by Marius as 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' and why when Valjean is letting Javert go at the barricade he's singing the tune he sang earlier to Cosette during 'In My Life'. It's a show that has been rewritten (there are six versions of the cart crash) added to, edited and then had a great deal removed (some of which I miss terribly) and which I am having a lot of fun writing about piecing all this together. It gets even more fun when you learn about the 20 odd translations being sung in other languages, how many versions for each language there actually are and how they got round 24601 not working or multi-syllable translations for 'Stars' p.s. Thanks for the Factory Girl / Bamatabois link, I missed that although it was staring me in the face.
@@ruthkenyon1723 I'll be really interested to read your book when it comes out! I've always considered the link between the music for the Bishop and Empty Chairs being the same is the connection to the divine (if that makes sense) - the Bishop's connection to God and Marius literally seeing the ghosts of his friends. I'm not describing that well - but I guess it just feels right to me. There's an interesting discussion about themes being used in the "wrong" place in media, consider Star Wars when (Spoiler alert?) Obi-Wan dies and Leia's theme plays, or at the end of The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey, when the Gondor theme plays when Thorin embraces Bilbo. I believe there' are some similarly "out of place" motifs in Wagner's Ring cycle.
I assume you've come across the book "The Musical World of Boublil and Schonberg" by Margaret Vermette? If not, I'm sure it would be a very useful source, it's a great book!
The original album (you can easily find on youtube) and the actual French play (hard to find) are different though. The album was shorter and a bit different from the actual play. And the 1991 French remake is mostly garbage and poorly translated from English. The same melodies were used several times in the original play. Furthermore, some of the French lyrics literally come from Victor Hugo's novels. Gravroche's song was written by Hugo.
It still astounds me that critics initially panned Les Mis. It's a modern masterpiece!
(Disney's) hunchback of notre dame, the newer version. Though it doesn't resemble the Disney film, it follows more the Victor Hugo novel. Quite dark and tragic and the music is breathtakingly intense! I think it's Alan menkens best score!
I missed that one although it was on stage for 2 years in my home country (2017-2019)! and I hate myself for it :'(
Oh my god yes this, the finale is INCREDIBLE
I love you for talking about it! Is so underrated that it hurts!
I was so lucky so I got to see Les Miserable with the orginal cast. A few years later I was back to London with some friends and we went to see Les Mis. When the music started, the tears began to roll. It was/is such a beatiful musical/music ! Wilkinson is THE best Valjean , others are good but not like him.
ALSO!! After the barricades fall, all the songs are reprises- except for three songs. Every Day, The Wedding Chorale, and Dog Eat Dog. and Marius, Cosette, and Thenardier are the characters who live on at the end...
The wedding chorale is a reprise off the bargain and every day is a reprise of a heart of full of love lol
Ilovehotchocolate nah dude, I’m talking about the “every day you walk with stronger step” and “ring out the bells upon this day of days” bits. The reprises you're talking about are contained within the same tracks as these original melodies, but they're still original melodies!
Plus, even if you're arguing that the power of these non-reprise melodies is "weakened" somehow by being in the same song as reprises... that can be ascribed symbolic significance too. Dog Eat Dog (aside from that instrumental reprise of Bring Him Home that thenardier doesn't participate in), does not have that. Marius and Cosette, despite living on, are still haunted by the past... while Thenardier, by having no morals, gets to be unimpeded. Really sounds like a point Victor Hugo would make about society...
Sophia Walsh Long no lol sorry I just made a mistake les mis is my fav sorry lol
Ilovehotchocolate all good, I wasn't mad at you I just used your comment as a jumping off point to post more of my thoughts lol
Les Mis is my favorite musical. The music is so moving. Thank you for Doing a video about it.
Chelsea Dee mine too, I love it very much and try to see it every time when it comes to ireland🇮🇪😊
In 1989, my then-employer bought a huge block of tickets to the first national tour’s stop in Chicago. We knew far enough in advance that I was able to read the unabridged version of Hugo’s masterpiece. It was especially poignant to sit in the historic Auditorium theatre & watch the performance knowing that, in real life, the people of China were being massacred as they fought for their freedoms in Tiananmen Square.
A heart-wrenching memory that floods back any time I hear that amazing music. Thank you for helping me understand even more what makes Les Mis so powerful.
Absolutely brilliant. You put into words exactly what makes Les Mis so uniquely special. I would probably never have experienced it if I hadn't played in the pit orchestra for a local performance many years ago. Every time we rehearsed I discovered something new in the music, some new connection that I had never made, some emotional epiphany. I adore this musical and it's so satisfying to hear it celebrated in the same way in which I appreciate it.
My favorite one of these repeating melodies is the one sung by Enjolras and Marius in Red and Black ( "It is time for us all to decide who we are" and "Had you been there tonight you might know how it feels") and also by Cosette in In My Life
I was in Les Mis last year. Was great and it opened up a door that I'll never turn away from my pursuit.
I'm so glad you mentioned "At the End of the Day", as I always think about how the lyrics so neatly match the tone of the song (interestingly this isn't true for the original French lyrics, so it was Herbert Kretzmer that decided on this when it was translated into English). I think a lot of credit has to be given to the show's original orchestrator, John Cameron, who created that unique blend of orchestra and synthesizer that the show uses so effectively, and who's responsible for so many of the various shifts in tone and texture throughout a given song. Criminally his work is no longer in the show, as they re-orchestrated everything for the 25th anniversary and don't even allow the original version to be licensed for production. A damn shame, as at least personally I *far* prefer the sound of Cameron's orchestrations.
I saw a touring production a few years ago and i didn't expect to come out of it angry. So sped up, sounding so cheap and bland.
You know that little twinkling bit at the start of the Epilogue, when did get cut out? It's my absolute favourite moment and was gone. Was such a quiet reflective special moment didn't stand a chance with the production now.
@@ffarff There have been many cuts and changes over the years. I'm writing a book on the show and have been logging them to write about them. The really big cuts came in 2000 (a whole swathe from the original show went then to cut overtime overheads and shorten the show) and then they really attacked the score for the touring production to cut the orchestra by half. It's not the show I knew when I saw it first in London as a student and I prefer watching bootlegs of versions from other countries now. Germany has done some amazing non-replica versions that keep the spirit.
There have been so many cuts and changes dating back to 1995. Anything prior to that is Les Miserables the way it’s mostly intended to be. I would still add some of the cut lines from the Barbican previews to make it the best, complete show. I hate that they edited the show to bring the total running time down, but, then added back in the well scene! I had to go back to London to see the original staging before they closed it down and it was bitter sweet for me. It’s my favorite show of all time and it’s sad that the “new” production has been edited, reorchestrated, restaged, no revolve, the pace has been sped up and every song is treated like an American Idol power ballad. Plus my main pet peeve with the new staging, that no one discusses is that during the At The End Of The Day number there are electric lights hanging above the worker women!! Why didn’t someone do their homework and say... this is wrong! There were no electric lamps in 1823 France!! 😡
@@ffarff Those opening 16 bars of the Epilogue was my FAVORITE musical motif in the entire show. So haunting. It truly helped to bring the audience back to "somber" after the comic relief that is "Beggars at the Feast." The chords change between that beautiful guitar in Dbmajor and then subtly drifts up to Dm. It's brilliant - and I am disappointed in every production that has cut it for "time."
@@ffarff do you know if there are any videos of this anywhere ? You've stoked my curiosity and I'm now desperate to hear it
I watched Les Miserables for the first time last night and then I see this in my notifications. Perfect timing.
A'den Stormfall Same here. Talk about coincidence :)
You know, I'm usually pretty good at working out how pieces of music pull emotion out of me before I can even comprehend why, and yet I never got why "Take my hand and lead me to salvation..." etc at the end of Valjean's death wrecks me quite as hard as it does. It's like a triple-hit of what's being talked about here - not only did Fantine also die to this tune, not only did Eponine also express her loneliness and misery to it and Jean Valjean have several moments attached to it, but they're the ones who combine their voices in that last use of the melody. That's some complex emotional layering!!
Someone else already suggested Miss Saigon in a previous comment and I really think it deserves the same, if not more, merits as Les Misérables. Miss Saigon is composed by the same composer (Claude Michel Schönberg), and he truly is a genius.
Ugh yeah, another reminder why Les Mis is a masterpiece! What a powerful piece of art. I just get goosebumps everytime. Not to mention the existential crisis it gave me when i was 13
I remember the first time I saw Les Mis, I was about 8 and went to see a high school production of the play. The most interesting part to me to think back on is that I had no idea what was going on in the play, but what I did remember was the music to the point I was singing it for days afterwards and even my mother was wondering how I could remember the songs so well.
Yesss I'm so glad you made a video about the brilliance of Les Miserables!
Check out Miss Saigon, written by the same as les mis and absolutely stunning. Honestly, it’s a masterpiece and not enough people know about it. I went to see it in a theater and I looked to my left by the end and the muscly guy who seemed to have only brought his girlfriend because she wanted to see it was balling his eyes out with everyone else, including me. Musically and story wise, it’s a masterpiece
I noticed the musical symmetry the first time I heard Les Mis, and it struck me like a thunderclap. This is new and innovative! I became a fan instantly.
That 10th Anniversary Concert with the 'Dreamcast' was my introduction. It was featured as an episode of 'Great Performances' on PBS, when I first saw it. I even got off my butt, and went to experience it 'live' several times.......when road shows would come around.
I love theatre and have seen MANY, MANY on Broadway, King's Cross, and downtown Australia... This one musical, is my favorite and have seen the play about 20 times all over the world and many locations in America. I never tire of this classic...and knowing the history, it makes so much more sense! Fabulous! It's BRILLIANT!
Would love to see an analysis of Phantom. Another example of gorgeous, powerful melodies and great characterisation.
Great video man. I love the miserables. The emotional range in the story and the music is incredible and super well done.
I've seen quite a few musicals. But when I had the honour of seeing Les Mis live I got chills. I had to see it a second time after that. It is SUCH a powerful musical. The songs just seamlessly flow into one another and the music just perfectly captures emotions and the characters. It is definitely my favourite musical. I listen to the soundtrack often, and hope to see it many more times again in the future.
If I'm remembering correctly, "Stars", Javert's big solo, is also connected to the Law Theme. In fact I think just about everything Javert sings in the show either is or is derived from the Law Theme. Which is perfect because the character is completely dedicated to enforcing the law no matter what.
Les Mis is my favourite musical of all time, and some of my favourite music. Thank you for this video addressing some of the hidden genius in the score that many viewers might miss
Le mis is my favorite musical and I just love the different music is used to show literary themes
My wife is a massive fan and she introduced me to it. I was blown away and we've now seen it 3 times. Will be the 4th time in Bristol when the theatres re-open.
I was just talking about this exact topic last night with someone, and you explained it so well. I honestly never put together that On My Own had the same melody as Come to Me. I could hear the melody in several other songs, but I always was reminded of Come to Me, never On My Own. I adore symbolism and depth, and the music adds so much to the show as a whole. The music IS the show, and the show IS the music. They cannot be separated. Javert is one of my favorites for that exact reason. The way he sings is militaristic, and from the first time he sings, you already know the type of person he is based on this. The phrases are quick, short, and get right to the point. It is brilliant. That's why Javert's final number is so intense. By the end, his phases are much slower, more deliberate. For the first time, we see and hear the emotion in his voice as he questions every decision he has ever made. It is so powerful. Add that to the parallels between "What Have I Done?" and "Javert's Suicide" and you can paint a final picture of two men who are opposites, and gives the audience a chance to really consider the concept of justice from the perspectives of these two vastly different individuals. As a music nerd, I absolutely adore this show, and you did a fantastic job of breaking down and articulating what about the music makes it so fantastic.
For some reason, I always preferred playing "Come to me" on piano versus "On my own", and decades later when I started playing guitar the same holds true there. Not sure if it's the key, or the intro, or what. On my guitar tuning, the chord voicings work out brilliantly for F major, but that's just pure coincidence. I also find myself thinking that while On My Own is a great show stopper, it's a real pity that Eponine's earlier song, "L'un vers l'autre" disappeared entirely, except for the intro theme which is shared from the attack on Rue Plumet, Eponine's errand-related recitatives, and the intro to "A little fall of rain".
Bernstein, Sondheim and Schönberg are up there with the likes of Verdi, Puccini and Wagner for me.
They didn’t write musicals, they wrote Grand Opera for the modern age!
I also have a soft spot for Rent and Hamilton, which are also genius combinations of text, music and onstage drama (Gesamtkunstwerk, as Wagner often referred to it as).
I’ve also grown to like Frozen for the same reason, as it is surprisingly structured very similar to that of a Wagnerian opera (through-composed, with the big numbers woven in with spoken dialogue and recitative, plus the liberal use of Leitmotifs to represent the characters, actions and scenery).
Sound of Music and Mary Poppins are my favorites, though Les Miserables is incredible.
I loved your video. I love "Les Miserables" and I've always been interested in the continuity of what you call "musical ideas" and how they are intertwined and reused throughout the performance. But I had never really thought about the staging as a unity at all. It's great. Thank you very much for doing this analysis, I needed it and did not know it, I found it by chance and I really loved it.
I am not a native English speaker, I speak Spanish and I've made (and transcribed) a translation of your video into this language, I would like to contribute by subtitling it, so that it can reach more audiences in this language.
I thought "One Day More" was just combining the themes of the main characters
Not as simple as that b/c Fantine isn't a part of it, yet the melody of "I Dreamed a Dream" is heavily used by many characters.
This was amazing. Les Miserables is my favorite show (I'm a big musical theater fan) and you pointed out some things I love and also some things I didn't know! Thank you! This was wonderful!
Right on .. Having written a book musical and several compilation shows, I am so aware how hard it is to do even remotely as well as these two. Thanks for this concise and insightful explanation.
I love this analysis, it makes me appreciate the musical much more than I already did. I had the chance to see it live in Mexico two years ago and the cast was fenomenal and the music too. Best day ever.
Great video, thanks. There's something special about Les Mis. There are lots of excellent musicals out there, but few have just quite so many memorable melodies as Les Mis.
A musical that is often on my mind is Sondheim’s “Sunday In The Park With George”, for many of the very same reasons. It is a show that touches me so emotionally not from either the music or drama alone, but the symbiosis they create while informing each other. As a musical about a painter, it also boldly attempts to represent visual themes within the music and drama as well.
I saw that in London and didn't really quite understand it, but parts of it haunt me. Maybe sorta like younger George's Chromalume.
Les Mis is magnificent. I've adored it for 3 decades now. Thank you for this articulate and insightful analysis about some of the reasons why it is so transcendent.
9:22 Technically, only Claude-Michel Schonberg is the composer, but I get what you mean.
What is also amazing about this musical is how the staging of the performance reveals the same use of patterns to reflect and propel the story. The use of the rotating stage makes it easier to show physical movement as it also demonstrates the underlying cycles playing out in the lives of each character. Structures on the stage move and morph to represent new locations, yet they all share the same "foundation", each derived from the one before. The use of lighting functions in a similar manner throughout the show, using light and shadow to emphasize expession of emotion and demonstrate progression through time. Les Miz is a masterpiece of staged musicals because it combines all of the tools available to present a rich, layered and beautiful production.
Abosolutly top notch video! One of my favourite parts of symmetry I’m Les Mis that wasn’t mentioned is in ‘a heart full of love’ when Eponine sings “he was never mine to keep” then in the reprise Valjean sings “she was never mine to keep” turned around on Cosette! On the subject of other musicals Sweeney Todd is defiantly another one where the plot is all there in the music right from the start. Please keep up the good work and do some more MT content ❤️
I loved your video on West Side Story, so when I saw you had one about Les Mis right when I was thinking about it I was so excited. Like I was thinking about how the reprises work in the musical, but thanks to you I can see it goes even deeper than I thought.
Thank you. That was fascinating. I have seen Less Miserables more often then any other piece of theatre, but to my shame I never noticed the similarities and connections you point out in this video. Can't wait to watch your West Side Story video now.
Leitmotifs rule. Most of the songs come back in some way, shape, or form. Prologue? Ensemble comes back as Look Down and duet part comes back in the Confrontation. The bishop's part? Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. What Have I Done? Obvious. Javert's Suicide. That one isn't even just the music, they're both going through an existential crisis over being shown kindness they don't feel they deserve. Fantine's death? Both On My Own AND Valjean's death. Stars? The instrumental bit at the end of Javert's Suicide. Master of the House? Beggars at the Feast. Do You Hear the People Sing is the most obvious, it's the finale. A lot of things come back out get started in One Day More.
As for themes rather than music, there's a few similarities between songs. In the Confrontation, Valjean is singing what was Javert's part in the prologue and vice versa. What Have I Done and Javert's Suicide both feature existential crises, as previously mentioned, but with very different outcomes. Javert's Suicide is formed in part by Stars, which does a great job of laying out his ideals, his belief that justice and mercy are mutually exclusive, etc. Who Am I is another existential crisis song, but to my knowledge it doesn't share musical similarities with any others. All the Thenardier songs show what horrible people they are since we don't have 60 pages of Waterloo like there are in the book. There aren't too many thematic similarities between Empty Chairs and the bishop's song, or Fantine's Death and On My Own, but Valjean's death has pretty much the same thing happen as Fantine's. The finale is basically a reprise of Do You Hear the People Sing.
So amazing. No wonder the music continually pulls at your tears strings, it is repeating one’s emotional reaction to the same music although in a different form. I feel I knew that sub consciously however now I realise it fully. Thank you, Les Miserables is my favourite, it makes me cry every time. Thank you, Elaine.
As a 30 yr. fan of Les Mis I can say I know all this but the way you broke it down is enlightening and appreciated...Well done..I never tire of this musical, I’m an old rocker but not a day goes buy that I don’t listen to at least one Les Mis song....thanks...
The music is what really carries Les Mis. The implications of a returning melody really weave the themes through (and I think it’s why Les Mis doesn’t work as a straight movie.)
This video came out at just the right time! After I finally finished reading Les Mis I started re-listening to the music, replaying my favorite songs over and over again when I noticed the similarities between Val Jean's Soliloquy and Javert's Suicide. They are both going through a crisis of identity but Val Jean chooses to live and better life, while Javert can't except it and ends his life. Having grown up listening to the music I had noticed some repeated themes/chords (whatever they're called), but I'd never noticed that one and it really struck a chord with me (pun not intended). Glad to have this video not only confirm my epiphany but point out some other's I'd missed, makes me love the musical all the more :)
I have to confess, that I do really like Russel Crowes unperfective singing. Although it isnt perfect He brought a lot of emotions in his songs.
I’ve been waiting for a video like this!! The motifs in les mis are honestly amazing and never fails to make me cryyy
About a year ago I read an essay on the les mis motifs where they discussed all the connections. Im a huge fan, I didn't realise them all. Having a video showing side by side is great isn't it? Makes me appreciate les mis more.
Wish there was a whole score length duscussion video out there.
ffarff same! I didn’t actually realise that there are so many links. But it makes so much sense. I only started to get into les mis at the start of last year when I went to see it and I’ve just been attached ever since. It’s so good!
This is why I never get sick of listening to this soundtrack. It blows me away conceptually. Its just…spotless. I mean, maybe all the themes dont make total sense but damn, once you hear a few of the songs you’re in. You feel part of it because you subconsciously remember all of the connective tissue.
Thats why One Day More is so fucking powerful.
Les Mis is what got me into musical theatre. It holds a very special place in my heart. Now I appreciate it on an even deeper level!
Thank you very much for this excellent analysis. I am totally with you in many aspects: First of all, "Les Misérables" is my all time favourite, not only because of the wonderful and touching story, but also for the superb quality of its music. A well known Austrian specialist on opera said, that this probably could be the way, opera might have developed after Puccini unless thing hadn't come another way ... I had the pleasure and honour to conduct the Les Miserables Symphonic Suite last year, and it was amazing, how grand the music still is, even when the "show" is gone. And I also agree, that "West Side Story" is another excellent piece of music. And yes, triying to understand music, to get a glimpse inside the score is so important and makes it an even bigger pleasure and enjoyment.
The song snippets and your commentary made me cry 😭 I love Le Miserable
I just wanted to say thank you for talking about les Mis, a musical i've listened to so much. Thanks to you, i now can enjoy it even more. Thank you!
I know Les Mis is a masterpiece because even an analysis leaves me in tears. I have loved it for years and obviously noticed everything you mention here, but I did not know how to put it into words like you have. Absolutely brilliant. Could you perhaps address the Mamma Mia! references in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again? Pieces of the songs from the first film can be heard throughout the sequel at similar moments, like when you hear the chords of "Slipping Through My Fingers" right before "My Love, My Life".
This video is amazing!! And it made me appreciate the musical even more than before ;w; Thank you so much 💜💜🎶
Great analysis!!!!!!!! I love this musical and this video.
If you like this extremely impactful and masterful use of motifs and leitmotifs, PLEASE watch Hamilton. I've never seen a musical use motifs so effectively throughout a show in my life, culminating in an absolute emotional gut punch at the end. Almost (or just as, maybe ever more?) painful as when Fontaine sings "Come with me where chains will never bind you" when Valjean dies and the "Do You Hear The People Sing?" reprise at the end of Les Mis.
I asked myself "god, why am I crying?" at the end of listening through the cast album all the way through and it wasn't until I listened to it a few more times and really analyzed it that I understood why. Both musical and thematic motifs are just drilled into you the entire show like it's charging it's fucking ultimate that it unleashes on you by the end, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?". LMM manged to make an ending that *the world already knows* absolutely fucking *crushing* and still impactful through the use of themes and motifs. Everyone knows Hamilton dies at the end, but explaining why the ending is such a gut punch would still be a spoiler, so please give it a watch and a few listens and maybe even make a video about it :D
Les Mis was the first musical I’d ever seen (whilst at high school 20 years ago) and I still clearly remember particular scenes/songs and how I felt throughout. It started my love and appreciation of musicals and the art of music in entertainment as a whole. Absolute masterpiece and largely remains the epitome of humans ability to communicate and entertain. 💯 🔥
This video is just you fangirling the musical for 12 minutes
Can you blame him? Les mis is great.
@@Azaghal1988 this was just a joke les mis is in my all time favorites and i bet i can fangirl longer
@@Azaghal1988 true that
@@aysila777 propably ;) for me it's close behind hamilton.
...and it deserves every second of it.
Thank you so much. I've only recently begun the journey into classical music, this gave me much insight. Together with your Why [so and so] Is Genius series, I now have a better appreciation for it.
I am interested in what recording you like best? I see snippits of the 10th an 25th anniversary, The 2012 movie (probably not that one) and the latest staged concert. For me, I liked the 10th anniversary a lot....
I know nobody asked me, but I like this topic lmao: I like different things about each one. The 25th is amazing but it has Nick Jonas as the lead which... well he's good but not exactly up to par in this style of singing and acting. I watch the 25th for Ramin Karimloo and Hadley Fraser as Enjolras and Grantaire, also that Javert is phenomenal. I always go back to the 10th to hear Lea Salonga do on my own and Michael ball do empty chairs at empty tables. Both Fantines and both JVJs are equally good in my eyes.
also i don't compare the movie and the concerts cause they are two completely different forms. In the musical, the music is so... full? idk how to put it, but in the movie, a lot of the intensity of the music is stripped away and it sorta sounds too quiet to have the same impact and beauty. However, this allows for storytelling that is more raw, realistic, and shows emotion in a way that makes more sense for an onscreen adaptation. Anne Hathaway's I dreamed a dream is an amazing version that tears me up, I just wouldn't listen to it on it's own. ... lmao nobody asked me
I've listened to the full orchestral recording...
Anything other than 10th Anniversary concert is a waste of time watching. Every cast member in that show is the best there has been in that role. Michael Ball compared to Nick Jonas is about as far apart on the talent scale as is possible.
@@jonc3295 the recent all star concert has to be my favourite (apart from michael ball as javert and ill replace Alfie Boe for John Owen Jones) The rest of the characters are spot on casting. Even though they might not be famous famous like Lea Salonga or Ramin, I'd say their performance was on par with them or even better.
fantastic analysis, I wish I could hit the like button more than once for this.
Thank you for putting this into words, it keeps me up at night.
This was a brilliant analysis. Thank you!
Brilliant analysis!
I never fully understood why this affected me as it does before watching this video. Great analysis!
I’m a high school senior and we played Les Mis this year. I played 1st horn in the orchestra and this video was so interesting!
Ugh, this is awesome! I love Les Mis and this was way cool to learn about! I would love to see an analysis like this of Phantom of the Opera 😁 awesome content!
this is one of your finest videos for one of the finest scores!
I love your analysis of Les Miserables' music, it's my favourite show 💖
I saw the musical 3 times last year when they were touring; the music sounds unreal on the soundtrack alone, but seeing it live is absolutely phenomenal. Look Down, Bring Him Home, One Day More and the reprise of Do You Hear the People Sing gave me chills.
My favourite part of the music though is the link between javert and valjean, when you hear the violins as valjean sings "he claims I have a soul". When it appears in javert's suicide it sounds so twisted
what a great video! the music in les mis really is something else
The music is the emotion itself. It touched my heart💚
great work!!
This was an incredible video sir. I enjoyed every second and it made me rather emotional. Thank you so much. :)
This musical makes think of a real gesamkunstwerk, lol. It just seems like the music is organic. While the characters have a beginning and an end (whether within or without the narrative), the music feels like it's the narrator, and does not really begin nor end; it simply tells the story.
I didn't notice the symmetry (or counter-polarity) of the musical ideas within the musical. But i appreciate it now, thanks to you. I think the score understood Victor Hugo's idea of having not just good or bad characters, but those that lie in between, too. The literary theme of redemption and condemnation is reflected in the musical themes. Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic work, I really was enjoy the video and now i will enjoy more this incredible musical. :)
First musical I ever saw was when I was about 4! My dad took me to see South Pacific and I fell in love with it. In the late 90’s I was lucky to see it on stage and I still love it. I also got to see Cats on stage it was the touring group and I thought it was excellent! So much energy!!! And I loved the music. I doubt I’ll get to see any of the others I’d love to see. So I’ll be happy with those no one I know likes musicals! Just me.
Thank you for this video. I was pleasantly surprised that you chose West Side story alongside Les Miserables as your two favorites. I agree completely. Until Les Mis came along, I honestly couldn’t see how anyone could top the genius of Leonard Bernstein. Both scores are amazing in their own ways, and I’ve honestly not seen a single musical since that could hold a candle to either one of them. Until then I will always consider Les Mis greatest of all time followed very closely by West Side Story. Musically, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom has some amazing moments, and on the whole it is a great musical, but somehow I feel like it lacked something. Maybe it was “unity” as you described it. I don’t know.
great video👏🏽👏🏽
And this... is why Led Mis has always been my favorite musical😆
This is brilliant! I've been contemplating a lot of the things you mentioned in your analysis; thanks for putting it all into such a clear and concise video! Les Mis is simply amazing.
Would you consider doing an analysis of Phantom of the Opera?
I never noticed this! Whoa, thank you!
This is great and beautiful!
This is my new favorite video. I love talking about Les Miserables for 12 minutes
Isn't this Text + Music + Drama what makes all musical theater so special? Of course Les Mis does it best, but if you like this I'm surprised you don't like others.
What makes musical theater so amazing to me is the talent it takes, both on-stage (acting, singing, and dancing) and behind it (combining the script, the songs, the choreography, the music composition and performance....). So much more than typical plays or concerts where people "just" act, sing, play an instrument, etc.
Les Miserables is, musically, philosophicaly, dramatically unparalleled.
I urge anyone, everyone, to read the novel; regardless of whether or not you have seen the play or cinema. Then re-watch, listen and more deeply enjoy the experience.
The story itself is genius and has so many themes of life that it is almost incomprehensible.