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| | Les Miserables Complete Symphonic Recording | | | Music Artist : | | Various Artists | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Red Ink | | Release Date : | | 2004-06-01 | | Store Price : | | $29.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $26.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Prologue
2. Valjean's Soliloquy (What Have I Done?)
3. At the End of the Day
4. I Dreamed a Dream
5. Lovely Ladies
6. Fantine's Arrest
7. Runaway Cart
8. Who Am I?/The Trial
9. Fantine's Death
10. Confrontation
11. Castle on a Cloud
12. Master of the House
13. Bargain-The Waltz of Treachery
14. Look Down
15. Robbery-Javert's Intervention (Another Brawl)
16. Stars
Disc 21. Eponine's Errand
2. ABC Cafe/Red and Black
3. Do You Hear the People Sing?
4. Rue Plumet-In My Life
5. Heart Full of Love
6. Attack on Rue Plumet
7. One More Day
8. At the Barricade (Upon These Stones)
9. On My Own
10. Building the Barricade
11. Javert's Arrival
12. Little People
13. Little Fall of Rain
14. Night of Anguish
15. First Attack
16. Drink With Me
17. Bring Him Home
18. Dawn of Anguish
19. Second Attack (Death of Gavrobe)
20. Final Battle
21. Sewers - Dog Eats Dog
22. Javert's Suicide
23. Turning
Disc 31. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
2. Every Day (Marius and Cosette)
3. Valjean's Confession
4. Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast
5. Epilogue (Finale)
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Not the best, but good for the collector
Submitted on: 2009-08-22 |
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As soon as I bought this album, I created a version that intermixed this one with the Broadway Cast and the 10th Anniversary. Which is to say that there is a lot that is good in this version, but a lot that's better in other versions.
THE GOOD
1. Of course having the entire album available is great, which means getting to listen to parts that I hadn't heard in years. The sound quality is excellent, and the overall sound is very lush. I was especially happy to hear (1) the full version of the "Look Down" reprise, (2) Gavroche's death scene, (3) Valjean's confession, and (4) Marius's wedding confrontation with the Thenardiers.
2. There were some very good performances, especially Michael Ball as Marius, Philip Quast as Javert, and the young actor who played Gavroche. Philip Quast was not as pointed and visceral as he was in the 10th Anniversary version (when he was paired with the excellent Colm Wilkinson), but was still one of the best. I am one of the few people not overly enamored of Michael Ball, whose vocal performances have a harsh, whiny tinge and frequently lack subtlety. However, in this version, he gives his most restrained performance, and in some scenes, such as the wedding confrontation, he is very effective.
I agree that Andy Warlowe has a good voice, but count me as a Michael Maguire fan. Fans of Warlowe like to cite his more powerful range, but I think that both ignores the very different setting in which he and Maguire performed and the fact that Maguire is a superior vocal actor. When Maguire sings, he just sounds powerful and in control. By contrast, Warlowe must scream to sound authoritative ("Where are the SWELLS who run this show?!"). Also compare the two during the "Lamarque is dead" sequence: Maquire sings fast and sounds genuinely excited, while Warlowe sings slowly and mechanically. Yes, by singing slower, Warlowe sounds smoother, but I would be moved by Maguire's Enjolras; not so much by Warlowe's. Finally, the complaints about Maguire's singing largely stem from his live performance in the 10th Anniversary edition versus the studio-recorded Complete Symphonic version, where Warlowe could presumably have sung many takes until the best was chosen.
THE BAD
1. The overacting, which I went into a bit above. Warlowe, Gary Morris, and especially the Thenardiers are all guilty. I actually think that Gary Morris's voice is fine, though in songs like "One Day More," his inability to hold long notes is very noticeable. However, it is his acting that really detracts from his performance. "My GOD, Cosette! I heard a CRY in the dark!" I wonder if a poor director was presiding over this version, telling the performers that they must scream in order to make themselves heard? This version's Thenardier, meanwhile, is the first that struck me as repulsive, while Madame Thenardier screeches like a debauched Smurfette.
2. This version's Eponine, who has an uneven vocal performance. While it was admirable that the singer could sing the part without knowing English, in several places, her poor diction is noticeable and takes you out of the scene. Dozens of people had played Eponine by the time of the Complete Symphonic Recording -- why not go with someone who could sing the part clearly?
So all in all, this recording is worth the money, as long as you buy it for its parts rather than the whole. |
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 As close to experiencing the full musical as you can get!
Submitted on: 2009-08-13 |
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| I like this recording because it features many sequences that can't be found on any other recordings, such as Eponine's Errand and the dialogue part of In My Life. I only have complaints about the voices of Cosette, Mme. Thenardier (so irritating to listen to), and Eponine. Cosette's voice is nice, but annoying, it doesn't seem to have enough depth. I guess it sounds all "head voice", I think that's the term. Judy Kuhn's Cosette is much more pleasant sounding. Eponine, her voice is alright, but it's too bad her English pronunciation wasn't better. I mean, it's great at some parts, but worse at others and makes her a less convincing Eponine. Gary Morris is a great Valjean; I was surprised to read that he is actually a country singer! |
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Great Service as Usual
Submitted on: 2009-04-03 |
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| Everyone has their own favorite version of Les Miserables so comment on that aspect is not particularily helpful. However, as usual Amazon's service (availabilty, speed of delivery and keeping the customer informed) was top notch. You might ask why the rating is not a 5 but 5's only come when I get more than I expect. |
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A mixed bag
Submitted on: 2009-02-20 |
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The most obvious reason to get the Symphonic Recording is to have the entire show on CD. This album is really for the most devoted Les Mis junkies. I particularly like Javert's Intervention, which acts as an introduction to my favorite song, Stars. Aside from the completeness of the album, there are two other highlights for me. One is Anthony Warlow, who is the best singer to play Enjolras. Maguire's Enjolras is also stirring, but Warlow is more talented. The second highlight is the Orchestra. It probably has the best orchestra out of all four recordings, although the tenth anniversary concert comes close.
Now onto the rest of the cast. This is Philip Quast's first recording, and he is superior to Terrence Mann and Roger Allam. He would only get better on the Tenth Anniversary Concert. Michael Ball gives another respectable performance as Marius. Then why am I only giving this three stars? Aside from the cast members just mentioned, the rest of the cast is inferior to their counterparts on the other three albums. Gary Morris isn't a very good Jean Valjean, and Kaho Shimada is the worst Eponine. As others have pointed out, she is not singing in her native language so her performance is nothing special. She memorized her lines phonetically. I would like to hear her sing in Japanese. But Gay Soper as Madam Thenardier is truly terrible. I can't stand her. Her one line in Javert's intervention makes me cringe. Thenardier over does it sometimes but he's more tolerable than his wife. I don't particularly care for Debbie Byrne on this album, she sounds like she has a frog in her throat at times. Tracy Shayne's Cosette is OK, but nothing compared to Judy Khun or Rebecca Caine.
Overall I consider this album to be a good supplement to the Tenth Anniversary Concert, to fill in the gaps so to speak. This is not the quintessential Les Miserables album by any means though.
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 No other more complete or amazing version
Submitted on: 2009-02-04 |
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The Complete Symphonic Recording of Les Miserables is simply the best version of the musical you can get. It contains many songs that are not on any of the other albums -- yes, including the concert album -- not to mention extended versions of the songs that include the instrumental parts of the musical. Nothing can quite move you more than hearing that oboe solo during "The Sewers" where the barricade is panned around to show Enjolras splayed across the flag. Breathtaking!
Gary Morris is an acceptable replacement for Colm Wilkinson. He truly shines in many of the songs, particularly "Bring Him Home". Philip Quast is arguably the best Javert there is. He leaves such a chilly afterfeeling in "Javert's Suicide" that the listener is simply left in awe. Michael Ball, as always, IS Marius and will always be him. Barry James, some will notice, plays Thenardier on a much more sinister level than Alun Armstrong; but he and Gay Soper are great as the wicked couple. Last but not least, Anthony Warlow is no short than AMAZING as Enjolras; the part is simply perfect for him as Enjolras requires a very powerful voice and Warlow delivers.
It is worth noting the ones who aren't quite up to snuff with some other versions out there. Kaho Shimada, who played Eponine, seems to be a poor choice, indeed. She sings much too soft for Eponine and "On My Own" is definitely lacking emotion and power in her rendition. Similarly, Debra Byrne, compared to greats like Patti LuPone and Ruthie Henshall, falls very short in "I Dreamed a Dream". She is much too operatic. Tracy Shayne, as Cosette, lacks the graceful, "lark"-like voice most identify with Cosette, and is much too modern a choice, for my tastes.
Overall, however, this is the most complete version of an amazing musical that you will find and I highly recommend you buy it! Many of the songs are updated. "Little People" is MUCH shorter, like it should be, while "Stars" is now a wonderful showstopper as the music builds up in the end. The only other way one could collect all the songs is by purchasing every Les Miserable recording out there and compiling them all onto one CD. The Complete Symphonic Recording does that for you. |
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