Dare To Compare Les Javerts...Les Grantaires,Les Prouvaires...and Valjeans, Cosettes, Eponines, etc.....
Dare To Compare Les Javerts....
Now is the time to declare...Actually, this is my Les Miserables review page! I have several popular recordings of the musical, the Original Broadway Cast (OBC); the Original London Cast (OLC); the Tenth Anniversary Concert (TAC); the Complete Symphonic Recording (CSR); and the Original French Concept Album (OFC).
All my reviews are based on my own absolutely biased and slanted impressions of what I've heard, or seen (in the case of the TAC on PBS) and are entirely my own opinions, all based on my own perspective...
I'll start with our favorite defender of Law and Order...Monsieur L'Inspecteur himself...
Javert!
For me, the definitive Javert...The standard by which I measure all other Javerts...(so far, NONE have achieved this level of Javertitude!)
The phenomenal...
Philip Quast
As heard on the CSR and the TAC, his rich, full, clear baritone, along with his impeccable diction, his intensity, his vocal characterization...in a word...FORMIDABLE, which is what Javert MUST be! (...for so it is written...)
Philip also looks the part; tall and powerful in the uniform...and all right, I do find myself swooning over his expressive eyes and his impressive voice...what more can I say?
(Well, actually, now that I've heard Philip in another musical, I do have a little more to say! Check out my tiny little section on The Fix!)
Any Quastions???
Sorry, Philip...I always wanted to say that...as if you and tne rest of your fans haven't heard THAT one more than a zillion times over already!!!!!
As for the other Javerts I realize I'm at a disadvantage.
Since the TAC was televised on PBS, I was able to watch as well as listen,
but much of Quast's interpretation can be heard in his voice, and I'm sure he would have yet impressed me sight unseen.
But I digress...
From the OBC;
Terrence Mann
At first I was a bit put off by the comparative lightness of Mann's voice.
In my opinion, Javert's voice should, at the very least MATCH the vocal power of Valjean's...indeed, he may even surpass it sometimes, but under no circumstances should Javert's voice be weak.
With Philip Quast's voice still ringing in my mind, I didn't believe Terrence Mann's Javert could stand up to Colm Wilkinson's formidable Valjean.
However...
before any of you starts throwing cyber snowballs at my poor, bare back...I went back and listened again...and this time I really heard Terrence's voice..
Although not as rich and full as Philip's, it is clear and expressive. Quite a beautiful voice, really.
At first I was distracted by his often clipped delivery, particularly in the more rhythmic sections, but I came to appreciate it.
I could hear the character coming through. A different Javert, but still quite acceptable.
From the OLC;
Roger Allam
Naturally, I was most likely comparing Allam to Quast too...I have to try not to do that, it simply isn't fair...
Anyway, Roger's voice is full..not quite as bright as Philip's, but a very appealing voice nonetheless, and sufficiently intense to stand up to Wilkinson's formidable (I do so LOVE that word!) Valjean.
Allam's Javert was just smouldering...it sounded like controlled obsession, rage...just under the surface.
Another good rendition. I just wish he'd been able to sing Stars in the form it was on the OBC,CSR and TAC...it would have been spectacular.
Jean Valjean
If Philip Quast is the definitive Javert, then certainly the Valjean of all Valjeans has got to be the equally FORMIDABLE
Colm Wilkinson
Wilkinson's fantastic tenor can be heard in the OLC, the OBC, and the TAC recordings.
Each performance is a little different...different tempi, different nuances...but in each one, Colm soars to the very heights...Bring Him Home is impressive...he IS Valjean!
Gary Morris
I recently got my hot little hands on a copy of the CSR. This is the only English language recording I have in which Valjean is not Colm Wilkinson.
I didn't really know what to expect. I'd heard Morris sing Bring Him Home on some TV show, and I thought he was "not bad", but hearing him sing the entire (and I do mean entire) show, I found him to be a very close second to Wilkinson. In fact, Gary's voice is clearer than Colm's.
It is still an adjustment, however, to hear Jean Valjean sing in an American accent!
Eponine!
Lea Salonga...from the TAC
She has a beautiful, full, expressive voice. I could truly relate to this wonderful 'Ponine!
As you can probably tell from my Quastifications...my preference does generally run for singers who have strong voices, and this one definitely has it!
Salonga's Eponine is sweet when it needs to be, but she has an edge, which is very fitting! Her strength of tone puts her far above and beyond the other Eponines!
Kaho Shimada...from the CSR
Another beautiful voice. Lighter than Salonga's, she is still very effective with her expressive rendition of the role. I absolutely love what she does in On My Own, raising the pitch on "I've only been pretending.."
Since she's on the CSR, she does have more to sing than the others...and I can feel this Eponine's suffering very deeply!
Frances Ruffelle...OLC, OBC
A very interesting Eponine...lighter than Salonga, similar in timbre to Shimada. Also nicely expressive, but what I find most to her credit is the subtle change in accent between the OLC and the OBC. Her inflections seem to me a bit more Americanized on the OBC..which makes absolute sense, since her parents, the Thenardiers, speak in the Cockney dialect on the OLC, (which I definitely prefer) but have a more American sound on the OBC. Wonderful of Ruffelle to make that distinction!
Cosette
Judy Kuhn...OBC, TAC
My favorite Cosette. Judy Kuhn has the richest, loveliest voice on any of the recordings, yet it's still light enough to easily handle the higher, lighter passages. She is a joy to listen to! This Cosette possesses an inner strength, which I believe very appropriate to the character.
Rebecca Caine...OLC
"I Saw Him Once" is a Cosette song that isn't even on the CSR (surprising, since it is reputably "complete"), so Caine is the only one who gets to sing it. She has a beautiful voice. Lighter than Kuhn's, but still strong enough for me to appreciate it!
Tracy Shayne...CSR
Pretty voice. Sweet and light. A bit too light for my taste, and with shrill tendencies. Although it can be argued that a sweet, light voice is entirely appropriate to the role of Cosette...and I would have to agree, however, I still prefer Cosette to have a voice that can stand up to a good, strong Marius!
Shayne's lighter voice, however does carry off the final "after all" in A Heart Full Of Love exquisitely.
Marius
Michael Ball...OLC, CSR, TAC
What a marvelous voice! Each successive recording shows his improvement! He has a rich, smooth baritone. Very expressive! His duets with Cosette are moving, and his rendition of Empty Chairs At Empty Tables gives me goosebumps every time! His low notes are exquisite, his high notes stunning...I can see the emptiness, feel the grief, the futility of it all...
Michael Ball IS Marius...plain and simple!
David Bryant...OBC
Lighter voice than I'd like in the role. Expressive, but doesn't seem to go as far as Michael Ball does. Still a fine Marius. Kind of like comparing Terrence Mann to Philip Quast...which I've just done above!
Enjolras
Anthony Warlow...CSR
Le Roi D'Enjolras!!!
Warlow is the definitive Enjolras. His rich, full baritone is perfect for the part! Is there something in the water in Australia that somehow causes spectacular baritones?! (A duet exists between Warlow and Quast, which I've had to send to Australia to finally get to hear...Lily's Eyes from The Secret Garden..It is absolutely stunning and incredible!!! One of the most beautiful duets I've ever heard!!!!)
Check out my tribute to The Secret Garden! It's quickly become one of my all time favorite musicals!
Warlow is simply incredible...his stirring, expressive voice made me want to go straight to the barricades and kick some...well, you get the picture! No wonder Grantaire was so devoted...if my Enjolras was this charismatic, I'd want to go stand with him as the barricades fell too!!!
Michael Maguire...OBC,TAC
Maguire is impressive. Good, strong voice...better in TAC than OBC.
Before I heard the CSR, I was ready to declare Michael Maguire Le Roi D'Enjolras...but now that I've heard Warlow, Maguire will have to settle for being Le Prince D'Enjolras!!! I recently heard him in a local concert, and he is an amazing performer! And a really nice guy!!!
David Burt...OLC
Fine voice, good diction. Rather lighter than Warlow or Maguire. I just didn't feel incited to the barricades by this Enjolras. (See Quast vs. Mann; Ball vs. Bryant)
Grantaire
Kenny D'Aquila...CSR
It was something of an agonizing decision...but Kenny D'Aquila is now my favorite Grantaire of the recordings I have. Generally, I will pick a clear voice over a rough voice any day of the week, but for this role, D'Aquila's roughness is exactly appropriate to the character of Grantaire. Grantaire was, after all, drunk most of the time, and downright ugly...in direct contrast to Enjolras' Adonis-like perfection.
It simply works!
Anthony Crivello...OBC, TAC
Wonderful characterization in a relatively small role. His voice has just enough roughness to carry it off, and actually, his voice seems to work a bit better in ensemble.
Clive Carter...OLC
Perfectly lovely, light, smooth voice. Very pretty. Too pretty, really. Grantaire is not supposed to be pretty. I'd like to hear Carter sing something else, because his voice is quite easy to listen to.
The Thenardiers
Barry James...CSR
Well, after spending some more time with the CSR, (not to mention some online time with Barry's foremost admirer...) I have determined that Barry James is indeed my favorite interpreter of the role!
and it's wonderful to think, that if you happen to be in London, you can still witness his fine performance with the current cast there!
Anyway, Barry has a strong voice and a wonderful characterization (and, all right, Louise, good looks too! LOL... actually, he's not a bad looking fellow at all...)
In the Thenardier Waltz, he cries just enough...but it's not overdone, and his Dog Eats Dog is positively chilling...and I LOVE that maniacal, evil laugh at the end!
I would call Barry James the definitive Thenardier!
Gay Soper...CSR
Good character, her voice is a bit light at times, but she more than makes up for it with her very effective Thenardiess screechings...
Alun Armstrong...OLC, TAC
And here's Thenardier number two...actually, quite a close second to number one, his Thenardier is also wonderfully evil...
Mostly because of the deadly slow tempi in the OLC, I found his performance to be much more satisfying in the TAC. And if you've seen the video,
he does a fine job recovering from his little "slip-up" in Beggars At The Feast. (If you haven't seen it, someone must have left a banana peel on the dance floor at the Pontmercy wedding!)
Sue Jane Tanner...OLC
A nicely expressive Thenardiess, she does quite well in the part...and the way she mangles the French "M'sieur" to rhyme with "dear" is priceless!
Jenny Galloway...TAC
Now here is the definitive Thenardiess...she is really scary! I felt so frightened for little Cosette!
Sounds like a nice voice underneath the character as well...
Leo Burmester...OBC
If I thought it was an adjustment to listen to Valjean with an American accent, think how much more difficult an American Thenardier would be!
Thenardier's lines just cry out for some kind of not-so-proper accent...it would have been interesting if they'd have used a Brooklyn accent or a hillbilly twang if they
had to go American...
That out of the way, however, Burmester was pretty solid vocally, if a bit gravelly, which fits with the character.
Although perhaps a bit overdone, his cries in the Thenardier Waltz were pretty well done, and Dog Eats Dog was scary...
Jennifer Butt...OBC
Again, the American accent was a distraction, but I could hear a really lovely voice coming out...It would be nice to hear her sing something pretty!
Her Thenardiess was also quite wonderful!
So...now that I have a few more of my reviews up here, I know you can guess most of my "Dream Cast"...although I still need to review Fantine, I think I can list it now. If anyone has a Dream Cast they'd like to submit, email me, and I'll be sure to put it up!
Of course the Les Miserables version my cast will use is the Complete Symphonic Version...that way Javert and Eponine in particular have more to sing!!!
Valjean: Colm Wilkinson
Javert: Philip Quast
Fantine: Ruthie Henshall
Mme. Thenardier: Jenny Galloway
Thenardier: Barry James
Eponine: Lea Salonga
Marius: Michael Ball
Enjolras: Anthony Warlow
Cosette: Judy Kuhn
Grantaire: Kenny D'Aquila
I realize this reads like "The Best of the CSR and the TAC"...EXACTLY!
Those are my two favorite recordings...but I find there's something to love in every Les Miserables recording that exists!!!
More of my reviews to come! Will you join in my crusade?...umm, I mean...please send me your reviews on the Les Miserables cast to be posted here.
Merci en avance!
Bring Me Home!
