Les Mis... What's the big deal?

[jbsegal]

So, after The Star Wars Trilogy Musical Edition ganked something like 1/2 its music from Les Mis, I decided it should actually listen to the original.

I borrowed The Complete Symphonic Recording from dancingdeer.

I'm not impressed.

Thoughts: While I'm not much of a fan of opera, so I can't really compare, it really feels to me like 50%+ of the show is recitative and I don't like it.

Related: This is the most un-lyrical musical I've ever heard. Much of the time, it sounds like it wants to be a straight play but someone decided to graft on music.

Yes, musicals often have themes or leitmotifs, it often feels like this show has, alongside the 50% recitative, another 30% made up of the same... 3? 4? songs, reused and reused and reused.

There's not a thing about the recording that evokes 'France' for me. The occasional french phrase feels forced and artificial, especially alongside the cockney accents of the lower-class characters.

The use of synthesizers in the scoring is... anachronistic, in a way I can't let wash over me.

Specific to this recording: I hate Gary Morris' voice/accent. As he's a TX? TN? born country singer, this isn't that surprising.

So, why the heque is this such a popular show? Sure, there are a couple of nice songs, but they're a very small percentage of the whole. Is it totally different live? Really?

Comments

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Traditionally, a good musical has to be close enough in style to the popular music of its day that the tunes stick in every theater0goer's head and become unforgettable.

And here's part of my problem. The music isn't that good, IMO. I like old musicals, I like new musicals. But what they have in common IS good, singable, catchy tunes - more than just one or 2 signature pieces. I don't see that Les Mis has that.

I agree with TLK, from what I know about it. I agree with Brigadoon and Showboat and Chorus Line.

I've never had any interest in Phantom or Miss Saigon. Given my experience with their peer, Les Miz, I'm not going to be seeking them out any time soon. (In general, I find Lloyd-Weber overrated...)

I just do NOT have the Les Mis zeitgeist, I guess.

[coraline]

FYI, les mis isn't ALW.
neither is miss saigon (they're both boubil).
phantom and cats are (but i assume you knew that -- you probably knew the preceding as well, bt it wasn't clear from how you said it.)

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

I knew 3/4 of that... not that MS and LM are by the same guy.

Even LESS interested in MS now...

[coraline]

i have never seen either of them, but i enjoy the music from MS on its own, unlike les mis. but it definitely does the same emotionally manipulativ thing, if that bugs you. but i think it's a better musical (from a purely musical standpoint) than LM.