piratequeen
|
question about recordings.I own the TAC recording of Les Miz, which is generally pretty complete. I saw the show recently and noticed that there are some gaps. I was thinking of purchasing the CSR because it's supposed to be "complete" - is this a good idea? Thanks to all feedback 
|
Mademoiselle Lanoire
|
It's complete, and that's a major plus. The cast is hit or miss, though. I suggest listening to some of the clips on Amazon to get an idea whether you feel it to be worthwhile.
Also note that the show has been changed a bit since the recording came out, so it's not a perfect reflection of the libretto as it is today.
|
piratequeen
|
| Mademoiselle Lanoire wrote: | It's complete, and that's a major plus. The cast is hit or miss, though. I suggest listening to some of the clips on Amazon to get an idea whether you feel it to be worthwhile.
Also note that the show has been changed a bit since the recording came out, so it's not a perfect reflection of the libretto as it is today. |
Yeah, I noticed that too. I've heard mixed reviews about the cast, mostly positive, albeit mostly about Gary Morris. Nonetheless, I'll have a listen. I'm pretty sure I'll get around to purchashing it though, much thanks!
|
Orestes Fasting
|
The general consensus on the CSR cast seems to be:
Gary Morris (Valjean) - Awful.
Philip Quast (Javert) - Awesome.
Debra Byrne (Fantine) - Not bad.
Kaho Shimada (Eponine) - Wouldn't be bad if she spoke a lick of English.
Michael Ball (Marius) - Good.
Tracy Shayne (Cosette) - Shrill and annoying.
Anthony Warlow (Enjolras) - Amazing.
Barry James (Th�nardier) - Good.
Gay Soper (Mme Th�nardier) - Annoying as hell.
I don't agree 100%, but those seem to be the prevailing opinions.
The main draws for the CSR are that it's complete and it has Anthony Warlow and Kaho Shimada, neither of whom can be found on any other recording. Warlow is kind of the fan-favorite Enjolras of all the ones on the official recordings, and Shimada has an interesting take on Eponine once you get over her weird accent.
The downside, besides the hit-or-miss cast, is that the whole thing sounds a bit disjointed because it was recorded in various places around the world and mixed together afterwards. Most of these people had never met, let alone performed together, and it shows.
|
The Very Angry Woman
|
| Mademoiselle Lanoire wrote: | | It's complete, and that's a major plus. |
It's complete as of 1988. If you see the show now (or, hell, in 1997), what's on the CSR doesn't match.
|
Quique
|
| Orestes Fasting wrote: | | The main draws for the CSR are that it's complete and it has Anthony Warlow and Kaho Shimada, neither of whom can be found on any other recording. Warlow is kind of the fan-favorite Enjolras of all the ones on the official recordings, and Shimada has an interesting take on Eponine once you get over her weird accent. |
...aaand it has a kick-ass, full symphony orchestra.
The concert also has a great orchestra but, unfortunately, most of the strings can't be heard too well. That's a no-no for such a string rich score such as Les Mis'. The CSR's orchestral strings are gorgeous though they sometimes over-power the guitar, harp, and woodwinds. 
|
Ghost
|
I actually prefer CSR over TAC. The orchestrations sound ALOT better, simply Brilliant.
Let's compare the cast:
MORRIS / WILKINSON : Gary Morris isn't as bad as people say. Sure there are many better Valjean's today, but Morris has his moments. His usually alright and sometimes even great.
QUAST / QUAST: Quast is better in TAC but not far behind in CSR.
BYRNE / HENSHALL: Byrne is very good and sounds quite a bit like Patti LuPone. I like her in the Bmatabois -scene. Very good acting. Ruthie henshall I still probaly like a bit more. Her voice is clearer and stronger.
JAMES & SOPER / Armstrong & Gallowey: Barry James, I think is the greatest Thenardier is history, perfectly capturing both the dark and comic side of the Character. Armstrong's potrayal is more light, but nevertheless good. Jenny Gallowey is the ultimate MMe Thenardier
SHIMADA / SALONGA: I don't really care for Eponine, but Salonga is probably better.
BALL / BALL : Ball was getting too old in TAC and couldn't reach some of the notes very well. In CSR is very good.
SHANE / KUHN : Tracy Shane is quite annoying, I like Judy Kuhn in many things, Cossette is just a dull role.
WARLOW / MAGUIRE : Maguire struggled with the high notes in TAC, whereas Warlow is one of the best musical theatre singers ever and perfectly suited for Enjolras.
So yes, I think CSR is definately worth getting for completeness, brilliant orchestrations and many great performances.
|
Elin
|
The main draws for the CSR are that it's complete and it has Anthony Warlow and Kaho Shimada, neither of whom can be found on any other recording.
Kaho Shimada is on both the red and blue Japanese albums.
|
Orestes Fasting
|
| Elin wrote: | The main draws for the CSR are that it's complete and it has Anthony Warlow and Kaho Shimada, neither of whom can be found on any other recording.
Kaho Shimada is on both the red and blue Japanese albums. |
Well, yes, but I don't think the OP was considering foreign cast albums.
|
kitty17794
|
Personally, I love the cast on the Complete Recording. Then again, its the cast I grew up listening to. *shrug* But I think they are great.
|
Sweeney Hyde
|
I love the CSR. I adore it. I think all the performers in it are great. All the main characters are sung beatifully besides Valjean but even he has some great moments.
|
Quique
|
I will never understand why people hate Morris so much. Yes, he's sort of 'quiet' during some scenes and uses awful falsetto at the end of "Who Am I?" but that's it. I actually saw him in the show in 1991, and while his CSR performance is nowhere nearly as strong as his live one, he isn't TERRIBLE on the album.
I think Byrne and Soper are far, far worse.
|
Orestes Fasting
|
| Quique wrote: | I will never understand why people hate Morris so much. Yes, he's sort of 'quiet' during some scenes and uses awful falsetto at the end of "Who Am I?" but that's it. I actually saw him in the show in 1991, and while his CSR performance is nowhere nearly as strong as his live one, he isn't TERRIBLE on the album.
I think Byrne and Soper are far, far worse. |
It's not his voice I can't stand, it's his over-acting. Urgh. I can see how he might have been more effective live, but since I never saw him live I can't judge on that. I only know he sounds terrible recorded.
Byrne doesn't annoy me, just strikes me as a bit of a LuPone knockoff. The ones who ruin the recording for me are Morris, Shayne, and Soper.
|
Sweeney Hyde
|
I think Shayne is Ok at best but I like Soper a great deal actually.
|
Quique
|
I don't mind Shayne too much. Soper is really awful though. I usually just skip her parts.
Shimada is also a bit quiet on that album. Warlow and Quast are perfection.
You really think Byrne sounds like LuPone? Byrne is very soprano-ish while Patti is belty. Though I'm guessing you meant their interpretations are similar. That, I agree with.
|
Orestes Fasting
|
| Quique wrote: | I don't mind Shayne too much. Soper is really awful though. I usually just skip her parts.
Shimada is also a bit quiet on that album. Warlow and Quast are perfection.
You really think Byrne sounds like LuPone? Byrne is very soprano-ish while Patti is belty. Though I'm guessing you meant their interpretations are similar. That, I agree with. |
I was thinking interpretation, and also diction and tone quality. She sounds like a soprano ripoff of LuPone.
Tracy Shayne annoys the snot out of me because I'll go along listening to her and thinking "That's not so bad, her voice is actually kind of sweet" and then it'll tip over the line into shrill, saccharine, and annoying.
Quast is great, but I honestly think Warlow's CSR performance is overrated. His voice is superb, but I cannot get over his shouting of random words, nor how bored he sounds in the role.
I also can't get over Shimada's accent. It would've been much less distracting if she'd stuck to a Japanese accent instead of trying to imitate English dialect--I enjoy her performance in her native language a lot, but not so much in her forced-sounding English.
|
windbelle
|
IMO it's definitely advisable to get one. It's a major plus to have the complete show on CDs, especially for it's the complete show before those changes. The mixed sound quality doesn't bother me that much.
For the cast, I actually consider it to be one of the best I've heard. I don't love Morris, Soper and Shayne but they are tolerable to my ears. Shimada is adorable in some trivial parts, though I don't care for her major numbers. The others are great except that Philip Quast is not as perfect as on TAC. Anthony Warlow is also better in the Australia day concert, but that's not recorded. Well, compared to other English and foreign recordings I've heard, Warlow's Enjolras on CSR is still one of my favorite, superior to most on recordings.
|
