Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
#1Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:19am
So I think it's about time I buy this recording, but which one?
I love a big full symphony, so I've narrowed it down to either the 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, or the Complete Symphonic Recording.
The complete version is... well... a complete version, but many folks seem to favor the performances on the 10th Anniversary version.
I thought I'd get the opinions of you experts. Which do you prefer?
#2re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:36am10th anniversary, given your choices. But out of ALL of them? Paris revival.
#2re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:42amI personally do like the CSR, it was the recording through which I got to know the show and the score (therefore I lament EVERY cut that is made in every production ever everywhere in the world). But the Paris revival cast is indeed (based on recording listening only) uniformly best. And French does add a nice ring to the whole thing.
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
COOOOLkid
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/05
#3re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:48amIf you're REALLY picky about the cast, then I'd go with 10th Anniversary. But I don't think CSR has terrible cast at all! I enjoy it for what it is.
#4re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:58amThe CSR cast really isn't bad, but it has a very sterile sound to it and the cast doesn't really have much of a rapport with each other. Of course, given the way it was recorded, that's not a surprise.
#5re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:59am
I'd go for the CSR. Though I'm not really impressed with any of the English langauge recordings.
I agree about the Paris revival album. Perfection.
#6re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 5:50am
ok...
so supposedly there are 26 recordings of this show...
All I know of are:
Original french concept
Original French
French Revival
Original London
Original Broadway
Japanese Red Cast
10th Anniversary
CSR.
are the other 16 just... not available anywhere? or does that also include "selections from"... "highlights and others"... or are there 16 complete other recordings of the Schonberg-Boublil musical?
#7re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 7:54am10th Anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
zooxanthellae
Broadway Star Joined: 6/2/07
#8re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 8:58am
hmm... if you are looking for complete obvoiusly get the CSR (and plus anthony warlow is on it, so thats an added bonus). Vocally overall the 10th anniversary is more impressive (has colm wilkinson, ruthie henshall, and lea salonga, which the CSR lack in). But the CSR is decent and I find myself listening to it more than the tenth anniversary just because I like to listen to the whole thing.
But if you're going to get a recording get the 1991 Paris Revival Cast... It's the best available recording... as others have pointed out.
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#9re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:11amIf you're looking for an almost great cast (*cough cough-Michael Maguire-cough cough*), go with the 10th anniversary. For a complete version of the show as of 1988, go with the CSR.
#10re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:29am
Yeah, out of your choices I would definitley go with the 10th anniversary recording. But, I prefer the Eponines on all the other recordings, so if you really like her character I would suggest a different recording.
Paris revival is the best out of all the albums.
#11re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:40am
Of the seventeen or so Les Mis recordings I have, I'd still say the 10th Anniversary Cast is the recording to go for if its your first Les Mis recording. I have never heard an "I Dreamed a Dream" done as well as Ruthie Henshall did it at that concert. Even Michael Ball, who I don't particularly like in general, sounds good on it.
As for the CSR, while I do own it, I personally can't stand to listen to it. I feel like it sounds very tinny and (as LizzieCurry pointed out) the cast feels as if they have no connection with one another- which I believe comes across when listening to it.
#12re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:44am
I love the CSR. Anthony Warlow makes pretty much any CD worth having. But one BIG issue people have with it is the Japanese Eponine. I personally didn't enjoy Lea Salonga's Eponine (but I LOVED her Fantine), and as a some-time anime fan, I'm used to Japanese accents, so I didn't mind Kaho Shimada. I actually quite liked her. But if Eponine is important to you and you're likely to take issue with her Japanese accent, you might want to skip it. The 10th Anniversary cast is okay, but I severely miss Anthony Warlow, and I'm not big on Salonga or Henshall in this setting.
Just be a real theatre fanatic and buy several recordings! I have five so far, and haven't even bought the OBCR! :P
COOOOLkid
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/05
#13re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 10:28am
French Concept Album
Original London Cast
Original Broadway Cast
Complete Symphonic Recording
1987 Israeli Cast
1988 Hungarian Cast
1988 Vienne Cast
1990 Swedish Cast
1991 Paris Revival Cast
1991 Dutch Cast
1992 Czech Cast
1992 Danish Cast
1992 Manchester Cast Highlights
1993 Korean Cast
1993 Madrid Cast
*1994 "Red" Japanese Cast
*1994 "Blue" Japanese Cast
*10th Anniversary Cast
1996 Duisberg Cast
1996 Swedish Cast
1998 Belgian Cast
*2003 "Light Blue" Japanese Cast
*2003 "Violet" Japanese Cast
*2003 "Green" Japanese Cast
*2003 "Orange" Japanese Cast
*2004 Czech Cast
ones marked with * are recorded live
There are other studio recordings, etc, but I think those are the 26. I only have 22, so I'm not sure exactly, however.
ShbrtAlley44
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/1/03
#14re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:00pmDefinitely the 10th anniversary. Except Michael Maguire and his squeaky high notes. I mean, you can't go wrong with that cast. Why didn't they get Alun Armstrong back for the Broadway revival, dammit? They should have paid him tons of money to do it.
#15re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:27pmI am in love with my CSR. I love the cast, especially Eponine. She is my favorite part. Her voice is so pretty and just leaks so much emotion without even seeing her acting. I also love the OBCR. The quality is really good. IMO Frances as Eponine is sometimes unbearable though. The 10th Anniversary isn't my favorite, but many people seem to love it.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#16re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:52pm
Kaho Shimada didn't even know English when she recorded Eponine! How awesome is that?
Anyway.. there is no perfect Les Mis recording. The OLCR has bad acting, the OBCR has some bad singing, the CSR has a bad Cosette and Valjean (but everyone else rocks,) and the TAC has a very hammy Colm Wilkinson as well as Lea Salonga's iffy portrayal of Eponine. Well sung, yes, but iffy portrayal. At least, in my opinion.
Really, you have to decide what's most important to you in making this choice.
#17re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 5:46pm
Thanks for all of the input, guys.
I think I'll start off with the TAC, and eventually get the CSR.
The idea that the cast sounded a little sterile on the CSR clinched it for me.
Thanks again!
#18re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 8:13pmThe Paris Revival, 10th Anniversary, Japanese Recording (Green), London, CSR.
COOOOLkid
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/05
#19re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:37pm
You can listen to some of the songs from CSR on the official website
http://lesmis.com/pages/sights_sounds/music.htm
coolphantom919
Broadway Star Joined: 6/6/06
#20re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 10:35pm
all of them. they all are so different.
some are shorter than others, some are longer than others.
some of better cast members... But no matter what the best vocalist on them is Colm Wilkinson..
there you go!
#21re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/11/07 at 10:36pm
Kaho Shimada didn't even know English when she recorded Eponine! How awesome is that?
And half the Duisburg cast didn't know German, but in that case, it wasn't such a good thing. 
#22re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/12/07 at 1:57amhow was the CSR recorded that it inhibited the performances? Just curious...
#23re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/12/07 at 1:59amIn different studios all over the world. In other words, many cast members had never met and were often recording their lines either with no one to play off of, or with just a recording of their co-star. Plus, much of the ensemble was made up of principals from the Los Angeles cast, who, IMO, were miscast.
#24re: Les Mis: Which recording do you prefer?
Posted: 8/12/07 at 10:26am
From what I've heard of the OBCR, Frances Ruffelle was NOT having a good day when they recorded it. But I loved her scrappy wretched Eponine on the OLCR, so please don't anyone just dismiss her out of hand. ^_^
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