Les Misérables is a concept album containing a studio cast recording of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's musical Les Misérables. It was originally released in France in 1980 on the Tréma record label.
In the United States, it was issued in 1989 by Relativity Records and was subtitled The Original French Concept Album on the cover.The album's covers and labels:
Background According to the album's notes, it was recorded at Studio Music Center, Wembley, and Studio Davout, Paris, between January and April 1980.
Critical reception
AllMusic rates the album 4 stars out of 5. The album is reviewed there by William Ruhmann, who suggests that the authors of the musical "supposed that their French audience would be familiar with the story" and hence "concentrated more on moving things along and giving each character a musical showcase than on focusing on any one plot line", which "may have worked better on disc than on stage." He also adds that the English-language version differs considerably, e.g. "beef[ing] up the part of Valjean" and all but eliminating the part of Gavroche, but nevertheless, "anyone coming to this original French studio cast recording [...] only after experiencing the English version will be able to recognize much of it."
Track listing 2 × LP – Tréma 310 086/87
Cast Fantine – Rose Laurens Jean Valjean (aka Mr. Madeleine) – Maurice Barrier Inspector Javert – Jacques Mercier Cosette as a child – Maryse Cédolin Mrs. Thénardier – Marie-France Roussel Mr. Thénardier – Yvan Dautin Gavroche – Fabrice Bernard Marius – Richard Dewitte Éponine – Marie Cosette as a young girl – Fabienne Guyon Mr. Gillenormand – Dominique Tirmont And with the kind participation of: The hair buyer – Mireille Combeferre – Salvatore Adamo Feuilly – Michel Delpech Courfeyrac – Claude-Michel Schönberg With the exceptional participation of: Michel Sardou as Enjolras
References