Les Misérables: A Timeless Opera
Contents
The classic French novel Les Misérables has been adapted into a timeless opera. This blog explores the music, history, and meaning of this masterwork.
Introduction
There are few operas that are as well-known and timeless as Les Misérables. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, this epic story has been adaptation for stage, film, and television. The story follows the lives of several characters as they try to survive and escape the poverty and misery of 19th century France. The music is lush and stirring, and the story is one that will stay with you long after the final curtain falls.
The History of Les Misérables
Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862. The novel follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a period of decades from the early 19th century up until the Revolution of 1832. Les Misérables is one of the best-known and most popular works of French literature.
The Original Novel
Les Misérables was originally published in French as a novel by Victor Hugo in 1862. The novel follows the lives of several characters in France during the early 19th century, including Jean Valjean, a former criminal who is trying to start a new life, and Javert, a police inspector who is determined to bring Valjean back to justice.
The novel was an instant success, and it was soon translated into other languages. It has been adapted into several stage and screen productions, including a highly successful musical that debuted in 1980.
The Broadway Musical
While the Broadway musical Les Misérables is based on the novel of the same name by French author Victor Hugo, it is actually quite different in several respects. For one, the musical is set in 19th-century France, while the novel is set in the early years of the French Revolution. Additionally, while the novel focuses on a variety of characters and their stories, the musical focuses primarily on the story of Jean Valjean, a man who is imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread.
The Broadway musical Les Misérables debuted in 1987 and was an instant success. It ran for over 6,000 performances and won multiple Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical has been revived multiple times on Broadway and continues to be popular with audiences around the world.
The 2012 Film Adaptation
The 2012 film adaptation of “Les Misérables” was a critical and commercial success. The movie, which starred Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, grossed over $440 million at the box office and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three.
The movie was based on the stage musical of the same name, which is itself based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel “Les Misérables.” The story tells the tale of Jean Valjean, a man who is imprisoned for stealing bread to feed his family. He is eventually released from prison but remains an outcast from society. Valjean meets and falls in love with Fantine, a single mother who turns to prostitution to support her daughter. Valjean promises to care for Fantine’s daughter, Cosette, after she dies.
The rest of the story follows Valjean and Cosette as they are pursued by Javert, a police inspector who is determined to bring Valjean back to prison. The story culminates in the June Rebellion of 1832, which was a failed uprising against the French government.
The 2012 film adaptation was directed by Tom Hooper and featured an all-star cast that included Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen.
The Music of Les Misérables
Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862. The novel has been adapted for film and stage several times. The most recent and well-known adaptation is the 2012 musical, which was written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. The musical is based on the novel, but also includes additional material from Hugo’s other works. The music of Les Misérables is some of the most well-known and beloved in all of opera.
The Score
The musical score of Les Misérables is composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. The original French-language production opened in Paris in 1980, and the first English-language production staged in London’s West End in 1985. An abridged version of the musical debuted on Broadway in 1987. The score of Les Misérables includes such well-known songs as “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” and “One Day More.”
While the musical draws heavily from the pop style of the late 20th century, it also includes elements of traditional French opera. Schönberg incorporated into the score musical motifs that recur throughout the work, representing various characters, emotions, and themes. For instance, the melody associated with the character Javert appears several times throughout the score in various permutations, always conveying Javert’s single-minded pursuit of justice.
The music of Les Misérables has been highly praised, with some critics calling it one of the best scores ever written for a musical. The show’s popularity has resulted in numerous cast recordings being released, as well as a number of symphonic and concert suites adapted from the original score.
The Songs
There are many songs in Les Misérables, each with its own special place in the story. Here are just a few of the most memorable.
“I Dreamed a Dream” is sung by Fantine when she is first introduced, as she contemplates her lost youth and happiness. It is a heart-wrenching ballad that always moves audiences.
“On My Own” is sung by Éponine, a poor girl in love with the wealthy Marius. It is a beautiful and tragic song about unrequited love.
“Bring Him Home” is sung by Jean Valjean as he pleads with God to protect the young student Marius, who has been drawn into the Paris uprising. It is a touching and deeply moving prayer.
“One Day More” is the final song of the first act, and it is an exuberant and defiance anthem sung by all the characters as they prepare for the clash between the government forces and the rebels.
These are just a few of the many wonderful songs in Les Misérables. Each one tells its own story and brings something special to the overall opera.
The Characters of Les Misérables
The opera, Les Misérables, is set in early 19th-century France and is based on the novel of the same name by French author Victor Hugo. The story follows the lives of several characters as they struggle against social injustice, poverty, and other hardships. Here is a closer look at some of the main characters in Les Misérables.
Jean Valjean
The story of Les Misérables is, at its core, the story of Jean Valjean. He is a complex and dynamic character who serves as the novel’s protagonist. Valjean is first introduced as a poor, uneducated peasant who has been imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. After serving nineteen years in prison, he is finally released on parole. However, he quickly realizes that his status as a former convict makes it nearly impossible for him to find work or housing. Desperate and feeling hopeless, Valjean decides to steal again and is caught by the police. Fortunately, the kind-hearted Bishop Myriel takes him in and offers him shelter. This act of compassion changes Valjean’s life forever and sets him on a path of redemption.
Throughout the course of the novel, Valjean undergoes a profound transformation. He evolves from a bitter, angry man into a selfless individual who is driven by his love for others. He risks his own safety to save the life of Fantine and later adopts her daughter, Cosette. At great personal cost, he also protects Cosette’s lover, Marius Pontmercy, from arrest and certain death during the student uprising at the barricades. In the end, after a lifetime of struggle, Valjean finally finds peace and contentment.
Although he is not perfect, Jean Valjean is one of the most compassionate and heroic characters in all of literature. His capacity for love and forgiveness serves as an inspiration to us all and reminds us that it is never too late to turn our lives around.
Fantine
Fantine is the tragic heroine of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. She is a factory worker who turns to prostitution to support her daughter, Cosette. A victim of circumstance, Fantine is eventually driven to her death by the cruel treatment she receives at the hands of others.
Fantine is introduced in the first book of Les Misérables, titled “Fantine.” The story of her life is recounted by the narrator, Jean Valjean, who rescued Fantine’s daughter, Cosette, from the abusive caretakers she had been left with.
Born in 1792, Fantine was orphaned at a young age and raised by nuns in an orphanage. When she was sixteen, she left the orphanage and went to work in a factory. She met a young man named Félix Tholomyès and fell in love with him. They had a child together out of wedlock, a girl they named Cosette.
Tholomyès abandoned Fantine and Cosette soon after Cosette was born. Fantine was left to raise her daughter on her own. To support herself and Cosette, she worked long hours at the factory. But when she was fired from her job after it was discovered that she was a single mother, Fantine had no choice but to turn to prostitution to make ends meet.
Despite her difficult circumstances, Fantine remained hopeful that one dayCosette would be reunited with her and they would live happily ever after. But fate intervened in the form of the ruthless businessman Javert, who threatened to expose Fantine’s past as a prostitute if she did not give up Cosette’s whereabouts. In order to protect her daughter from Javert’s vindictive actions, Fantine agreed to give up Cosette to a pair of con artists posing as innkeepers, who promised to care for the girl while Fantine continued working as a prostitute.
The con artists took Cosette away from Fantine and sold her into slavery with an abusive couple known as the Thénardiers. Meanwhile, back in town, Javert discovered that Fantine was illiterate and used this information as leverage against her by offering to help her find work if she agreeed to provide him with sexual favors. Desperate for money to pay for lodging and food, Fantine had no choice but comply with Javert’s demands. However, when she attemptedto leave town after finishing work one day, Javert caught up with her and exposed her as a prostitute in front of a crowd of people. Humiliated and heartbroken over the loss of her daughter and her good reputation, Fantine died soon afterwards from an illness brought on by malnutrition and exhaustion .
Cosette
Cosette is the young daughter of Fantine, one of the central characters in Les Misérables. She is a pivotal figure in the story, as her experiences illustrate the cruelty and hypocrisy of the adults around her.
Born out of wedlock, Cosette spends much of her early life being passed around from one family member to another, until she eventually ends up in the care of the evil innkeeper Madame Thénardier and her husband. The couple treat Cosette like a servant, making her work long hours with little food or rest.
Despite her difficult circumstances, Cosette is a kind and gentle soul. She befriends the local boy Jean Valjean, who has been sent to work at the inn after being caught stealing bread. Valjean takes Cosette away from the Thénardiers and raises her as his own daughter.
Throughout the story, we see how Cosette’s innocence is corrupted by the adults around her. However, she ultimately finds happiness with Valjean and falls in love with Marius Pontmercy, a young man from a wealthy family.
Éponine
Éponine is one of the more tragic characters in Les Misérables. The daughter of a pair of thieves, Éponine grew up on the streets of Paris and never had a chance to experience a real childhood. She falls in love with Marius, a young man from a wealthy family, but she knows that their social backgrounds mean that they can never be together. When Marius falls for Cosette instead, Éponine does everything she can to help him, even though it means sacrificing her own happiness. In the end, she dies in his arms, having finally found the love and happiness that had always eluded her.
Marius
Marius Pontmercy is a student of the law and a radical republican. He falls in love with Cosette but risks losing her when he becomes involved in the 1832 Paris Uprising led by students seeking to overthrow the monarchy. Exiled after the uprising fails, Marius returns to find that Thénardier has been blackmailing him all along and Cosette is now married to another man. Nevertheless, he gains Cosette back and they live together happily ever after.
Javert
Javert is a self-righteous and inflexible lawman who is obsessed with bringing justice to the world. He is a major antagonist in the story, and his pursuit of Valjean leads to much of the conflict in the novel. Javert is a complex character, and his eventual downfall is one of the most tragic elements of the story.
Conclusion
This is an opera that has something for everyone – tragedy, love, hope, despair, and triumph. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, Les Misérables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man who has been imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread. He is eventually released from prison, but his life is changed forever. Les Misérables is a story of love, loss, redemption, and hope.
