regshoe: Reg Shoe, filled with revolutionary zeal (Reg Shoe)
regshoe ([personal profile] regshoe) wrote2020-07-11 07:17 pm

Music rec for the French Revolution

Reading Ninety-Three inspired me to go and listen to some of the songs from the Les Misérables musical in the original French, to get an appropriate sense of revolutionary fervour for the mood and setting of the book. I've been listening to this one again today to distract myself from some of the more upsetting aspects of my current book, and it really is a good thing.



I think the original lyrics are better than the English version (I don't actually speak French beyond osmosis of common words and spotting things that look similar to English equivalents, so I'm going by the translations on the internet), and more appropriately Hugo-ish (Moi je veux être le premier/Le premier nom gravé/Au marbre du monument d'espoir... that's the spirit!) This is the original concept album version, and they seem to have changed some of the lyrics later on—the later version is more similar to the English one, but I know the French musical went through several versions and I don't know which came first—anyway, this is my favourite version of this song I've heard so far.
theseatheseatheopensea: A drawing of a fox and a magpie hugging. (Fox and magpie.)

[personal profile] theseatheseatheopensea 2020-07-11 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Yesssss I love this concept album! There is something about the album that makes it sound very realistic and heartfelt, kind of folk/protest songs (which the French are sooo good at!) The whole bombastic musical style is not a bad thing, and Les Mis is actually one of my favourite musicals ever, but I feel that the themes of the book shine more in the concept album! <3

I've been listening to this one again today to distract myself from some of the more upsetting aspects of my current book,

ETA: Oh no... is it very sad? *sends more tissues*
Edited 2020-07-11 19:04 (UTC)