Hello everyone. I love the musical Les Miserables, as well as many others. I have an especially soft spot for the show's original 1987 orchestration, so thought I'd try recreating it!
Recreation. It's more than some rip-off of someone else's work so that I could howl to. It's my way of exploring and getting to know something that inspires and intrigues me. John Cameron's original orchestration is a key element of the show that has always spoken to me in a way that I feel compelled to answer.
The work on this page is that answer.
I use nothing but real orchestral instrument samples in my tracks, all meticulously sequenced. Please forgive the so-so mixing as these are work-in-progress preview tracks. A lot of them have crazy tempos in places and all could benefit from some equalization and better mixing / individual instrument positioning within the stereo image.
Les Miserables is a musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, two Frenchmen who were inspired to turn the Victor Hugo novel (on which the musical is based) into a stage musical after being introduced to the art form by way of a London production of Oliver! and the original Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar. It was the Artful Dodger from Oliver!, who evoked images of Gavroche; the street urchin from Hugo's Les Miserables in Alain, and the rest is history.
Here is my humble attempt at recreating even a semblance of that iconic John Cameron orchestration, the man who also orchestrated the duo's first musical incarnation of Les Mis: their original French Concept Album, which was released and was a great success in 1980, as well as serving as orchestrator for every production based on the original English language adaptation.
Sadly, MTI is no longer offering the original orchestration. They offer now the 25th ann. reduction, which is very heavy on the reeds and contains no acoustic guitar, no character, and no cohesion--the new concoction features work by 3 additional orchestrators. To say it is a train wreck is an understatement. I keep faith one day this will all just go away and the show's signature sound and gritty musical language restored.
At any rate, I work at snails' pace, but I'm getting the hang of it more and more to the point I am much speedier than I ever was.
In the meantime, enjoy what I have uploaded here, so far, and don't be surprised to notice your hair turning gray! :S
Oh, and I'm not a composer and none of the work I present are my own original compositions. I merely recreate what I hear. I do NOT claim to represent or to have mastered anyone else's work/creation. I only represent my interpretation of their work and it comes from a place of deep respect and admiration, as well as strong focus on integrity.
These tracks are not for commercial use. They are for private individual home listening.
All Les Miserables tracks feature orchestrations by John Cameron, to music by Claude Michel-Schonberg; Evita tracks feature orchestrations by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Hershey Kay--all as interpreted by me.
As for me? Hey, this isn't about me, it's about the music!!! XD
