The presentation of the CD case is overall quite nice: it's a cardboard cover, which is hinged at the rear, left and right in the wings, the two CDs. Inside the envelope, in the rear wall of the front, put (almost hidden) the usual CD booklet with a list of titles and their performers and six pages to the development of the film or the musical (text in English). The lyrics are not printed in the booklet, but that also does not matter, as soon as you insert the first CD - because, unfortunately, unfortunately,
Because unfortunately there are also a - in my opinion - great flaw in this nicely packaged double CD, as regards their contents. Some songs of the soundtrack are namely cut by passages and other songs again absent. Some will now may think that I am too fussy, but I see it this way: Before the film's release Polydor (Universal Music) first released a single CD in January, which contains 20 songs from the movie - everyone who Musical the knows, that was already recognized by the number of titles that this soundtrack was not complete. In February Les Misérables then ran here in Germany in the cinema, and I did so as I said wait for the double CD, which was released yesterday. As in the film, some songs were taken together, could not say in advance whether this or that song would be on the soundtrack or not. On the double CD of 42 titles should be on it, so I had the hope that the soundtrack would be as complete as possible, and above all the songs for the Les Misérables is universally known, would be represented in their full length, precisely because Yes it should be a Deluxe Edition 2 Disc title after. According to Amazon, title description, it is even a Limited Deluxe Edition, which now holds more Limited to the limited content of the product as to its commercially available quantity. In the film, where the soundtrack was wrapped, pasted a sticker that says 2-DISC PACKAGE Containing the NUMBER 1 ALBUM Plus 22 ADDITIONAL TRACKS Over 45 minutes of additional music. Yes, formally holds the double CD what the label promises, but still fitting a label would have been because of CAUTION! Contains EDITED SONGS And MISS SOME OF THE SONGS COMPLETELY!
Something on the subject, what I understand in this case with full length. Those who know the musical Les Misérables already may know that there is never actually shown completely; depending on the country, staging, etc. songs are sometimes cut, sometimes quite omitted - which is not uncommon. There are the major songs that are an integral part of any production and are actually getting listed in full. But there are also some that were listed only in the very first performances in the English-speaking world and have never made it to German productions, or ones that have been gradually omitted because they were superfluous or similar. Also for the film a number of songs were cut and left out; There are also alternative and new lyrics that are not present in the musical, which makes the soundtrack all the more interesting. But if I now call this a song on the soundtrack as a cut, I mean that the song on the soundtrack is again shorter than the version of the song in the film - regardless of musical and his versions of the songs. And these cuts are unfortunately a couple of songs that I find important and beautiful - which is why I wanted to buy myself the soundtrack also essential. While it is a matter of taste, what song one likes, but I would like for my money (after 18.99) also have featured on the soundtrack already what has been in the film. When I look at a film in the cinema and then later buy it to me on DVD or Blu-ray, will I finally have no-cut version, are missing from the possible favorite scenes. I have as I said just hoping that the soundtrack is really complete, now I would be happy if only the songs that are on the soundtrack, would be included in its complete version as in the movie.
Below I will now go into more detail on what songs are shortened and which parts are missing or what songs completely missing, even though they occurred in the film. I realize that this is more interesting for people who know the musical or have already seen the movie; perhaps use those this information for decision support, if you're like me considering the purchase of the double CD in consideration. Personally, I would in fact like to know before buying from the curtailments. To all who want to see for example the film yet, I should like to advise you to skip the following paragraphs and continue reading from the second paragraph from the bottom, because I in the following paragraphs on the classification of the cuts and the lack of songs inevitably something of the action of Les Misérables tell.
So, there you go. Listed here are even the cuts that affect the songs, which occurred in the film and are also included on the soundtrack. This abridged songs are numbered paragraphs on the soundtrack for. To classify I also use the English titles, which are used on the soundtrack; most differ not from those of musicals, but so you can orient the reader on the basis of the track list - some knows only the German version of the musical. Furthermore, I have the songs listed from the movie, which completely missing on the soundtrack. These songs are characterized by A, B, C and so on, so there is no confusion with the numbering from the soundtrack. Most of these songs are missing rather short passages, most of which were taken from different songs of the musical, which is why they are not likely on the soundtrack as opposed to the shortened songs. On the other hand, for example, contain the Disc One Track The Convent and Disc Two Turning the track, the or so are actually not much more than short passages of two stanzas. I do not know what criteria the songs selected for the soundtrack, but it's definitely strange, what is the bottom line summary form available, and what was left out entirely or instead is present. The sequence of all cuts and missing songs is the way the in which they are sung in the film.
DISC ONE
01. LOOK DOWN: The Parts of the convicts are missing completely, after entering chorus the song immediately jumps to the part of Jean Valjean (Jackman H.) and Javert (Crowe R.). The song begins - and then, and continue to the next part, like a cut FSK 16-action film, which is shown to rate-making prime time on television in the break but this section, all action scenes abruptly. Just to even call a comparable example. As for the soundtrack, are for a listener like me who knows the songs, these cuts in the middle of song like a cold shower, which can make the listening experience truly broken.
02. THE BISHOP: It lacks the Part in which the bishop invites Valjean to be; The track consists only of the part, in which the bishop Valjean reached release and forgives him.
04 AT THE END OF THE DAY: There is a lack of Part after Valjean sang his single verse in the song, the song begins only at the point on the disc where the foreman of Fantine (Hathaway A.) dispatches singing and then rauswirft ; particularly unfortunate that's because so invisible even Fantine's verse, in which she sings of her daughter Cosette - which in turn is important for the action.
A. The 'interview' where Javert imagines as a new inspector at Mayor Madeleine (aka Valjean), is missing. This song was my knowledge exclusively in film and does not appear in the musical - and that's why one should have expected that it is on the soundtrack, is not it?
B. In the musical, there is a song that The Runaway Cart is, where it comes that Javert believes to have recognized in the Mayor Madeleine Valjean; on that song then closes Valjean's Who Am I? on. For the film only a few verses of this song were used and divided into two parts: The first part contains only Javert first suspect that comes up in him when he observed, as Mayor Madeleine lifts the eponymous carts to save the including strangulated coachman - an act that would have had enough power for the otherwise only the ex-convict Valjean. This first part follows the movie directly to Javert 'job interview'. The second part comes then "Fantine's Arrest" and it admits Javert Madeleine / Valjean that he had made inquiries about him, but apparently suspected him unjustly because already a man named Jean Valjean was arrested. This part is up to a few lines to an alternate version of the introduction to Who Am I used in the musical? in "The Runaway Cart". And again the question: Why is not it on the soundtrack? The first part would be easily able to merge with the 'interview' as "The Runaway Cart" and the second part consistent with "Who Am I?".
07. Fantine ARREST: The song has also been cut for the film, so it's almost tragic irony that it is truncated to the soundtrack even more. During sung dispute between Fantine and her pushy Free was reduced to the essential parts in the film at the beginning of the song, the dispute on the soundtrack is missing completely. Also on the entire Part of Javert must be abandoned as a listener; So the song is fatally only one with the appearance of Valjean, which practically only the second half left of the song. Very bad!
11 CASTLE ON THE CLOUD: After the previous cuts this song is almost as self-evident only in the titular part, to the little Cosette singing; the remaining part with Madam Thénardier (H. Bonham Carter) who scold Cosette and sent to fetch water in the forest, is missing. Strange, where overall the song is still relatively short.
13. THE BARGAIN: Due to the reduction of Castle in the Cloud, I would have thought that here the short part of missing where Valjean finds Cosette in the small forest, simply because it does not belong in the musical also to The Bargain. But no, in fact, the track starts laudably with this part, instead of the section is then unfortunately after Valjean's first verse in the Thenardiers, so that the song immediately carries on with the Thenardiers who do not want to give up their oh so beloved Colette. It would be nice also been if the completeness and the short part of the Thenardiers and Javert had been there half, which seamlessly joins the film at The Bargain when Valjean is the little Cosette continued.
C. The sung conversation between Marius (E. Redmayne) and Eponine (p Barks) in Marius room, which comes in the film to Paris / Look Down, unfortunately missing. It is an alternative variant to the conversation of the two at the beginning of The Robbery in the musical. Easily one could pack them either at the end of Paris / Look Down or to the beginning of The Robbery, but maybe something makes too much trouble, no idea.
18. THE ROBBERY: Here is missing after the attempted attack on Valjean and Javert's appearance sung conversation between Marius and Cosette about Eponine (A. Seyfried), in the Marius Eponine asked to look for him Cosette; the Musical is a stand-alone song entitled Eponine Errand; That may be the reason why the part is missing at this track.
D. The Attack on Rue Plumet missing, which in this case even I must admit that the song for the film has been shortened to the main part and is so very short. On the other hand it is a pity to each missing song where singing Samantha Barks and Sacha Baron Cohen.
DISC TWO
Pleasing to the Disc Two is that the existing songs in full, there remains the great "Do You Hear the People Sing?" untouched, which was on top of the single-CD not even - probably deliberately. Unfortunately, there is instead of other songs three tracks, two of which consist of only background music, voices and sounds from the movie and still contains a song third just before the end. But first things first.
E. After Eponine death in Little Fall of Rain brings the street urchin Gavroche a letter of Marius to Cosette, Valjean but the answers and reads or sings. So Valjean learns that Marius Cosette loves, but will likely be in the revolt of his life, whereupon Valjean makes his way to the barricade to save Marius Cosette due. In the musical Eponine brings this letter and because this part belongs to the song Building the Barricade. As well as the existing short as "The Convent", lacking this song here.
04. THE FIRST ATTACK: This track is really a joke, because it consists of only background music and the shouts of the students, and the noise from the attack. In the musical part of The First Attack as Valjean arrives at the barricade, important primarily the song, in which the prisoner Valjean, Javert leaves open instead of shoot him; but here all that is missing. Instead, you have one and a half minutes that are totally wasted in my opinion, precisely because no song found therein.
09. The Final Battle: As with The First Attack this track only of background music, voices and sounds from the part of the film, in which the students ultimately defeated by the soldiers and were shot and Javert in the survey after the fight to open discovered sewer manhole, fled through the Valjean with the wounded Marius. On a positive note, it is not the corresponding songs are simply missing here as in The First Attack, because that can be heard already at the end of The Death of Gavroche. Nevertheless, the track remains in my eyes again wasted space on the CD (after three minutes!) Which would for one of the missing songs can be used.
10. THE Sewers: The downside to this track is also the fact that it consists largely of background music, voices and sounds from the scene in which Thénardier (S. Baron Cohen) robs the bodies in the sewer and meets Valjean. The Song Dog Eats Dog sings Thénardier anyway only in the musical. At the end comes at least yet the brief reprise of The Confrontation, as Javert, Valjean expected already at the outlet of the sewer. Too bad part is that the recapitulation only about 45 seconds of almost two and a half minutes long tracks takes to give would have had again a half minutes left, if you would have limited the track into place with the song.
Including the poor singing tracks together, you would therefore have had even more about six minutes. Since the lack of passage with the letter and the songs on The First Attack would probably still top fit, especially on Disc Two anyway only a total of nineteen tracks on it are.
What else includes the soundtrack instead of complete songs:
Dialogues from the movie: For example, in the songs The Bishop and The Dock (Lovely Ladies). Basically, the dialogue is not a disadvantage, because it makes the content of sense that they are included because they take the songs here and there, so to speak. Another function have anyway not the few dialogues in Les Misérables. But then again if the songs are reduced in return for the other tracks, I would rather dispense with the trappings such as the dialogues.
Background noise from the movie: In Lookdown include the sounds of the sea spray and the waves heard because the convicts draw a capsized ship in a shipyard at the beginning of the film. However, you can hear these sounds very briefly, because the singing of the prisoners has been deleted, as stated on the CD. Or at the end of Javert at the Barricade can be heard, as Javert defends itself against the students and is knocked unconscious. And those sounds have been depending on the situation in the film at all tracks, though I would have assumed that they would be removed for the soundtrack of the soundtrack. Despite the impeccable sound quality it sounds thus in such a way as if you had just packed the sound track of the film on the CDs or as if you listen to the recording of a live performance - only without the applause of the audience.
So, that would be all. Basically, all these are of course several reasons, but which taken together happens to give the fact that the soundtrack is not even nearly complete. I do not know what criteria the songs selected for the soundtrack, but it's definitely strange that so much small stuff is, that has nothing to do basically with the actual songs while songs were shortened. Makes you wonder what publication policy behind it? Has Polydor, the yes part of Universal Music, deliberately not published any complete soundtrack, so people still buy Les Miserables on DVD or Blu-ray when it goes on sale (previous appointment according to Amazon: 30/12/13)? Or will Polydor continue about the tradition that no complete German or English recording exists of the musical version of Les Misérables? Or should only the appearance of the DVD / Blu-ray movie, a complete soundtrack will be released to people like to ask me again to checkout - a super deluxe 3 disc Oscar Gold Edition perhaps? Who knows, who knows ... Anyway, I was, although I did not rashly bought the single CD, but still successfully get ripped off. Touché, Polydor, I say as only.
Anyway, I'm disappointed and a little angry, what has driven me to this loooong 'review' - if you can even call it that. As I said, I hope that the detailed information on the contents of the double CD is a help for all those who are considering purchasing. To be hoped that those responsible for Polydor reading this and make time thoughts, not how to buyers more kidding. I have been thinking to send an email to Polydor, but how big is the probability that something else comes back as we are pleased about your interest in our products, but unfortunately so on? 'At the end of the day' gets the double CD anyway from me three stars, one for pretty presentation of the envelope and two for the full existing songs. Thank you for reading. ;)
