The presentation of compassion - Les Miserables

Xue Jiewei

As long as social oppression caused by laws and customs still exists, in the prosperous period of civilization due to human factors Make the world a hell, and bring inevitable disaster to the innate happiness of mankind, as long as - poverty makes men down, hunger makes women degrade, darkness makes children weak - these three problems have not been solved; as long as in some Social poisoning may still occur in the region. In other words, as long as there is ignorance and misery in the world, then works like this book may not be useless!

--Victor Hugo at Villa Otway on January 1, 1862

This is what Hugo wrote in his book "Les Misérables" preface. The great French writer Victor Hugo was born in Besancon, France on February 26, 1802 (but he considered Paris to be the "birthplace of his soul"). His father was once a general under Napoleon. . He has been traveling around the world since he was a child. As a teenager, he had a solid foundation in literature. He also absorbed a wide range of knowledge and made up his mind to be a writer very early. At the age of 20, he married his childhood sweetheart Adée Foucher. In the same year, he published his first collection of poems, "Odes et po?ies diverses" (Odes et po?ies diverses), and began his career as a writer. In 1831, the 29-year-old Hugo published "Notre Dame de Paris" (also translated as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"). This novel vividly depicts the social situation in France in 1482. , also raised serious and profound questions about human nature. His next world-famous novel, which took fourteen years to complete in 1861, is now adapted into a musical and is popular among millions of musical people around the world - "Les Misérables". Mis?ables).

The successful adaptation of "Les Misérables" is a large novel, which was 1,200 pages thick when it was published. According to the translation by local Vision Publishing House Zhong Wen, it is even 5 pages thick. The volume has 2,119 pages and 1.2 million words. It is not easy to transform such a novel with a time and space background spanning twenty years into a musical that can be performed in more than three hours, but Claude-Michel Sch?berg and Alain Boublil did it. This is the second time the two have collaborated on a musical. In 1973, they staged the play "The French Revolution" in Paris, which was quite successful. In 1980, they staged "Les Misérables" again, which caused even greater controversy. sensation. London musical theater producer Cameron Mackintosh believed that the play had considerable potential, so he invited Kretzmer and Fenton to collaborate with the two original authors to adapt it into English versions for London and Broadway. On October 8, 1985, "Les Misérables" had its world premiere in English at the Barbican Center in London. After its release, it received rave reviews and received a huge response from the audience. It was subsequently staged around the world. It is still a box office hit to this day. In addition, the "tragic" drama was also favored by music critics and won eight "Tony Awards". It was truly a hit and a success.

Plot outline

Since the original work of the "Tragedy" play spanned twenty years, it was impossible for the musical to include all the content, so the musical "Les Misérables" was adapted "It is divided into four parts: prologue - "Digne" in 1815, act one - "Montreuil-Sur-Mer" in 1823, act two - "Montfermeil" in 1823, and act three - "Paris" in 1832.

Since "Les Misérables" has several recorded versions, including the Universal version, the London version, and the Broadway version, the following is a summary of the three versions, using the songs as the latitude and longitude to introduce the plot development of the entire play:

Prologue, 1815 In 1815, the prologue of Digne's "Work Song" (Work Song) began, taking place in a prison in Toulon, France in 1815. The prisoners were working under the scorching sun while singing " "Work Song" (Work Song), jailer Javert shouted loudly that prisoner No. 24601 Valjean could be released from prison on parole. Valjean was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to give to his sister's starving child. However, due to several attempts to escape from prison, the sentence was extended to 19 years. Now he is free. After being released from prison, Valjean encountered discrimination when working on the farm and staying in hotels, and was kicked out. When he was desperate, the bishop of Digne took him in and provided him with a dinner.

"Valjean Arrested/Valjean Forgiven" (Valjean Arrested/Valjean Forgiven)

Valjean stole the silver dinner cup and left in the middle of the night, but was brought back by two policemen during the day. Bishop In a compassionate move, he told the police that the silverware in Valjean's hands was a gift from him, and also gave Valjean a pair of silver candlesticks. After the police left, the bishop warned Valjean to start a new life and blessed him.

"What have I done?" (What have I done?)

At this time, Valjean was left alone on the stage. He was annoyed by what he had done and sighed at himself. Why was he so confused that he became a night thief? Then he remembered that the benevolent bishop treated him like a normal person, called him brother, and comforted his soul. The moved Valjean decided to change his past, so he tore off the tassel representing a serious criminal. The yellow identity proves that the Valjean of the past no longer exists, and a new person is reborn.

Act 1, 1823, Montreuil-Sur-Mer "At the end of the day"

Eight years later, Valjean becomes Monsieur Madelaine , by this time he was already the owner of a factory and became the mayor of Montreuil-Sur-Mer. On this day, the workers got off work and sang "At the end of the day." Among the workers, there was a female worker named Fantine. She received a letter from her daughter's adoptive parents, saying that the child was sick. , need medical expenses..., and the letter was snatched by another meddling female worker, so the two started to fight over the letter. Valjean heard the noise and walked out of the factory and asked the foreman to calm down the commotion. When everyone found out about her dishonorable incident, they started to demand her dismissal. As a result, Fantine lost her job.

"I dreamed a dream"

Fantine, who lost her job, was extremely disappointed. Accompanied by strings and harp, she slowly sang " "I dreamed a dream" (I dreamed a dream), the lyrics recall the good times when their husbands had not abandoned them when they were young.

"Lovely ladies"

Then the scene changes to the dock. Sailors, prostitutes, and clients can be seen everywhere. The sailors and prostitutes sing "Lovely ladies" ” (Lovely ladies) flirted with each other. Fantine came here and wanted to sell her jewelry, but the other party’s price was too low. At this time, a skinny old woman took a fancy to her beautiful hair and offered her ten francs. Fantine agreed, thinking that she could afford her daughter's expenses. Under the instigation of other Yingyans, Fantine also fell into prostitution and sold her body and soul.

"Fantine's Arrest"

Fantine had a conflict with a sex seeker. Unfortunately, Fantine was subsequently arrested. The person who arrested her was police officer Javert. Valjean saw this in the crowd and stepped forward to learn about the situation. When Valjean learned about Fantine's story, he agreed to take her to the hospital and help her take care of her daughter.

"The Runaway Cart"

At this time, a car accident occurred nearby. An out-of-control carriage crushed passers-by. The carriage was very heavy and no one could move it. Got it. Valjean wanted to step forward and try, but when everyone was speechless, he lifted the carriage and saved the life of the person under the wheel. Police officer Javert was surprised when he saw this scene. He pulled the mayor aside and said that the mayor's actions reminded him of Jean Valjean, a parolee he had been chasing so hard before. He was arrested a few days ago and walked away after saying that.

"Who am I - The Trial"

When Valjean heard Javert say this, he knew that Javert had caught the wrong person. At this time, he started to have some inner thoughts. Heaven and man are at war - if he surrenders, he will be sentenced, but if he does not surrender, innocent people will be harmed, and his own conscience will be condemned. So he asked himself: "Who am I? Can I remain anonymous for the rest of my life? How can I face myself again?" After some inner struggle, he walked into the court, took off his clothes to reveal the tattoo on his chest, and shouted: "I am Jean Valjean, Prisoner No. 24601!"

"Fantine's Death"

The scene then changes to the hospital. On the bed, Fantine dreams of her daughter Cosette, who is like a loving mother. The ground warned and wanted to sing a lullaby to the child. Then Valjean came in, and the weak Fantine entrusted her daughter to Valjean and died with a smile on her face.

"The Confrontation"

At this time, Javert walked in, and Valjean asked him to give him three days' grace. After settling the matter of Fantine's daughter Cosette, he would He will be brought to justice automatically, but Javert does not believe that the former criminal has changed his mind now, thinking that "a cow will still be a cow when it comes to Beijing." Valjean grabbed a chair, broke it into pieces and confronted Javert with sharp pieces of wood, swearing to Fantine who was standing aside that he would take care of her daughter. A scuffle ensued between the two men, Javert was knocked down, and Valjean took advantage of the opportunity to escape.

Act 2, 1823, Montfermeil "Castle on a cloud"

The location changes to Montfermeil, where little Cosette lives with the Théardiers. They have been running the hotel for five years, and the Théardiers treat Cosette very harshly, almost using her as their boss. At this time, Cosette was cleaning. While she was cleaning, she was dreaming: "Ah! I really hope to go to the castle above the clouds in my dream. There is no floor to sweep, only a room with many toys and many children. "Then, an aunt dressed in white hugged me, sang me a lullaby, and said she loved me so much..." Little Cosette's dream was soon interrupted, and the bitter Mrs. Théardiers came over. , Cosette was asked to go out to fetch water from a well in the forest. Cosette asked not to let her go out alone in the dark, but she was still pushed out by Eponine (the baby daughter of the Théardiers).

"Master of The House"

On the other side of the shop, several drinkers gathered, and the shop owner, Mr. Théardiers, was serving among the guests. Everyone sang "Master of The House" in unison and chatted.

"The Bargain"

Outside the house, Valjean happened to meet Cosette who was out fetching water in the forest, so he took her hand back to the hotel and prepared to pay a fee. Take the money away from her. The Théardiers were hypocritical, dancing "The Waltz of Treachery" (The Waltz of Treachery), describing Cosette as their darling. Their intention was very obvious, of course they wanted to improve what Valjean had given him. price tag. Valjean finally gave the two men fifteen hundred francs and took Cosette away smoothly.

Act 3, 1832, Paris "Look Down"

Time goes by, and the following third act begins in Paris nine years later. Beggars, street children, prostitutes, and students were walking around on the streets, singing "Look Down." On the side, the Th?ardier couple and their daughter Eponine also came to Paris. The Th?ardier couple remained vicious and gathered a small group of gang members to do some theft and robbery. As the saying goes: "Enemies never get together." Just as Mr. Théardier asked an oncoming man for alms, he recognized that he was Valjean who took Cosette away, so he stepped forward and grabbed him. There was a tug and pull.

"Javert's Intervention"

Coincidentally, the patrolling police officers happened to pass by at this time, and the leader was Javert. Eponine saw this and shouted, and everyone dispersed. , Valjean also took the opportunity to slip away with Cosette beside him. Javert came over and was surprised that the man who had just been entangled by Thardier was missing. However, he learned from Thardier that the man he wanted to arrest day and night was Valjean, so he sang "Stars" and he The stars in the sky serve as evidence and swear that Valjean will be brought to justice. Then Eponine was the only one left in the square. She remembered that the girl just now was Cosette, who had stayed with her when she was a child. At this time, Marius, the leader of the student group, came over and asked her if she knew the girl (referring to Cosette), and asked Eponine to find out for her. Cosette's whereabouts, this commission became "Eponine's Errand".

"ABC Café" (The ABC Café?ed and Black)

In the ABC Café (Note 1), students headed by Enjolras are discussing revolutionary plans. They needed a consistent signal to convey instructions for the uprising so that they could command the masses, and finally discussed using "red" and "black" as the colors of the revolutionary flag - red representing the blood and blood of the angry people. In the world before dawn, black represents the dark years and dark nights of the past.

Just as everyone was discussing passionately and excitedly, the little boy Gavroche rushed in to tell everyone the bad news-General Lamarque was dead! Student leader Enjolras turned grief and anger into strength and planned to use the crowd gathered at Lamarque's funeral to stir up trouble. He also led everyone to sing excitedly "Do you hear the people sing?" (Do you hear the people sing?) The lyrics to the general meaning For: "The people who are unwilling to be slaves sing angry songs, the heartbeat and the drumbeats stir up each other, when tomorrow comes, a new life is about to begin!"

"Rue Plumet Street" (Rue Plumet-In my life)

The scene shifts to Rue Plumet. Cosette is alone in the garden. She finds herself in love after falling in love with Marius at first sight. For the first time, she discovered that love was so close to her. Then Valjean approached to comfort her and then left. Under the leadership of Eponine, Marius came to the garden gate; he was about to meet the one he loved. Marius was overjoyed, but Eponine seemed unhappy because the one he loved was now going to meet someone else.

"A Heart full of Love"

Marius walked into the garden and expressed his love to Cosette. Eponine listened outside and was heartbroken. , how she wished Marius' sweet words were addressed to her!

"The Attack on Rue Plumet"

At this time, Eponine's father Théardier and his men also came outside the garden and wanted to attack Valjean snatched some property, and Eponine shouted in order to prevent her father from succeeding. When everyone saw what was going on, they dispersed. Marius left immediately after seeing this. Valjean heard the exclamation and rushed over. Cosette lied to her father that she screamed because she saw three people sneaking outside the wall. Valjean thought that the haunted Javert came to the door again and thought this place was not suitable. After staying for a long time, I decided to leave with Cosette.

"One day more!" (One day more!)

Valjean took the lead in singing "One more day!" It spoke to everyone's thoughts: Valjean thought that as long as one more day One more day, he can take Cosette away and fly away; Marius and Cosette seize the opportunity to get together for the last day, while Eponine looks sad on the side; Javert is waiting to get into the lineup of students, waiting for an opportunity to destroy them; Enjolras and the students are looking forward to the uprising tomorrow , holding high the banner of freedom, overthrowing the authoritarian regime, and making everyone a master!

"At the Barricade"

The rebel army selected the location for building fortifications, and Enjolras was speaking to the crowd. Marius discovered that Eponine was disguised as a man among the crowd, so he advised her to leave quickly and asked her to bring a message to Cosette. Eponine handed the letter to Valjean. Valjean read the letter and then walked back into the house, leaving Eponine behind.

"On My Own"

This is a "love song" sung by Eponine alone, expressing her infinite love for Marius, but due to Marius's sweetheart is not her, so the song reveals helplessness and loneliness: "I love him, but I am alone here..."

"Building the Barricade"

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The fortifications have been built, and the students vowed to defend this place and fight to the end.

From the other side of the fortifications came the shouts of officers, urging the students to put down their weapons, but the students, of course, ignored them. At this time, Javert came in from the outside of the fortification and told everyone about the enemy situation he had detected, "Javert's Arrival". By coincidence, his true identity happened to be recognized by the little guy Gavroche as "Little People". The conspiracy was revealed and Javert was tied up by everyone.

"A Little Fall of Rain"

A boy crawled in from outside the fortification. It turned out to be Eponine. She was seriously injured and fell into Marius's arms. . Although her body was already weak, Eponine showed joy as she fell into the arms of her loved one. Even though there were bullets and bullets outside, she was not afraid. Although Marius continued to comfort her, in the end she died in his arms.

"Night of Anguish"

Everyone shared the same hatred and declared that Eponine's blood would not be shed in vain. Valjean climbed in at this time wearing a military uniform, ready to fight alongside the students, and Enjolras gave him a gun. At this time, the army outside sent people to approach, and the two sides launched a "First Attack". A sniper from the other side aimed at Enjolras, but was knocked down by Valjean. United as one, the army was repulsed in the first battle. Everyone was delighted. Valjean requested that Javert be handed over to him, and Enjolras agreed. Javert thought that Valjean wanted to take the opportunity to take revenge, so he faced him sternly. Unexpectedly, Valjean cut the rope around him and asked him to leave quickly. Things went beyond Javert's expectation. In the end, Valjean fired a shot into the air and Javert quickly left.

"Bring him home"

It was late at night, and the students who served as scouts drank and sang "Drink with me" (Drink with me), Marius With Cosette in mind, he fell asleep soon after. Valjean looked at Marius and saw that he was so young, so he sang "Bring him home", praying to God to protect this young man and let him live in peace. If God wants to take away anyone's Life, then take it from me, Valjean!

"The Second Attack, Death of Gavroche" (The Second Attack, Death of Gavroche)

At dawn, the two sides fought for the second time. Enjolras asked his men to report their situation. Ammunition was found wanting. While Marius and Valjean were scrambling out to collect ammunition, Gavroche had climbed outside the fortifications. Just when he was about to succeed, he heard a gunshot - a bullet hit him! Then he was shot two or three more times, and finally fell to the ground and died.

"The Final Battle"

The officers outside the fortifications shouted again, asking the students to put down their weapons. Of course, the students did not obey, and Enjolras led the attack outside. ; For a while, the sound of guns and cannons was heard, the fires were intertwined, and the battle was very tragic. In this battle, the student side was almost completely wiped out. Enjolras was killed on the top of the fortification. Marius was seriously injured but still alive. He was discovered by Valjean and carried away from the sewer. Javert didn't find Valjean's body when he arrived at the scene, and concluded that he must have slipped away from the sewer, so Xun Ling chased him again.

"The Sewers-Dog eats Dog"

In the sewers, the evil-minded Théardier is doing a despicable thing again - searching for the dead Valuable belongings on the body. Valjean, who was carrying Marius, fell to the ground due to lack of physical strength.

Thardier searched all the way and took away Marius' ring. When he found that the person lying next to him was Valjean, he laughed wildly and disappeared at the other end of the sewer. Valjean carried Marius forward, but was caught up by Javert, and the two enemies met again. Since Marius was seriously injured and needed medical treatment, Valjean asked Javert to be accommodating and settle the scores later. Javert finally felt compassion and let Valjean take Marius away.

"Javert's Suicide"

Javert felt a lot after letting Valjean go; it was Valjean who let him go that allowed him to survive to this day. He began to wonder, could it be that Valjean let him go? After chasing him for so many years, Valjean turned out to be a compassionate person? Overwhelmed by mixed feelings, he decided he had nowhere to go and threw himself into the Seine River. After the war, women came to the streets and asked questioningly: "Has it changed?" (Turning). Of course, nothing has changed. Everything seems to be going around in circles, returning to where it started.

"Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"

I recall that I used to gather with my friends at ABC Cafe to talk and talk. The scene is still the same now, but my companions have passed away. Marius couldn't help feeling sad and sang "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" excitedly. As he sang, the souls of his companions appeared and disappeared, as if they heard his call; then Cosette came to his side. , to appease Marius's ups and downs of emotions, the two sang the love duet "Every Day" together, recalling the night when they first met, and their hearts were full of love. Valjean came in and formed a short trio.

"Valjean's Confession"

Cosette temporarily left, leaving Marius and Valjean alone. Valjean reveals his life experience to Marius, explaining that he was once a thief, and he has never dared to let Cosette know about his guilt. If he is caught again, it will only humiliate Cosette and make her even more sad. Now Cosette has a sweetheart to take care of her, so he must leave. Ask Marius to tell Cosette that he is traveling far away, and never let her know the truth. Marius reluctantly agreed.

"The Wedding Chorale"

Marius and Cosette finally walked into the wedding hall as they wished, and everyone sang their blessings on both sides. The waltz music sounded, and the melody was actually taken from the second act "Cunning Waltz". It turned out that the Th?ardier couple appeared again. This time they shamelessly came to ask Marius for money, asking for five hundred francs, claiming to have evidence that Valjean was searching for dead people's belongings in the sewers; Théardier took out a ring from his arms, which he had taken off from Marius that night. Something, Marius immediately understood that Valjean was the savior that night. He knocked Théardier down with one punch, and took Cosette to look for Valjean, regardless of the wedding being held. The wedding became "Beggars At the Feast."

"Epilogue, Finale"

The breathless Valjean is alone, with a wooden cross beside him. He is doing it for Cosette and Marius, and for himself. pray. Fantine's soul appeared, thanked him for his upbringing, and prayed for him. At this time, Marius and Cosette rushed in.

In the end, Eponine and the souls who died in the war appeared one after another, and everyone sang "Epilogue, Finale" (Epilogue, Finale). The unfortunate people will finally have a bright day!

About the version of "Les Misérables"

There are several audio versions of "Les Misérables" available in Taiwan. Since I don't have a French version at hand and I don't understand French, I can't tell readers introduce. There are at least three versions of the English pronunciation. The first one to introduce is of course the most complete global version (3CDs). This version brings together the key players from all over the world to sing "Les Misérables", including 65 members of the British Philharmonic Orchestra. More than seventy choir members were recorded in London, Sydney, Nashville, Los Angeles and other places, and then mastered. In the record commentary, producers Cameron Mackintosh and David Caddick detailed the ideas and process of recording this album, which is quite interesting. I just want to make one point in particular: Kaho Shimada, the Japanese female singer who plays the role of Eponine in this set of records, barely speaks English. In order to record this role, a translator was hired to communicate with her. However, her English pronunciation in the record, The expressions and emotional interpretations of the singing are excellent and exciting! The other characters are also cast in a hurry and their performances are outstanding. The two sets have two versions respectively, London (Original London Cast Recording) and Broadway (Original Broadway Cast Recording). The protagonist of both sets of records, Jean Valjean, is sung by the famous musical actor Colm Wilkinson, and Eponine is also sung by the same person. Others Although the singing roles are different, the performance is roughly between the two, and there is not much difference; however, the London version has plot explanations between each lyric, which is slightly better than the Broadway version in this regard. In addition to the above three versions, a selected version can also be found on the market. This "Highlights from Les Mis?ables" is published by Woodford Music Company and includes 17 pieces of music from "Les Misérables"; CD Apart from the title of the song and the name of the singer, there is no other explanation. The accompaniment only uses simple electronic synthesized instruments, which sounds weak and lacks melody. It is obvious that only a few people are supporting the scene during the choir singing part. So unless you have a special liking for this musical plot, the previous three sets of "Les Misérables" are enough to meet the needs of ordinary people.

Note 1: "ABC" here is actually the same pronunciation as Abaisse in French, and Abaisse in French means "humiliated"

Book excerpt

The row of open shops, we remember, stretched from the chapel to the door of Thenardier's inn. Since wealthy people would soon be passing through that area to attend midnight mass, candles were lit in those shops, and funnel-shaped paper covers were added to the outside of the candles. At that time, a teacher from Montferre Elementary School was visiting Dana. Drinking in the third shop, he said that the candlelight was quite "charming", but at the same time, there was not a single star in the sky.

The last stall is right opposite Thenardier's door. It is a toy shop filled with dazzling gold and silver jewelry, glassware, and tin toys. The businessman was at the front of the first row, displaying a big doll in front of a white bandanna, about two feet tall, wearing a pink crepe robe, with gold tassels around his head, and had real hair and enamel eyes. This treasure was displayed there all day long. Passersby under the age of ten saw it and loved it. However, there was no mother in Montfernet who had so much money, or the habit of spending money, that she was willing to buy it. Give to children. éponine and Azma spent several hours there admiring her; as for Cosette, indeed, they only dared to look at her furtively once or twice.

When Cosette went out with the bucket, even though she was so melancholy and depressed, she still couldn't help but raise her eyes to look at the extraordinary doll, at the "empress", as she said. The poor child stood there stunned. She had never gone close to see the doll.

To her the whole store was like a palace, and the doll was not a doll but an illusion. The poor young lady had been deeply immersed in that miserable and cruel life of poverty. Now what she saw, in her fantasy, naturally appeared together as joy, glory, glory, and happiness. Cosette used her innocent and sad wisdom to estimate the abyss that separated her from the doll. She told herself that only a queen, or at least a princess, could get such a "thing." She looked carefully at the beautiful pink robe and smooth hair, and she thought to herself: "This doll, how happy she must be!" Her eyes could not leave the colorful shop. The more she looked, the more dazzled she became. She thought she saw heaven. Behind the big doll, there were many small dolls. She thought they must be fairies and fairy children. She felt that the merchant walking around in the stall looked a bit like the Eternal Father.

In that kind of admiration, she forgot everything, even what others asked her to do. Suddenly, Aunt Thenardier's rough voice brought her back to reality: "What, idiot, you haven't left yet! Wait! Wait for me to settle the score with you! I want to ask what she is doing there!" Little monster, let's go!"

Aunt Thenardier glanced towards the street and saw Cosette lost in thought.

Cosette quickly picked up the bucket and slipped away. (Part 2, Volume 3, Chapter 4)