Martin Guerre – The English Version
May 23, 2009 9:41 pm
Martin Guerre had a three year life beginning in 1996, when it opened in London, and ending in 1999 when it opened in New York. During those three years, the team that brought us Les Miserables and Miss Saigon felt good about what they had brought to London. The audiences loved the show and the house was filled. When the show was being readied for New York, something happened. Whether they thought the subject matter would not play well in New York because of the religious nature of the story or whether they thought it just was not glitzy enough for New York, they changed the show and ruined it. Songs were removed and replaced with inferior pieces. The orchestration, perhaps because of the need to use fewer instruments than was the case in London, is no where near as satisfying as that found on the London CD. The story seems to get twisted and lose its way. To me it is just a disaster.
It is fortunate that the London Cast Recording was made. The London recording features a score that is dynamic and beautiful. Like Les Miz, Martin Guerre uses motifs that run through many of the numbers and is heard often in the orchestra parts and used to make the story clearer. The duet Here Comes The Morning between Arnnaud (Iain Glen) and Martin (Matt Rawle) is the most dynamic male duet that I have heard since Lily’s Eyes in The Secret Garden. This follows the title number Martin Guerre (Matt Rawle) that features a dynamic Martin and an equally dynamic orchestra. Arnaud and Bertrande (Juliette Caton) get two wonderful duets in Tell Me To Go and Someone. In addition, there are some chorus numbers that give context to the religious theme of the story and some comic numbers smilair to those found in Les Miz.
I am sure that many having seen Martin Guerre in New York or hear the New York cast recording have never bothered to listen to this London version, but you should. The entire story is found in the progression of songs in this version and the original songs, libretto and score are far superior to the terrible version that was introduced into New York.
If you are a Les Miz or Miss Saigon fan, I urge you to buy this London cast recording……you won’t regret it.
2 Responses to “Martin Guerre – The English Version”
I saw the original London Cast in this Best Musical of the Year winner (London 1987). It was an unforgettable experience. The best music ever written by Boublil/ Schonberg. After the show opened to tepid reviews, the cast endured great hardships with rewrites so extensive the show closed for three days after its initial opening & re-debuted about five months into the run. It made for an incredibly connected ensemble of actors & a once in a lifetime experience as an audience member. The rich orchestrations washed over you & swept you away with a tide of emotion. After it closed in the West End it endured at least two more sets of rewrites which IMO ruined a great show. Iain Glen in his first (& only) role in a musical brought such pathos to his Arnaud coupled with the music & emotionally charged lyrics, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. My only correction to above review is that it was Rebecca Lock & not Juliet Caton who sang on the recording. By all means buy it.
I so agree with you……I loved it in London and I kept telling everyone who was going to see it. Then I saw the U.S. version and I just could not understand why they did it. Maybe someone will have the guts to restore it and do it regionally in the U.S. Thanks for the info on Rebecca Lock.
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