The reason he's not in character is because he's performing as Bryn Terfel, not Javert. This isn't a production of Les Miserables, so why should he perform the song as Javert?
Presumably people think it is mediocre in relation to Quast's performance, which I suppose is the gold standard for this song. In my opinion, at the points of crescendo the orchestra overpowered him a bit.
I love him but this isn't a good song for him. I was excited when I saw he sang it then I listened and hated it. And this orchestration way too much!!!!
He doesn't seem very IN character, in fact he seems a bit bored and therefore makes me the audience bored. Sorry, this is just my opinion based on this performance don't have a go at me ;) haha
Bryn Terfel isnt microphoned here. The fact is that he is singing this over a full orchestra and he still manages to put his life into is singing. Bryn Terfel is well deserving of the title of one of the most famous baritones in the world if not THE most famous
Philip quast had a long run as javert. Experience in the role makes a huge difference in being able to give it a more significant interpretation. This is damn good singing though.
A wonderful rendition of the piece. I've sung this song dozens of times for recitals and auditions and just for fun. His voice is incredible. He did an awesome job last night at the Andrea Bocelli concert too. Top of the class singer :)
I would not get so worked up over any performer, life's too short! Terfel is better at Opera than Legit Musical Theatre stuff.... There are few credible cross over performers who do both well. Brian Stokes Mitchell comes to mind.
He didn't look well either, he may have been under the weather, sweating like I do when I try to do math in my head....
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
this guy is a phony shithead, i don 't care how good his voice is, if you can't sing it with genuine feeling, i'm going to vomit. every syllable he utters sounds to me like "damnit I can't wait to go home an roll in a bedfull of money and jerk off and eat donuts, fuck this stupid song and the yuppies eating it up."
@snarby21 You are really completely wrong. Bryn Terfel, who has dedicated his career to telling stories with his voice, Perhaps you are mistaking the fact that he doesn't scream and get hoarse for lack of feeling. Or maybe that the presentation is stupid with the staircase, but you cannot believe that Bryn Terfel is phony, he lives and dies onstage, simply watch him perform any role, I beg you. This is one of the most imaginative singers of the century
@snarby21 opinion is subjective. Yours just happens to be wrong here :) I'm sorry - his facial expressions not withstanding - his voice conveys all of the emotion the song conjures, particularly in the final bars where his belt seems almost effortless. My guess is if he doesn't quite 'look' commited to the roll its possibly because he's committed to the idea of not falling down the rest of what looks to be a rather rickety staircase for his rather solid frame (hmm...drool).
@Thundril meh, i wouldn't call it one of the best songs in musical theatre, maybe slightly above mediocre then...doesn't matter, but i think he should stick to operas
@chocchipcookie26 I think he should do both if he can. I love his operatic pieces as much as everyone else and there's no doubt in my mind that he's one of the best singers to have ever lived on this earth...so I hope I get to hear him for many years to come :)
@jpg0901....um...no...this is a bass baritone part....so that is not really it...he makes is sound "high" because he is so overmatched....this is a broadway piece!!...not even the Opera he is used to singing...this is what we celebrate now as "excellence"...sad!
@sumalumajumjum Well I wouldn't go that far...I mean, yeah obviously he sounds different then what we're used to (like when when he sang the pearl fishers duet), but I don't think it's horrible...we can't all be Dmitri Hforostovsky (sp?) ya know...
@sumalumajumjum It could also just be his interpretation of the character of Javert. Musical Theatre tends to draw out a slightly different singing style from the performer than opera. Some performers more than others.
@sumalumajumjum No, its' a West End piece. My arrival at this judgment?
a) The musical first openend in the West End.
b) When the musical was transferred to English, it was written in mind for singers in the West End.
So regardless of who are the the better singers, and free from all this Anglo-American debate, it is a West End piece. Or, better, a muiscal theatre piece.
This is one of my all time favourite songs from a musical... Listened to Philip Quast singing it for hours at an end. You need a good voice for it and what's better than Bryn Terfel?
The reason he's not in character is because he's performing as Bryn Terfel, not Javert. This isn't a production of Les Miserables, so why should he perform the song as Javert?
almeida062 2 weeks ago
Presumably people think it is mediocre in relation to Quast's performance, which I suppose is the gold standard for this song. In my opinion, at the points of crescendo the orchestra overpowered him a bit.
Beansahol 1 month ago
I love him but this isn't a good song for him. I was excited when I saw he sang it then I listened and hated it. And this orchestration way too much!!!!
hesings 2 months ago
He's got a nice voice but I find him a little non chalente in his performance. But he's still good.
plabill 3 months ago
He doesn't seem very IN character, in fact he seems a bit bored and therefore makes me the audience bored. Sorry, this is just my opinion based on this performance don't have a go at me ;) haha
JackHartOfficial 4 months ago
stop criticize big ones you losers, better do something yourself in this life
harutikz 4 months ago
Bryn Terfel isnt microphoned here. The fact is that he is singing this over a full orchestra and he still manages to put his life into is singing. Bryn Terfel is well deserving of the title of one of the most famous baritones in the world if not THE most famous
williamswadling 4 months ago
Philip quast had a long run as javert. Experience in the role makes a huge difference in being able to give it a more significant interpretation. This is damn good singing though.
h0bgawblin 4 months ago
This is a song that suffers when not "acted." This performance lacks emotion.
LeahWayEarth 4 months ago
I love Bryn Terfel and he sings this very well, I'm not a huge fan of the orchestration though. It's much better in the original show.
MasterIsh91 5 months ago
Nowhere near as good as philip quast- complete lack of emotion
TheDavall 5 months ago
A wonderful rendition of the piece. I've sung this song dozens of times for recitals and auditions and just for fun. His voice is incredible. He did an awesome job last night at the Andrea Bocelli concert too. Top of the class singer :)
JAyala7293 5 months ago
I think this is my favourite version of stars...what a voice!
drizzt7654 6 months ago
he sounds a lot like the original javert roger allam
DrinkOmally 7 months ago
@snarby21
I would not get so worked up over any performer, life's too short! Terfel is better at Opera than Legit Musical Theatre stuff.... There are few credible cross over performers who do both well. Brian Stokes Mitchell comes to mind.
He didn't look well either, he may have been under the weather, sweating like I do when I try to do math in my head....
MrBaritonevoce 7 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
this guy is a phony shithead, i don 't care how good his voice is, if you can't sing it with genuine feeling, i'm going to vomit. every syllable he utters sounds to me like "damnit I can't wait to go home an roll in a bedfull of money and jerk off and eat donuts, fuck this stupid song and the yuppies eating it up."
snarby21 8 months ago
@snarby21 You are really completely wrong. Bryn Terfel, who has dedicated his career to telling stories with his voice, Perhaps you are mistaking the fact that he doesn't scream and get hoarse for lack of feeling. Or maybe that the presentation is stupid with the staircase, but you cannot believe that Bryn Terfel is phony, he lives and dies onstage, simply watch him perform any role, I beg you. This is one of the most imaginative singers of the century
hightenor123 8 months ago 15
@hightenor123 truth is subjective
snarby21 8 months ago
@snarby21 opinion is subjective. Yours just happens to be wrong here :) I'm sorry - his facial expressions not withstanding - his voice conveys all of the emotion the song conjures, particularly in the final bars where his belt seems almost effortless. My guess is if he doesn't quite 'look' commited to the roll its possibly because he's committed to the idea of not falling down the rest of what looks to be a rather rickety staircase for his rather solid frame (hmm...drool).
mitsy4400 7 months ago 3
@snarby21 I agree
hightenor123 6 months ago
@snarby21 you are entitled to an opinion but Bryn Terfel is a talented dedicated singer and deserves better than your bad language and crass comments
IFINEVERSING 6 months ago
If it were permissable to distract him from the opera, which it isn't, he'd be a wonderful Javert
theblacksister 9 months ago
taken too fast. but what a powerful voice. excellent
tromba567 10 months ago
Didn't care for Terfel singing this piece....
MrBaritonevoce 11 months ago
@MrBaritonevoce oath
snarby21 7 months ago
Чудесный певец! Я теперь часто его слушаю.
OlegHmil 1 year ago
One of the best singers in the world, he shouldn't sing stuff like this :S He should stick to doing Operas, not mediocre Musical Theatre songs
chocchipcookie26 1 year ago
@chocchipcookie26 How can you call THIS "mediocre"?
Thundril 1 year ago 9
@Thundril meh, i wouldn't call it one of the best songs in musical theatre, maybe slightly above mediocre then...doesn't matter, but i think he should stick to operas
chocchipcookie26 1 year ago
@chocchipcookie26 I think he should do both if he can. I love his operatic pieces as much as everyone else and there's no doubt in my mind that he's one of the best singers to have ever lived on this earth...so I hope I get to hear him for many years to come :)
jpg0901 1 year ago
He´s one from most greatest singers in this century.
baculkar 1 year ago
He's singing the lead in the newest Met. production of "The Ring Cycle."
actored1 1 year ago
hey...its a bass baritone....kermit the frog!!!....bryn...what have u done to your voice?...
sumalumajumjum 1 year ago
@sumalumajumjum You do realize that most of the notes in this song are really high for him, right?
jpg0901 1 year ago
@jpg0901....um...no...this is a bass baritone part....so that is not really it...he makes is sound "high" because he is so overmatched....this is a broadway piece!!...not even the Opera he is used to singing...this is what we celebrate now as "excellence"...sad!
sumalumajumjum 1 year ago
@sumalumajumjum Well I wouldn't go that far...I mean, yeah obviously he sounds different then what we're used to (like when when he sang the pearl fishers duet), but I don't think it's horrible...we can't all be Dmitri Hforostovsky (sp?) ya know...
jpg0901 1 year ago
@sumalumajumjum It could also just be his interpretation of the character of Javert. Musical Theatre tends to draw out a slightly different singing style from the performer than opera. Some performers more than others.
mattprice516 1 year ago
@sumalumajumjum No, its' a West End piece. My arrival at this judgment?
a) The musical first openend in the West End.
b) When the musical was transferred to English, it was written in mind for singers in the West End.
So regardless of who are the the better singers, and free from all this Anglo-American debate, it is a West End piece. Or, better, a muiscal theatre piece.
witness124 1 year ago
My favorite operatic bass-baritone EVER!
actored1 1 year ago
he seems to do it so effortlessly..
StopTheMoti0n 1 year ago
WHAT AN INSPIRATION!!!!!
MatMadik 1 year ago
It doesn't seem if he's miced, fantastic
xtracheeez 1 year ago
bryn terfel is my idol
roxcatipay 2 years ago
I like it just for the orchestrations. Always nice to hear a new variation on it.
BorisGodunov 2 years ago
Hi is my idol, his technics is perfect, and hi is a nice person to.
BBmuusicduo 2 years ago
This is one of my all time favourite songs from a musical... Listened to Philip Quast singing it for hours at an end. You need a good voice for it and what's better than Bryn Terfel?
Skruttangel 2 years ago
AMAZING SINGER!! i love him
gietz1 2 years ago