Last night I was in a rehearsal for an upcoming pops-type concert featuring choirs and soloists in mostly broadway numbers. Midway through the folder of music was
One Day More from
Les Miserables. When I was in high school, I
loved Les Miserables. I saved my precious pennies and bought myself the three-disc complete recording, and I knew every single word to every single song backwards and forwards! It's been, let's see, seven years since I graduated from high school (!!), and at least as long since I've listened to those CD's... but as I played that piece last night, every word came to mind like I had listened to it yesterday. Isn't it amazing how the human brain can store information like that, dormant for years, and then bring it back? In fact, as a kid I could memorize entire movie scripts by watching a film just once or twice. Sometimes I wonder how much of my brain space is wasted today because of that charming habit...
More interesting still, a woman from the second violin section approached me during a break in the rehearsal last night and asked where I went to school. I answered, and she replied, "Of course! I knew it! You studied with J____ B_____; I could tell the minute I saw your left hand, just by watching you play. He is the most incredible violinist. I went to New England Conservatory, but he wasn't my teacher. But I still go to all his recitals to this day. You play like a student of his!"
Pretty interesting, huh?
Oh, Les Mis! That takes me back. Sunset Blvd. is good, and Phantom is wonderful, but Les Mis... sigh. Soooo good. I get shivers up my spine thinking of Javert crying out, "There is no way to go on!" and jumping off the bridge (and it looks so real when they fly it out and he flails his arms!). And when the Bishop tells Jean Valjean, "Would you leave the best behind?" referring to the candlesticks. So powerful.
ReplyDeleteOkay, who was your favorite? Cosette, or Eponine? :)