"Roméo & Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour" Soundtrack (2001)

There are bound to be comparisons between this work and "Notre Dame de Paris"...another mass populist French musical. I won't make those comparisons here, other than to say that "Romeo And Juliette" is equally brilliant, and that if you love NDDP, you'll most likely also love this extremely beautiful work by Gérard Presgurvic. This work begins with a moving narration by the composer/lyricist Presgurvic..then immediately seques into the driving rhythms of "Vérone". As the familiar story unfolds, Romeo and Juliette get a number of chances to sing several gorgeous duets...such as "Un Jour"...before the two lovers actually meet, "L'Amour Heureux"..the love at first sight duet, "Le Balcon"..the inevitable balcony scene, "Par Amour"..sung as Romeo And Juliette arrange their secret marriage with the Friar, and "Aimer" the first act closer performed as the two are wed. In the second act, the duo romantically offer "Le Chant De L'alouette," the wedding night song as Romeo awaits his exile. The actors chosen to play the leads are indeed remarkable. Romeo is sincere and desperately in love, and his voice is very, very strong. The young actress who portrays Juliette matches his intensity in emotion, if not in vocal power, and in this piece she conveys the innocent, but spoiled Juliette to near perfection. She is nicely in tune, and I really looked forward to hearing her sing. But the fine performers cast as Romeo (Damien Sargue) and Juliette (Cécilia Cara) are not the only talent in this powerful emotional show. Also outstanding are Romeo's lusty pals Phillipe d'Avilla as Mercutio, and Grégori Baquet as Benvolio. The balance of the cast are also wonderful in their respective roles, especially the actors portraying Juliette's father, her nurse, and the Prince of Verona. As for the music itself, it is absolutely CHILLING! And as good as the entire ensemble is, the real stars of this piece are the members of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bela Drahos, who give us some stunning, soaring string arrangements. The overall sound is rich and full, the voices crisp, the choir angelic. This is GREAT pop music. The individual songs are memorable and addictive, just loaded with hooks...you just can't get them out of your mind. You'll probably be singing a few songs in French, even if you don't speak a word of it. Aside from those tunes previously mentioned, standouts are "Les Rois du Monde," "J'ai Peur," "On Dit Dans La Rue," "Mort de Mercutio," "Avoir Une Fille," "Pourquoi," "Sans Elle," and "Comment Lui Dire." Some of the French is idiomatic, and therefore not all that easy to understand if you don't speak the language fluently. But because the story is so familiar, it's certainly easy enough to glean the central theme of each song. And, some of the French is basic and quite simple to understand. The many songs about the deaths of the various characters are heartbreaking. (I trust this statement doesn't ruin the story for anyone). But the most important aspect is, of course, the sheer musicality of this work. It's totally breathtaking; I haven't stopped listening to these fantastic CDs for about two months or more, and with each listen, I learn a few more French expressions. It's interesting to speculate if this musical will ever be translated into English for the London or Broadway stage in the tradition of "Les Miserables" and "Notre Dame de Paris." If someone takes on this monumental project, let's hope they keep the lyrical beauty intact. This is one phenomenal work of art to be treasured. --.

CD 1