Notre-Dame de Paris: Version anglaise
2000 cast recording by various artists
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Notre-Dame de Paris: Version anglaise, also marketed as simply Notre-Dame de Paris, is an album containing a cast recording of the English-language adaptation of the musical Notre-Dame de Paris. It was released in 2000 in France on the Pomme Music record label[1] and internationally by Sony's subsidiaries Epic Records[2] and Columbia.[3]
| Notre-Dame de Paris: Version anglaise | |
|---|---|
International CD cover | |
| Cast recording by various artists | |
| Released | 2000 |
| Genres | Pop/rock, show tunes |
| Labels | Pomme Music Epic, Columbia |
Background
The musical was translated into English by American lyricist Will Jennings.[4] Most of the original French cast remained intact from the French version. As noted by William Ruhlmann in his review for AllMusic, the French singers "adapt to the change in language without much trouble, perhaps in part because Jennings' translations are so spare and simple."[4]
The album also features a "guest star", Celine Dion, who opens it with her rendition of the song "Live for the One I Love",[4] repeated further on as sung by cast member Tina Arena.[5] Dion's recording of the song, an English-language version of "Vivre", was previously available on her 1999 compilation, All the Way... A Decade of Song.[6]
Critical reception
The AllMusic website rates the album 3 stars out of 5.[4] William Ruhlmann first notes in his review that the original musical "was an enormous French hit, both onstage in Paris and in record stores", but doesn't find the album to be worth "the fuss", writing: "On a single disc, with a running time of just over an hour (as opposed to the two-disc original [French] cast version), this recording of Notre-Dame de Paris makes it sound like a ballad-heavy show. Song after song is taken at a slow pace, with brief melodic motifs repeated over and over" and concluding: "[B]ased only on this recording, one is left wondering what all the fuss in Paris was about, since the show seems to drag along for most of its length." "It may take a staging of the musical in an English-speaking country to explain what the French found so compelling," he adds.[4] Among the cast, he singles out Garou, "who has a gravelly, Joe Cocker-like voice appropriate for the long-suffering Quasimodo."[4]
On the other hand, in another review on the AllMusic website, Heather Phares describes the musical as "vivid and memorable" and Richard Cocciante's songs as "evocative".[7]
Track listing
CD – Pomme Music 952 612
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Live for the One I Love" | Céline Dion | |
| 2. | "The Age of the Cathedrals" | Bruno Pelletier | |
| 3. | "The Refugees" | Luck Mervil | |
| 4. | "The Bohemienne Song" | Tina Arena | |
| 5. | "Belle (Is the Only Word)" | Garou / Daniel Lavoie / Steve Balsamo | |
| 6. | "My Heart If You Will Swear" | Natasha St-Pierre [sic] | |
| 7. | "Torn Apart" | Steve Balsamo | |
| 8. | "The Bells" | Garou | |
| 9. | "The Pagan Ave Maria" | Tina Arena | |
| 10. | "Your Love Will Kill Me" | Daniel Lavoie | |
| 11. | "Moon" | Bruno Pelletier | |
| 12. | "God You Made the World All Wrong" | Garou | |
| 13. | "I'm a Priest" | Daniel Lavoie | |
| 14. | "The Birds They Put in Cages" | Tina Arena / Garou | |
| 15. | "Cast Away" | Luck Mervil | |
| 16. | "Live for the One I Love" | Tina Arena | |
| 17. | "Dance My Esmeralda" | Garou |
Cast
- Esmeralda: Tina Arena
- Frollo: Daniel Lavoie
- Gringoire: Bruno Pelletier
- Quasimodo: Garou
- Phœbus: Steve Balsamo
- Clopin: Luck Mervil
- Fleur-de-Lys: Natasha St-Pier
Charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[2] | 58 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] | 47 |