Notre Dame de Paris (English) - Original Cast (CD 2000)

Notre Dame de Paris was the brainchild of Quebecois composer Luc Plamondon, author of Starmania and La Legende de Jimmy along with Celine Dion collaborations on Des Mots Qui Sonnent. A musical based on Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame, its charged soundtrack brought Quasimodo's plight to memorable life. I saw the (French) musical staged in Quebec in 2001, and although the staging did little for me (minimal abstract sets, modern costuming), the music was highly memorable.

If your first thought is Disney's animated musical adaptation of Hunchback of Notre Dame, through that preconceived notion out the window. Plamondon's version of the classic love triangle is dark, gritty, and rock in its nature; no cute singing gargoyles here.

Many of the original French-language cast reprise their roles on the English cast recording, including Garou as Quasimodo, Daniel Lavoie as Frollo, and Bruno Pelletier as Gringoire (the role was also played by Acadian singer-songwriter Jean-Francois Breau). Plamondon's original French lyrics have been translated into passable English by Will Jennings (My Heart Will Go On).

The English tracklisting is varied slightly from the original, opening with Celine Dion's recording of Live For the One I Love. Pelletier as Gringoire has a pleasant enough voice, although he sounds as though he's reaching outside his range on the lower notes on Age of Cathedrals. Luck Mervil's urgent, melancholic hoarseness works perfectly on Refugees. Tina Arena was a much-contested choice among fans of the original French-language cast recording; however, her sensual, sinuous voice is imbued with a strength that shines. On Bohemienne Song, mysterious Eastern notes flit hauntingly through the ballad, hints of sitar and derbukka drums, exotic hints of the Gypsies' Eastern origins.

We first hear from star Garou on the three-way Belle. His rough voice reminds me of Joe Cocker, and although his gritty sound may be an acquired taste, he sings with a sensuality and sense of wounded pride as Quasimodo that makes him entrancing to listen to in either language. Natasha St-Pierre shines on power ballad My Heart If You Will Swear. The next songs trace the complicated love quadrangle between Phoebus, Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and evil priest Frollo, who covets Esmeralda as his own. Garou's tortured despair is palpable on Dance, My Esmeralda, sounding as though he's being torn apart.

The English cast recording generally holds up well against the original French. A note about the diction: most French-speaking Quebecers are bilingual, so English diction is generally quite good. It was a wise decision on the part of the producers to bring over the original Quebec cast to reprise the English roles. Garou is a standout in particular, and Bruno Pelletier is a bestselling rock star in Quebec, and the extra degree of authenticity (Notre Dame de Paris was written in French, after all) lends the musical an extra shine.

Fans of the original French-language soundtrack will find much to like, although Celine Dion's cover of Live for the One I Love felt a little too convenient as she's not present on the rest of the album (it was marketed as an all-new track on All The Way).