Jasmine Baskerville- The Role Music Plays in Les Miserable


What part does music play in Les Miserables? I think that adding music to this production increases emotions, strengthens the drama, and brings about an ambiance and/or moods in Les Miserables. In a way, music does what words cannot.
Theater professor Dr. Larry A. Brown answers the question of the function of song in various musical theater production. He first breaks down different types of music into three categories: Character song, songs that tell a story, and special function songs. He then goes even further and breaks down the 3 categories into 12 different types of songs.
   1.    I am songs: Songs where characters may introduce themselves directly to the audience.
Ex: “Look Down” song where Valjean introduces himself as slave 24601.
   2.    I want songs: Songs where characters often express their goals and dreams.
Ex: “Bring Him Home” Valjean expresses his goal to save Marius (his daughter’s crush) so that when he is gone she has Marius to look after her.
   3.    Reprises: Often a tune will occur again in the show as a reprise, to reveal how a character has developed during the story.
Ex: “Do you Hear the People sing?” song in the finale sung by all cast.
   4.    Emotional climax songs: Songs where characters reach a point where they can’t help but explode with feelings. “Music serves to amplify these emotions to a level above mere words. Emotional climax songs are exuberant, celebratory, and infectious, allowing the audience to share the characters’ passion and excitement”. 
Ex: “In my life/ A Heart full of love” song
   5.    Exposition songs: inform the audience about what has happened prior to the play and what has brought the characters to this particular point in the action
Ex: part of “Valjean's Soliloquy”
   6.     Conflict songs: Songs where characters struggle to attain differing goals.
Ex: “Valjean's Soliloquy” is a conflict within himself. He begins with the opening with what have I done?
   7.    Narration songs: Narration songs describe events that we otherwise do not see.
Ex: “Empty Chair at Empty Tables”
   8.    Summary songs: summary songs compress lengthy amounts of time into one number.
   9.    In comment songs: a character not in the dramatic scene steps to one side and sings about the events on stage.
  10. “Musical metaphors: take advantage of the unique qualities of musical theater to portray a situation in presentational, non-literal fashion”.
  11.  Cameo songs: display a secondary character (a character would most likely be forgotten) in a significant part.
Ex: "Eponine's Errand" scene in which Marius asks Eponine (cameo character) who is secretly in love with him to find out where Marius’s crush, Cosette lives and then take him to her.
  12. Parodies: “rely on audience familiarity with music not in the show, either a specific song or musical style, to evoke an appropriate mood”

Ex: “Master of the House” the scene where the Thenardier rob people in a humorous way. This scene is a comedic relief in my opinion.

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