University Singers students who were coached by Claude-Michel Schönberg on “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and “On My Own” shared thoughts such as these:
Staten Longo, whom Claude-Michel Schönberg coached as she sang “On My Own” wrote:
Having the opportunity to perform “On My Own” for Mr. Schönberg and work with him was absolutely incredible. I have never sung better than while he was directing me, and the difference to me was so clear. Hearing both Mr. Schönberg and Mr. Boublil’s personal interpretations of their shows was both interesting and insightful, and I learned so much about performance and the creation process for some of my favorite musicals. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity.
And one of her fellow USingers had this to say:
When Schönberg worked with Staten, you could tell just how passionate he was about the music and its meaning. His entire body felt each note, each word, and I thought it was truly amazing that the music could still mean so much to him after years of hearing it day in and day out. It never got old for him.
Students in the course “Les Misérables: From Page to Stage to Screen” answered the question,
“What did you learn from talking with and hearing from Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil?” Here are a few responses:
If I don’t take anything else from this experience today, I hope I remember the ardor for this work and what it represents that exuded from these men.
To hear how they feel that they are not at productions to enjoy their work, but to work hard to have other people learn from and be inspired by their musical is humbling. I left the conversation aspiring to one day feel as passionately about my future career as they do about theirs.
The two men were humble, saying that they do not constantly revel in the success of Les Misérables, but instead are touched every single time they see a group of people affected by their work. This speaks volumes to me. Humility of this sort is certainly one of Hugo’s favorable virtues in the novel.
Claude-Michel Schönberg spoke a great deal about passion, and when I say spoke about it, I mean that his own passion for his work emanated from him the entire time; it was unmistakable and moving. I was struck by his assertion that we should do what we do because we physically cannot do anything else.
Speaking with Schönberg and Boublil definitely had an impact. . . . You truly have to be passionate, dedicated, and enthralled in your work in order for it to make it worth it.
Hearing Schönberg and Boublil tell me to work hard and follow my dreams was something that will never be matched.
There is something incredible and unique about the collaboration between geniuses. I don’t just mean the fruitful relationship between Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, though certainly we saw evidence of their close collaboration in our brief discussion in class. I am mostly thinking of their ability to communicate the “spirit” of the novel over 100 years after it was written . . . . Schönberg and Boublil reenergized this relatable novel for an entirely new generation, a generation that ponders and benefits from the ideas of freedom, justice and compassion that this story brings to the fore.
One of Claude-Michel Schönberg’s and Alain Boublil’s insights that I greatly appreciated was that they said that each character in the novel experiences Hugo’s major themes of sacrifice and redemption. It would be wrong to overlook the darker characters of the Thénardiers or Javert, and to say that they do not at least encounter these themes in their interactions with the other characters; Hugo gives such detail and thought to his characters, so we similarly should give the characters the same attention when we read.
I am still astounded that anyone could turn a 1400 page novel into a musical, without losing the spirit of the novel, and I will certainly read the novel even more critically after this enlightening conversation.
I found myself just in utter awe of these two men because they brought Hugo’s novel to life and made it accessible and understandable to people all around the world. Hearing Mr. Schönberg discuss the viewing in Tel Aviv, and their experience in Japan, and just mentioning all the different countries where Les Misérables productions have taken place made me realize that these two men were fathers of a piece of our culture that will live on for centuries to come.
I had not realized how important the story of Les Misérables is to the people of France. When they said how “At the End of the Day” was the first song in the French version because everyone in the audience would already know the prologue, I was completely astounded.
Both men definitely inspired me about life in general. However, the way that Schönberg spoke about music was simply indescribable. I could almost see the notes fall from his fingertips as he gestured and waxed on about different parts of different songs . . . . I don’t believe I have ever met a person who so embodies the way that music makes me feel. I wish I could express my thoughts through words half as clearly as he does through music.
I learned about life, creating, and changing lives while listening to them speak. Most poignant to me was the moment when Mr. Schönberg offhandedly mentioned that he would sit at the piano, plugging away at one piece, or one melody, for hours or days or weeks. He said, “It’s work.” And I stopped and thought about that. From the time I was young, well-intentioned people have told me, “Find what you love to do, and it won’t feel like work.” But I think that may be only partly true. What Mr. Schönberg and Mr. Boublil know is the real secret: that part of what is so satisfying about doing what you love can also be the most frustrating—it is work. What you love to do does not necessarily come easily, and that is comforting.