Leitmotifs: What Les Miz Taught Lin-Manuel Miranda (Musical Theatre Universe Part 1)

Les Mis taught LMM how to use leitmotifs in a very specific way.
MUSICAL THEATRE MATRIX PART 2: • How Schmigadoon Works ...
0:00 Intro
0:35 Leitmotifs in Les Miz
1:45 Contrafacta in Les Miz
3:40 Operatic Lens
4:43 In the Heights Leitmotifs
6:49 Radio Lens Leitmotifs
9:14 Musical Theatre Matrix
References in the video
New Yorker - All About the Hamiltons
www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...
Les Misérables - 10th Anniversary Concert
• Les Miserables 10th an...
Nickelodeon - Side Hustle
• Most Musical Moments f...
Joseph P. Swain - The Broadway Musical
bookshop.org/books/the-broadw...
Les Misérables - 2012 film (Universal)
• Les Misérables
THINKER - Lin-Manuel Miranda interview
• Les Mis Inspires Creat...
In the Heights - 2021 film (Warner Bros.)
• In the Heights
In the Heights: Finding Home - 2021 book
bookshop.org/books/in-the-hei...
Apple TV - Dickinson
tv.apple.com/us/show/dickinso...
Vox - Quiet Storm: How 1970s R&B changed late-night radio
• Quiet Storm: How 1970s...
Do the Right Thing - 1989 film
• Do the Right Thing
Images by Pixabay and Pexels.
Use of copyrighted music is licensed under fair use.
If you like these videos and want to support them more directly, please join me on Patreon for some extra goodies!
BECOME MY PATRON: / howardho
This video is a labor of love, so I'd love to hear from you. Please like, follow, and comment at me!
WEB: howardhomusic.com/
TWITTER: / ho_howard
SOUNDCLOUD: / howardwho-1
INSTAGRAM: / howardwho
#LinManuelMiranda #InTheHeights #LesMiz

[@maddietillem6778]

I'm a hamilton, in the heights, and les mis fan who is obsessed with musical theatre analysis. This is perfect

[@kw3593]

Watch Encanto!

[@maddietillem6778]

@@kw3593 I did! thanks!

[@sarahdsparks]

I feel like Eponine’s “On My Own” still counts as a grieving song. She is mourning the death of her romantic fantasy. So it did thematically fit with the deaths of Fantine and Valjean. You have the first two of those songs a sad recognition of an ending, but then it is redeemed by Valjean’s final version of the song bringing peace and acceptance.

[@ProuvaireJean]

"On My Own" actually appeared in the original French version as the song "L'Air De La Misère" where it was sung by Fantine rather than Eponine early in the show. If you search for it on KZbin you can hear how the French and English versions match musically. The melody was then used for "Come to Me" and "On My Own", with "On My Own" adding a B section ("And I know it's only in my mind..."). "On My Own" and "Come To Me" are linked by the theme of love for someone you cannot have. Fantine never sees her daughter again and Eponine, in "On My Own", realises that she can never have Marius. Fantine goes on to give her life for Cosette just as Eponine gives her life for Marius. The two characters are linked by this idea of sacrificial love and both gain their reward in the Epilogue, which is why they appear for Cosette and Marius (the only two characters alive on stage at the end of the show) respectively. That said, I do think it makes more sense for Valjean to be greeted by Fantine and the Bishop, which is what the movie did. (The more recent productions of the stage show also have the Bishop appear, though he doesn't sing, in the Epilogue.) The Bishop's part in the Prologue ("Come in Sir for you are weary...") and "Empty Chairs" are linked by the theme of guilt and forgiveness. The Bishop cleanses Valjean of his guilt and Marius seeks forgiveness for surviving the barricade. Some recurring musical themes in Les Miz include: * The oppressed: Look down (chain gang) / "Valjean at last, we see each other plan" / Look down (Paris beggars) / "Look down Javert, he's standing in his grave" * Valjean's dark side: On parole - "And now I know how freedom feels..." before Who Am I - "You say this man denies it all..." * People being nasty: "You'll have to go, I'll pay you off for the day..." / "Now look who's here, the little madam herself.." ./ "Here's something new, I think I'll give it a try..." * Forgiveness/guilt: "Come in sir for you are weary..." / "And remember this my brother..." / "There's a grief that can't be spoken..." (also in the movie sung by the nuns in the convent) * The law: "Tell his reverence your story... " / "Tell me quickly what's the story..." / "One day more to revolution..." * Life-changing (or ending) vertigo: Valjean's Soliloquy / Javert's suicide * Change (descending four note theme) - At the End of the Day, Who Am I, One Day More, Valjean's Confession. More specifically, Valjean deliberately making major decision: Who Am I, One Day More, Valjean's Confession. (In At the End of the Day the four note motif is heard just AFTER he makes a life-changing decision.) * Misery: I Dreamed A Dream / "I did not live until today..." * Women suffering: Lovely Ladies / Turning * Villagers: "Look at that, look at that, it's Monsieur Fauchelevant" (this bit is now cut but it's part of the runaway cart sequence) / "Come on you old pest, fetch a bottle of your best" * Love for someone you cannot have: Come to Me / On My Own * Cosette's innocence/childhood: Castle on a Cloud / Meeting at the Well / "Three men I saw beyond the wall..." (Cosette is deliberately manipulating Valjean here by reprising her childhood song)

[@HowardHoMusic]

Yes, of course Fantine does sing the melody. I'm merely pointing out that in the original French version, Eponine does not sing this melody. Rather, Eponine's version of the melody (AKA On My Own) was added later in the English adaptation. I hope that makes sense.

[@HowardHoMusic]

I enjoyed reading your theme interpretations. Thanks for sharing!

[@ProuvaireJean]

@@HowardHoMusic Yup. The original French arena production is quite fascinating because it's so different to the English adaptation. For example, the character of Marius's uncle appears and even has a song (whereas he's entirely missing from the English production... though he does have a presence in the 2012 film). And while Eponine doesn't sing "On My Own" she does have a beautiful song - "L'Un Vers L'Autre" - of which only a snippet survives in the English language version.

[@ProuvaireJean]

@@HowardHoMusic YW. Let's just say I've spent a LONG time seeing, listening to, and analysing the show. :-)

[@QuikVidGuy]

when does "Come on you old pest, fetch a bottle of your best" come from? I already know about Fauchelevant because I always like when a production at least includes from "Is there anyone here who will recue this man" til "It'll kill you as well"

[@LadyHawke78]

That’s so cool that in “Siempre,” LMM wrote a song that people could have sworn they’d heard before. That says a lot for how “right” he got it.

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

It's so funny. I remember hearing 'Yorktown' from Hamilton for the very first time in 2018 I kept thinking I'd heard it somewhere before but still can't figure out where! Hamilton we pretty much non existent here in Australia until it dropped on Disney+.

[@MusicTheatreTheory]

Similar to how lots of people think "Eedlweiss" is actually an Austrian folk song when it was actually written by Rodgers & Hammerstein for The Sound of Music!

[@hefoughtabear118]

I need more In the Heights analysis videos

[@ogaoms8985]

This went from music fun facts about Hamilton TO SOME INTENSE PARALLEL UNIVERSES THEORIES 🤯

[@HowardHoMusic]

Just you wait....

[@ProuvaireJean]

As someone who likes Hamilton and loves Les Miz I wrote this a few years ago... which probably only the intersection of those two particular fandoms might appreciate: [Enjolras] The revolution is imminent, I can almost taste it This is opportunity, we mustn’t waste it [Courfeyrac/Feuilly/Combeferre] Ooh Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? [Students] Who is this guy, what’s he gonna do? [Enjolras] I am not throwing away my shot! I am not throwing away my shot! Hey yo, I’m waiting for the people Who are really more than sheeple And I’m not throwing away my shot I’m about to pound the pavement to inspire Yeah I hear the people sing, and ding, they come and start calling The question is, will they be fit to fight, not just brawling? I’m gonna have to light up each match With every batch, I drop fire I’m a rebel with a cause, a Ken doll in a vest Tryin’ to do my best My power of song: strong for everyone Only a blond, but my mind is smarter Like a brunet I barter to start a revolution Revolutionary ways are often very scary So I have a gun to carry I march these streets wary The plan is to fan this spark into a flame But we’re an hour in, so let me spell out the name We are the- [Students] A-B-C S-O-C-I E-T-Y that’s riding high [Enjolras] A society that’s steeped deep in poverty That’s ’cause the king keeps shittin’ on us endlessly Essentially, he screws us relentlessly Cause the show this swell runs is hypocrisy He ain’t never gonna end aristocracy So there will be a revolution that will set us free Enter me! [Courfeyrac/Feuilly/Combeferre] He says not so modestly [Enjolras] Don’t be shocked when Victor Hugo mentions me I will fall off a wall if it sets us free Eventually, you’ll see my descendancy And I am not throwing away My shot I am not throwing away My shot Hey yo, I’m waiting for the people To be proven more than sheeple And I’m not throwing away my shot [Enjolras/Courfeyrac/Feuilly/Combeferre] I am not throwing away my shot I am not throwing away my shot Hey yo, we’re waiting for the people To come pouring down each steep hill And I’m not throwing away my shot It’s time to take a shot! [Combeferre] So join us now, be strong and stand with me On the barricade we’ll see a world that’s free “World that’s free?” That’s a “oui”, if you just stand with me When we fight we make the Nation’l Guard panicky With our- [Students] Shot! [Feuilly] Yo, I just got my diploma And a name like a sneeze or a whiffy aroma I’m joining the rebellion cause I know it’s my chance To make the banner advance, and soak the meadows of France I’m gonna take a- [Students] Shot! [Courfeyrac] The future won’t ever be near Until students and workers join with us and come here And commit, this is it, one and all we’re resolving We’re evolving, and no longer revolving Have another- [Students] Shot! [Javert] Schoolieboys, lower your rifles At the end of the day your lives are nothing but trifles I’m righteous, but your revolution is not You’re gonna be lined up and shot If you fight, your fighting means snot [Enjolras] Here’s what we all swear Lesgles and Combeferre, Joly and Jean Prouvaire C’est la faute a Voltaire That’s a big screw you Javert If we prepare we got more than just a wing and a prayer This is a rare affair, it’s time to be doctrinaire Clearin’ the air for a rebellion, so I declare: That we’re a lot of sons who gonna hatch a spot of one’s sedition here Got a lot of guns, so we don’t need no ammunition here! So mon amis play your part It’s time to get over excited, start marching around I never led a troop of men before I promise you that this is the start [Courfeyrac] Let’s get this guy on top of a cart! [Students] I am not throwing away my shot I am not throwing away my shot Hey yo, we’re waiting for the people To prove they’re more than sheeple And I’m not throwing away my shot I am not throwing away my shot I am not throwing away my shot Hey yo, we’re waiting for the masses To start kicking rich asses And I’m not throwing away my shot [Courfeyrac] Everybody sing: [Company] Whoa, whoa, whoa [Feuilly] Hey! [Company] One more day [Combeferre] Wooh! [Company] One day more [Enjolras] Say, make them hear you! [Feuilly] Yeah [Courfeyrac] Let’s go! [Company] Whoa, whoa, whoa [Enjolras] I said to the barricades [Company] One more day [Enjolras] To the barricades! [Company] One day more [Enjolras] Ah, come on! [Students] Yeah [Enjolras] Come on, let’s go! [Courfeyrac] Rise up! Men and women of français, you rise up Tell the farmers make hay, and to rise up Tell the workers that they gotta rise up [Students] When are our people now gonna rise up? When are our people now gonna rise up? When are these people please gonna rise up? When are these people please gonna rise up? Rise up! [Gavroche] I see you come into my patch, and I’m already one of you Somebody you’d turn to If you knew How much I could do for you If I see it coming (my last breath) will I know what to do? Everyone is equal when their life is through See, I never thought you need be giant Where I come from kids are self-reliant When you need somebody quicker around, then I bound, pick up a round And gather bullets on the ground, defiant [Grantaire] Scratch that This is not a movement, it’s a moment Where only credulous boys irate at some woe, vent You think that history has got its eye on you? Wake up Enjolras, they’re all gonna die on you And, even if you win this so-called battle That won’t even start to vindicate your prattle Because the blood you shed prolongs a cycle: The slaughter of gullible boys like hapless cattle [Enjolras] Grantaire your cynicism hides your devotion It’s time to unleash all clandestine emotion Of political motion Platoons of sappers won’t be trashing this great notion We know there’s rappers smashing it over the ocean I’m past political science, I’m passionately fashioning each non-compliance Every action’s an act of defiance I don’t have time for the brine of self-reflection Fill your heart with the wine of insurrection! [Company] And I am not throwing away my shot! I am not throwing away my shot! Hey yo, we’re waiting for the people To prove they’re more than sheeple And I’m not throwing away my shot! [Students/Company] We’re gonna rise up! Time to take a shot! We’re gonna rise up! Time to take a shot! We’re gonna [Enjolras] It’s time to take a shot [Company] Rise up! Rise up! [Students] It’s time to take a shot! [Company] Rise up! Whoa, whoa, whoa Rise up! One day more Whoa, whoa, whoa Time to take a shot! Time to take a shot! And I am- [Students] Not throwing away my- [Company] Not throwing away- My- Shot! [Enjolras] Marius, you’re late.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Whoa...amazing

[@mivvymakesmusic]

I have not yet watched Les Miz and don't know much of what goes on, but this rap is great!!

[@dandydabberdude]

@@mivvymakesmusic yeah same situation with me

[@vickylikesthis]

... Can someone perform this, please.

[@chuckfinn89]

I think Eponine's On My Own functions as foreshadowing her death.

[@HowardHoMusic]

I like that interpretation. How about when the same music shows up in the Prologue underneath Jean Valjean?

[@thebugthatruinsyourpicnic]

​@HowardHoMusic It might have somethjng to do with the fact that he's leaving the name Jean Valjean behind and starting a new life, and he also mentions during the soliloquy that they 'gave me a number and mudered Valjean'

[@SenorVilla]

You: Leitmotif Howard Ho, an intelectual: Contrefacta

[@xelmarcjoneslial2616]

This whole thing you do should be added as a free elective subject in Philosophy. Howard Ho's Musical Phenomenology. Together with other free elects like Philosophy and Movies, Moral Psychology, and Hermeneutics...Man, I love your works.

[@user-rp6hd8qc3h]

Hello from Japan🇯🇵 I just want to tell you that your video is genius and I really appreciate it! Yours are well-elaborate enough to be understood easily by non-native English speaker like me! I'm a big fan of Hamilton and other musicals. Your detailed videos stimulate my interest! I'm looking forward to your next videos😊

[@HowardHoMusic]

Thank you for watching!

[@pinkajou656]

I missed you Howard! We all love your analyses!

[@novembergold4144]

Very informative and really well done! I just love analysis videos that talk about Hamilton, ITH, JCS and Les Mis all at once, haha... I'm impatient for part 2! This should have more views, it's not fair...

[@IAmBreeLynne]

since eponine comes back with fantine to lead valjean to heaven in the epilogue, i think it’s kind of fitting that they share that same melody in their individual songs

[@HowardHoMusic]

True!

[@blindedbliss]

3:37 - Unrequited love, represents loss, the death of ones hopes.

[@alexisgarcia1344]

The funny image of Swaine when you're discussing contrafactum and his angry face of dissatisfaction. Lol.

[@HowardHoMusic]

You don't want to make him angry.

[@claracarvalho321]

How is it possible that i love absolutely all videos from your channel?? 🥰🥰🥰

[@jc841pd]

As always your video blew my mind. I thought I already stepped into the matrix with leitmotif but contrafacta now flipped everything on its head for me. Just an impressive amount of work synthesizing everything I love while adding so much more context

[@Pluveus]

Howard Ho: Mentions Leitmotif Me: Hey, wait a minute, this isn't a Sideways video? Also, the songs you mentioned are actually inversions of the first showing. The Bishop's song is a song about forming community, and Empty chairs is a song about losing a community. Come to Me is about finding joy a love you cherish, and On my own is about the pain of a love that won't be returned. Who am I is Jean asking himself if he's okay with someone else to suffer for his for his own interest, and One day more is Jean asking that question of Javair.

[@julianasilveira4806]

I get so hyped for your videos! I can't wait for the rest of this series, and I can't belieeeve we're getting a Howard Ho analysis of at least some of Schmigadoon 💜

[@elliepeake1774]

Also the scenes mentioned where siempre plays are at the start middle and end show in how it is there for the whole movie. It is there foever

[@ameliegifford1477]

Always showing up out of the blue and dropping a top quality analysis video :)) I'm super exciteddd for the rabbit hole :)

[@AlvaroCTV]

I'm LIVING this In The Heights series.

[@Daegger]

I was just re watching your videos! I love em Glad to see ya back 👍👍

[@barbarabrown7974]

In the Music Man, Good Night My Someone is the same tune as 76 Trombones but in a different tempo.

[@Robyn817]

would "my mummy says im a miracle" be a light motiff for the children in matilda

[@Bumblexo]

I love these videos!!

[@HowardHoMusic]

More are coming!

[@revjospa]

With Dear Evan Hansen out I would love to hear your take on the Found/Tonight Mashup Lin did with Ben Platt a while ago. I love these videos

[@HowardHoMusic]

That's a great mashup! Maybe I shall...

[@TimothyCHenderson]

A Leitmotif is something specific with it's own definition and identity. To me it just makes more sense to come up with a new term, maybe something less condescending than contrafacta. To me, your conclusion falls a little more on the reminiscence motif scale as it's about conjuring a verbatim connection as opposed to the evolution of a motif. Reminiscence motif's can still change tone (from happy to sad or more sad, etc) but they essentially reference the same "vibe" although there's usually more specificity than that.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Reminiscence motif is definitely much closer to what I'm describing.

[@kelvinkao7436]

That is fascinating that On My Own wasn't even in the French version! I can't wait to be pulled into the rabbit hole. (And I totally paused the video to read the list of contrefacta for Jesus Christ Superstar.)

[@HowardHoMusic]

Haha...you would do that!

[@phoebe5071]

Why does this piece of original content have so few views 0_0 love your channel btw

[@HowardHoMusic]

Bless your heart!

[@writerinafoxhole]

Hello Sir! I was wondering if you ever checked but Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg who wrote Les Miserables, did a another album in 1973 called The French Revolution, which was a concept album turned live show and is considered to be one of the first French opera-rock musical where the ideas and concept you introduced in your video were applied, I find it super fascinating because I always noticed those melody coming back and like you said it brings back a certain feeling. I know there never was an English version of this musical and you may not speak French, but it is a fun one to listen I would recommend (also, it actually helped me get a top grade when I did a paper on the French Revolution in high school). Anyway, thank you for sharing your thoughts and analysis on music and musical, I love your work!

[@HowardHoMusic]

Awesome! I'll check it out. I took French and never got good at it, but I still love that fact that it introduced me to French culture.

[@writerinafoxhole]

@@HowardHoMusic I hope you'll enjoy it. We got some good musicals :)

[@CineMiamParis]

@@HowardHoMusic Should you need help with the language, I'd be happy to assist. Native speaker here.

[@lizzyrank5405]

Sideways is the man for leitmotifs

[@z.c.y._]

Love all your videos!

[@SARUBI_OK]

Very interesting, i wish to see more or this

[@HowardHoMusic]

There will be more sooner than you might think! Wait for it...

[@josephottavi-perez8203]

Something missing from this exploration is the function of Reprises in Musical theater as opposed to Opera and how composers approach their storytelling in the musical theater. Rodgers & Hammerstein utilize reprises in a different way from Sondheim, who’s much more motivic.

[@goosgoos4571]

could you do a video about into the woods? loving all of these videos x

[@flusel4949]

Crazy musical theatre theory? COUNT ME IN

[@themichaelconnor42]

Nice! I'm gonna use this definition of a leitmotif from now on

[@ezequielurrera9668]

Pleeeaaase, make a video about Disney's "Encato"

[@gemmakelly9831]

3:30 On my own was originally sung by fantine. But she had too many songs so they gave it to eponine

[@Fidddle2Pie]

im so hyped

[@DougSousa]

You're awesome!

[@medinayusazlan]

absolutely insane

[@lesterrocks2439]

Yea, I think it’s more due to lack of melodic vocabulary. Still makes it cohesive! And great!

[@crazyman7615]

2:14 what show is that?

[@HowardHoMusic]

Side Hustle on Nickelodeon. I don't watch Nick, but I randomly saw this episode and it was all about songwriting.

[@jackwriter1908]

Wait... Are you going to offer us some form of pill, so we see the truth of Musicals?

[@HowardHoMusic]

The next video will reveal everything!

[@lesterrocks2439]

Mix a lack of music education with great talent and you get great results. Like the Beatles

[@costerluver]

I disagree with Swain. I consider the songs in Les Mis to be Leimotifs in the sense that they are connected by a certain theme, emotion, character arc or plot point. I considered the Bishop's song and Empty Chairs to both be about brotherhood. Come to Me, On My Own and Valjean's death are connected in that they are songs of longing for a person they love and will never truly have as they "belong" to another. In Fantine's Cosette is in the Thenardier's custody, in Eponine's Marius is in love with Cosette, and in Valjean's Cosette will be dedicating her life to Marius instead of hime (in the novel, Valjean always considered himself an evil person despite his good deeds. He was ready to turn himself into Javert until he was tasked with raising Cosette. His years on the run were for her sake rather than his own and he never felt himself worthy of Cosette's love and when she and Marius got married, he saw it as finally someone who deserves Cosette's love has it). Meanwhile, Valjean's and Javert's soliloquies are both sung when the characters realize that they can no longer live their lives the way they were up until this point and that in order to continue living they must completely change their ways. I actually don't like how Norm Lewis goes up the octave at the end of his soliloquy because I interpreted Valjean jumping up the octave at the end of his soliloquy as him deciding to make that change and Javert staying down as him deciding that he can't make that change.

[@Cheskaz]

Algorithm

[@mpsmith9913]

That’s ultimately still not a leitmotif though. Leitmotif has a specific meaning, you can’t just say “well because I’m taking it out of the context of opera it means something else now.” No, you’re describing something different - related, maybe, but different. Incidentally, there are musicals that do have leitmotifs and use them as leitmotifs, so it’s not even true that this is an opera vs. musicals thing.

[@HowardHoMusic]

1. I am not saying it's an "all musicals" thing. What I meant by calling it "opera" was not in opposition to "musicals," but it was in opposition to the "radio" as a paradigm for the audience. The idea was that our relationship to music and stage entertainment has changed as our relationship to different music technology has changed, not that "no musicals ever use real leitmotifs." 2. Maybe these returning themes should be another term, but the distinction is what I'm talking about, not whether it should be called a leitmotif or not. So in essence, I agree! Let's figure out a new term!

[@HowardHoMusic]

For the record, I was going to call them "radio-style leitmotifs" in future videos. If anyone can think of a better term, I'll consider using it!!