These include the musicals:
* La Révolution Française (1973)
* Les Misérables (1980 french version- 1985 english version)
* Miss Saigon (1989)
* Martin Guerre (1996)
* Wuthering Heights (ballet 2001)
* The Pirate Queen (2006)
* Marguerite (2009)
Schönberg began his career as a record producer and a singer. By the early 1970s he had become successful.
He wrote most of the music for the French musical and rock opera, La Révolution Française, France's first rock opera, in 1973, and also played the role of King Louis XVI in the show's production that year.
In 1974 he wrote the music and the lyrics of the song "Le Premier Pas", which became the number 1 popular song in France that year and sold over 1 million copies. Le Premier Pas was produced by Franck Pourcel. He recorded albums as a singer until 1985.
Schönberg then made an album in which he sang his own songs. In 1978, he dedicated his full attention to musicals when he and Alain Boublil conceived the idea for a stage musical version of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, which opened at the Palias de Sports in Paris in 1980. The musical opened to acclaim in London in 1985 and on Broadway in 1987. The Broadway production was nominated for twelve Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score . In 1989, Schönberg and Boublil took London by storm with the musical Miss Saigon, which starred Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce. In its transition to Broadway, the show broke advance-ticket sales, earning $24 million before its premiere on April 11, 1991 [1]. The show was nominated for ten Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
In 1997, Schönberg and Boublil premiered a new musical, Martin Guerre at the Prince Edward Theatre in London. The musical won the 1997 Olivier Award and went on to tour the UK and the United States.
Schönberg's latest project with Boublil is The Pirate Queen, a musical about the 16th century Irish pirate, chieftain and adventuress Grace O'Malley. The Pirate Queen completed its 8-week pre-Broadway tryout at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on November 26, 2006. The show is undergoing further development in preparation for its Broadway previews at the Hilton Theater in March 2007. The Broadway opening date is April 5, 2007. Miss Saigon co-lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. has come on-board to work with Boublil on revisions to the book and lyrics. Additionally, Graciela Daniele will work on the musical staging.
Les Miserables celebrated its twentieth anniversary in London on October 8, 2005. The Broadway production closed on May 18, 2003, making it the third-longest-running Broadway musical following Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Schönberg will oversee the production of Les Miserables that is returning to Broadway for a six-month engagement at the Broadhurst Theatre on November 9, 2006.
Claude-Michel Schönberg is also an ex-husband of France 2 evening news anchor Béatrice Schönberg.
He lives in London, and has 3 children.
He is actually writing the music and for the first time the arrangements, for a new ballet to be created in UK in 2011: Cléopâtra.
A Heart Full Of Love
Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Marius goes into the garden, leaving Eponine outside the gate)
MARIUS
A heart full of love
A heart full of song
Oh God, for shame
I do not even know your name
Dear Mad'moiselle
Won't you say?
Will you tell?
COSETTE
A heart full of love
No fear, no regret
M,ARIUS
My name is Marius Pontmercy
COSETTE
And mine's Cosette
MARIUS
Cosette, I don't know what to say
COSETTE
Then make no sound
MARIUS
I am lost
COSETTE
I am found!
MARIUS
A heart full of light
COSETTE
A night bright as day
MARIUS
And you must never go away
Cosette, Cosette
COSETTE
This is a chain we'll never break
MARIUS
Do I dream?
COSETTE
I'm awake!
MARIUS
A heart full of love
COSETTE
A heart full of you
MARIUS
A single look and then I knew
COSETTE
I knew it too
MARIUS
From today
COSETTE
Every day
COSETTE & MARIUS
For it isn't a dream
Not a dream after all.
EPONINE(Interjecting)
He was never mine to lose
Why regret what cannot be?
These are words he'll never say
Not to me...
Not to me...
Not to me...
His heart full of love
He will never feel this way...
(Marius and Cosette move away as Montparnasse enters furtively)
====
A HEART FULL OF LOVE
(Time has passed. Suggest Marius convalescing,
encouraged by Cosette who takes his arm as he walks with firmer step)
COSETTE
Every day
You walk with stronger step
You walk with longer step-
`The worst is over.'
MARIUS
Every day
I wonder every day
Who was it brought me here
From the barricade?
COSETTE
Don't think about it, Marius!
With all the years ahead of us!
I will never go away
And we will be together
Every day.
Every day,
We'll remember that night
And the vow that we made:
A heart full of love
A night full of you
The words are old
But always true.
Oh, God, for shame
You did not even know my name!
MARIUS
Dear Mad'moiselle
I was lost in your spell.
(Valjean enters, unnoticed)
COSETTE
A heart full of love
No fear no regret
`My name is Marius Pontmercy'
MARIUS
Cosette, Cosette!
COSETTE
I saw you waiting and I knew.
MARIUS
Waiting for you
At your feet
COSETTE
At your call
BOTH
And it wasn't a dream
Not a dream after all
VALJEAN(interjecting, to himself)
She was never mine to keep.
She is youthful, she is free.
Love is the garden of the young
Let it be... let it be...
A heart full of love
This I give you on this day.
(They notice Valjean)
MARIUS
M'sieur, this is a day
I can never forget.
Is gratitude enough
For giving me Cosette?
Your home shall be with us
And not a day shall pass
But we will prove our love
To you, whom we shall call
A father to us both
A father to us all.
(Cosette leaves)
The lyrics of the song A Heart Full of Love by Claude-Michel Schönberg tell the story of two people, Marius and Cosette, who fall in love at first sight. The song begins with Marius expressing his confusion and inability to express his love for Cosette, despite feeling his heart melting with love for her. Cosette reciprocates his love and encourages him to open up to her. However, their blissful moment is interrupted by Eponine's interjection, who longs for Marius but knows that he will never feel the same way about her. The second part of the song takes place after some time has passed, with Marius recovering from the events of the barricade. Cosette supports him and assures him of her steadfast love. They both pledge to stay together forever and never forget the night they fell in love. The song concludes with Valjean, who had brought up Cosette, observing their love and feeling proud of them as if they were his own children.
The lyrics of A Heart Full of Love explore various themes like love, devotion, loss, and gratitude. The song gives insight into the intense emotions of the characters and their desire to be with the ones they love. Despite the presence of the hopeless and unrequited love of Eponine, the song ends on a positive note, with Marius and Cosette pledging to be together forever. The song also shows how the love between two people can move others and change their lives, as seen in Valjean's transformation from a bitter fugitive to a loving father figure.
Line by Line Meaning
A heart full of love
Expressing the magnitude of the love felt by both Cosette and Marius
A heart full of song
Not only full of love but also overflowing with joy, as Marius is excited to meet Cosette
I'm doing everything all wrong
Despite the presence of his heart full of love, Marius feels unsure and uncomfortable
Oh God, for shame
Marius feels ashamed of his nervousness around Cosette
I do not even know your name
Marius is quite simply asking for Cosette's name because he has never met her before
Dear Mad'moiselle
A formal and polite address to Cosette
Won't you say?
Marius is making a request for Cosette to reveal her name
Will you tell?
A follow-up request for Cosette to disclose her name
No fear, no regret
Cosette is full of confidence and has no hesitation about expressing her feelings for Marius
My name is Marius Pontmercy
Marius' introduction to Cosette
And mine's Cosette
Cosette's own introduction to Marius
Cosette, I don't know what to say
Marius is overwhelmed with emotion and anxiety about what to say to Cosette
Then make no sound
Cosette encourages Marius to calm down by telling him not to say anything
I am lost
Marius feels lost in Cosette's love
I am found!
Cosette feels Marius has been found by her love
A heart full of light
Marius' love for Cosette shines brightly like a light
A night bright as day
Despite it being nighttime, Marius' love for Cosette is so bright that it is as if it is day
And you must never go away
Expressing Marius' desire for Cosette to never leave his side
This is a chain we'll never break
Cosette and Marius' love for each other is unbreakable
Do I dream?
Marius is in disbelief and questioning whether what he is experiencing is real
I'm awake!
Cosette confirms that what Marius is experiencing is not a dream and she and her love are real
A heart full of you
Cosette's love is overflowing and encompasses Marius entirely
A single look and then I knew
Marius fell in love with Cosette at first sight
From today
Starting today
For it isn't a dream
Marius realizes that his love for Cosette is real and not a fantasy
He was never mine to lose
Eponine admits to herself that Marius was never really hers to begin with
Why regret what cannot be?
Eponine has come to terms with the unrequited nature of her love for Marius
These are words he'll never say
Eponine acknowledges that Marius will never feel for her in the same way he feels for Cosette
Not to me...
Eponine is lamenting the fact that Marius' heart is not hers
Every day
Expressing the frequency with which Marius is growing stronger
You walk with stronger step
Cosette is proud of Marius' progress towards recovery
You walk with longer step-
Marius' improvement is further exemplified with this line
`The worst is over.'
Cosette is reassuring Marius that his hardest times are behind him
I wonder every day
Marius is consumed by thoughts of the person who rescued him and brought him to Cosette
Who was it brought me here
Marius is hoping to learn more about the person who saved his life
With all the years ahead of us!
Cosette is affirming her desire to spend her entire life with Marius
And we will be together
Cosette is further expressing her commitment to Marius
And the vow that we made:
Referring to the promise they made to pursue their love for each other no matter what
This I give you on this day.
Valjean is offering Cosette and Marius his love and acceptance as a father figure
M'sieur, this is a day
Marius is addressing Valjean with respect and expressing his gratitude towards him
I can never forget.
Marius will always remember the act of heroism that saved his life
Is gratitude enough
Marius is doubting whether expressing his thanks to Valjean is all he can offer
Your home shall be with us
Marius is inviting Valjean to come live with him and Cosette
But we will prove our love
Marius is promising Valjean that he will see the depth and legitimacy of Marius and Cosette's love
To you, whom we shall call
Valjean will be considered a father to the couple, which solidifies their familial bond
A father to us both
Marius is offering Valjean parental affection and care
A father to us all.
All three characters are becoming a new family- even Valjean is joining in the familial bond
Contributed by Elliot J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.