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.
Javert's Suicide
Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who is this man?
What sort of devil is he
To have me caught in a trap
And choose to let me go free?
It was his hour at last
To put a seal on my fate
Wipe out the past
All it would take
Was a flick of his knife.
Vengeance was his
And he gave me back my life!
Damned if i'll live in the debt of a thief!
Damned if i'll yield at the end of the chase.
I am the law and the law is not mocked
I'll spit his pity right back in his face
There is nothing on earth that we share
It is either valjean or javert!
How can i now allow this man
To hold dominion over me?
This desperate man whom i have hunted
He gave me my life. he gave me freedom.
I should have perished by his hand
It was his right.
It was my right to die as well
Instead i live... but live in hell.
And my thoughts fly apart
Can this man be believed?
Shall his sins be forgiven?
Shall his crimes be reprieved?
And must i now begin to doubt,
Who never doubted all these years?
My heart is stone and still it trembles
The world i have known is lost in shadow.
Is he from heaven or from hell?
And does he know
That granting me my life today
This man has killed me even so?
I am reaching, but i fall
And the stars are black and cold
As i stare into the void
Of a world that cannot hold
I'll escape now from the world
From the world of jean valjean.
There is nowhere i can turn
There is no way to go on....
In Claude-Michel Schönberg's song Javert's Suicide, Javert, the antagonist of Les Misérables, is confronted with a paradoxical emotional dilemma. He is a strict law enforcer, believing that criminals should be punished for their actions, but he has a debt to Jean Valjean, the hero of the story, who spared his life. Javert wrestles with the realization that his moral code has been shattered by this simple act of kindness, and this mental anguish leads him to commit suicide.
The lyrics capture the depth of Javert's despair as he contemplates his life's purpose and how it was turned upside down by Valjean's mercy. He marvels at the fact that this "desperate man whom I have hunted" was the one who could have taken his life; his entire worldview is called into question. Additionally, he cannot come to terms with the idea of indebtedness and being in Valjean's debt. This concept goes against everything he thought he knew about the world, and it is a constant source of anger and frustration for him.
As the song progresses, Javert begins to question his own judgment and character, asking whether Valjean's act of mercy makes him a better person. He cannot find answers within himself, and this inner turmoil leads him to take his own life. The final stanza is particularly poignant, as it speaks of Javert's struggle to find a way forward as he gazes out into a cold and empty universe, knowing that there is no escape from his personal demons.
Line by Line Meaning
Who is this man?
Javert is questioning the identity of the man who spared his life.
What sort of devil is he
Javert is questioning the morality of the man who spared his life.
To have me caught in a trap
Javert feels that he has been deceived or tricked by the man who spared his life.
And choose to let me go free?
Javert wonders why the man who could have easily killed him chose to show mercy instead.
It was his hour at last
Javert sees this moment as the culmination of something that has been building up for a long time.
To put a seal on my fate
Javert feels that his fate has been sealed by the events that have just transpired.
Wipe out the past
Javert wants to forget everything that has happened up to this point.
And wash me clean off the slate!
Javert wants to start anew, as if his past never happened.
All it would take
Javert believes that the man who spared his life had complete control over his fate.
Was a flick of his knife.
Javert realizes that he owes his life to the mercy of the man who had him at knife-point.
Vengeance was his
Javert believed that he was entitled to revenge against the man who made him question his entire life's purpose.
And he gave me back my life!
Javert is grateful that the man who could have killed him chose to spare his life.
Damned if i'll live in the debt of a thief!
Javert would rather die than owe his life to a convicted criminal like Valjean.
Damned if i'll yield at the end of the chase.
Javert would rather die than accept defeat at the hands of a criminal like Valjean.
I am the law and the law is not mocked
Javert firmly believes in the power of the law and its ability to bring justice.
I'll spit his pity right back in his face
Javert feels insulted by Valjean's mercy and would rather die than accept it.
There is nothing on earth that we share
Javert and Valjean are fundamentally different, and there is no common ground between them.
It is either valjean or javert!
Javert sees the world as black and white, with no room for shades of gray.
How can i now allow this man
Javert is struggling to come to terms with the mercy that Valjean has shown him.
To hold dominion over me?
Javert feels that owing his life to a criminal like Valjean makes him weak and powerless.
This desperate man whom i have hunted
Javert identifies Valjean as the man who he has been chasing for so long.
He gave me my life. he gave me freedom.
Javert recognizes that Valjean spared his life and allowed him to live freely.
I should have perished by his hand
Javert believes that it would have been better for him to die at the hands of Valjean than to owe him his life.
It was his right.
Javert believes that Valjean had every right to kill him.
It was my right to die as well
Javert feels that he has lost his dignity by owing his life to Valjean.
Instead i live... but live in hell.
Javert feels that his life is now meaningless and that he has lost everything that was important to him.
And my thoughts fly apart
Javert's mind is in disarray and he cannot make sense of what has just happened.
Can this man be believed?
Javert questions the authenticity of Valjean's mercy.
Shall his sins be forgiven?
Javert wonders if Valjean's past crimes can be overlooked.
Shall his crimes be reprieved?
Javert questions whether or not Valjean's past crimes can be erased from his record.
And must i now begin to doubt,
Javert is struggling with the idea that his entire worldview may have been wrong.
Who never doubted all these years?
Javert has always been certain of his beliefs, but now he is not so sure.
My heart is stone and still it trembles
Javert's emotions are conflicted and he cannot make sense of them.
The world i have known is lost in shadow.
Javert feels as though everything he once knew has been turned upside down.
Is he from heaven or from hell?
Javert is unsure if Valjean is an angel or a devil.
And does he know
Javert wonders if Valjean is aware of the impact that sparing his life has had.
That granting me my life today
Javert acknowledges that Valjean saved his life.
This man has killed me even so?
Javert feels that, by sparing his life, Valjean has taken away his sense of purpose and identity.
I am reaching, but i fall
Javert feels lost and unsupported, as though he is falling into nothingness.
And the stars are black and cold
Javert sees the universe as a dark and bleak place.
As i stare into the void
Javert is lost and cannot find a way to move forward.
Of a world that cannot hold
Javert cannot find a place for himself in the world after the events that have transpired.
I'll escape now from the world
Javert is overwhelmed by his feelings and wants to escape from reality.
From the world of jean valjean.
Javert cannot bear to live in a world where he owes his life to Valjean.
There is nowhere i can turn
Javert feels trapped and has nowhere to go.
There is no way to go on....
Javert feels that his life is over and he cannot continue.
Contributed by Micah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.