Now THIS is how the role is meant to be sung. Rich, deep voice with power that pop singers can never match--marvelous. Has he ever played Javert on stage?

Everyone commenting on this comparing it to Quast seem oblivious to the fact that Terfel is, in this video, riding a 60+ piece orchestra with no microphone. And on top of that, his consonants are still crystal clear.

He´s one from most greatest singers in this century.

I never thought I'd see anyone come close to Philip Quast but Bryn Terfel has done it . Well done , well done indeed .

Bryn Terfel isnt microphoned here. The fact is that he is singing this over a full orchestra and he still manages to put his life into is singing. Bryn Terfel is well deserving of the title of one of the most famous baritones in the world if not THE most famous

Love his voice so much. Such a kind and talented man

What a great rendition of this arrangement! I don't know why but it feels like more Disney esque with the use of the horns and such and Bryn Terfel does an amazing job as always....

I think this is my favourite version of stars...what a voice!

This is one of the best versions of "Stars" that I've ever heard. I love the power of the orchestra, and how Bryn Terfel uses his vibrato, especially on the word "fall". I've always believed that note should be vibrato free.

I am in total agreement. Javert would be an amazing part of Mr. Terfel.

Alfie Boe and Byrn Terfel in the confrontation......just imagine!

A wonderful rendition of the piece. I've sung this song dozens of times for recitals and auditions and just for fun. His voice is incredible. He did an awesome job last night at the Andrea Bocelli concert too. Top of the class singer :)

Awesome song and I like my name is craig king from Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire

for me his version is just great.

I can't believe i'm watching a well known opera singer singing les mis... awesomee!!!

PERFECTION. I am in tears. This is incredible :)

Syet! The guy really sang the song! Love to sing the way he did it!

beautiful x

Touching!

This is one of my all time favourite songs from a musical... Listened to Philip Quast singing it for hours at an end. You need a good voice for it and what's better than Bryn Terfel?

@ xjeypeex - he's doing what most singers should do and don't bother with; he's enunciating (pronouncing the words properly) and also his Welsh accent is coming through slightly, but he can't help that!

My favorite operatic bass-baritone EVER!

amazing

love Bryn he could sing the phone book and everybody would love it proud Welshman who knows how to sing well

How can anyone dismiss this as mediocre, he is a world renowned singer, vocal perfection.

At 2:29, breathtaking.

WHAT AN INSPIRATION!!!!!

I like it just for the orchestrations. Always nice to hear a new variation on it.

nobody beats Philip Quast

Alright Bryn is amazing but that orchestra though *chefs kiss*

Чудесный певец! Я теперь часто его слушаю.

frightful!

WOW.

It doesn't seem if he's miced, fantastic

I think this is the best Jevert I heard.I thought Russel Crowe was great! Then I saw the play on stage and the guy was amazing, but now I think this one is better than the guy that was in the broadway production I saw.

Bravo

LOL!!!! I like the full orchestra.

Nice

Simply the presentation was not Broadway VS Opera. The vocalist and orchestra performance was fantastic. Enjoy.

I recently had the opportunity to hear Bryn in concert. It was just him and a pianist onstage and it was absolutely marvelous! I will say I very much prefer him in that setting. I personally don't think his voice is right for the majority of popular musicals, though I did enjoy his rendition of "If I Were A Rich Man" from Fiddler. I also think he would make for a very...interesting phantom...though perhaps he shouldn't actually take on the role. As a side note, the control he has over his voice is awe-inspiring. Yes, he obviously has a lot of power in his fortissimo, but his pianissimo is to die for as well. If you ever get to see this man live in concert, don't pass it up.

I hate this man... How can he sing this so effortlessly? He just... sings it, and it's bloody brilliant.

If you're unfamiliar with the actual Theatrical rendition, then you're probably of the impression that this was a rather emotionless performance. However, Javert is somewhat emotionless so The song itself tends to be less emotional. The point is, Terfel was right on the money. But as for the pronounced consonants, he is singing without a microphone of any type and in that situation, the audience wouldn't be able to hear t's and s's. This man knows what he's doing.

Easily the best performance of Javert I've ever heard. Just saw the recent revival, have listened to the Symphonic Recording, and OBC recording. The fact is, he's singing this without a head-mic or a lapel-mic (as far as I can tell). The reason he is spitting out his consonants the way he is, is because he is a trained opera professional who is used to singing over a 52 pc orchestra, without amplification. He is doing that here, as well. Not to mention, the orchestra is ON STAGE with him, not in the pit or below the stage. The physics of what he does here makes it a good performance, but the reason he is the best, IMO, is because his voice has the right color for it. Every performance of Javert has some baritone who just bottoms out on the low stuff or cheats out by growling/whispering the lower parts. Plus, Bryn's musical interpretation is great. No rushing, he just sings it as an introspective prayer, until the end, when he opens it up. Plus the last note is sung with ease, not made more than it needs to be, as it isn't very high in tessitura. As usual, a masterclass in singing from the great Welshman. My only qualm with Bryn is that his English always has the tinge of his native Welsh in it. But I can get over it.

He is miked!

I prefer the first half as done by Philip Quast. Although... "Stars... in their multitudes" and the soft parts from there send shivers down my spine!

I'd love to see Bryn actually play Javert on stage.

He's singing the lead in the newest Met. production of "The Ring Cycle."

@snarby21 I agree

@chocchipcookie26 I think he should do both if he can. I love his operatic pieces as much as everyone else and there's no doubt in my mind that he's one of the best singers to have ever lived on this earth...so I hope I get to hear him for many years to come :)

Bryn Terfel's voice is perfect. But he is an opera singer after all. So I am not sure if we could compare other musical actors' voice with his.

I love Bryn, but it's too fast. In this case, I prefer Phillip Quest performance. (sorry, I don't speak english very well)

The reason he's not in character is because he's performing as Bryn Terfel, not Javert. This isn't a production of Les Miserables, so why should he perform the song as Javert?

Perhaps it is because he does Wagnerian roles. The "s" must be pronounced, if I do not make mistakes, in words such as "spielt, schweigen ...", and there are many in German, as far as I know. :) Yours sincerly. P-S : I apologize if I made mistakes or if my grammar is not correct, English is not my native language. :)

I urge you to watch Philip Quast as Javert. (If you haven't already.)

@Beansahol Keep in mind the guy is like...not mic'd

the rhythm on the line "those that follow the path of the righteous" is so difficult

@sumalumajumjum It could also just be his interpretation of the character of Javert. Musical Theatre tends to draw out a slightly different singing style from the performer than opera. Some performers more than others.

I'm impressed by the vocal power of Mr. Terfel but overall I must say I like Quast better.

taken too fast. but what a powerful voice. excellent

JANTRAN

@snarby21 you are entitled to an opinion but Bryn Terfel is a talented dedicated singer and deserves better than your bad language and crass comments

@sumalumajumjum Well I wouldn't go that far...I mean, yeah obviously he sounds different then what we're used to (like when when he sang the pearl fishers duet), but I don't think it's horrible...we can't all be Dmitri Hforostovsky (sp?) ya know...

@sumalumajumjum You do realize that most of the notes in this song are really high for him, right?

Yeah, he never makes the barihunk lists...

Second only to phillip quast .

@snarby21 opinion is subjective. Yours just happens to be wrong here :) I'm sorry - his facial expressions not withstanding - his voice conveys all of the emotion the song conjures, particularly in the final bars where his belt seems almost effortless. My guess is if he doesn't quite 'look' commited to the roll its possibly because he's committed to the idea of not falling down the rest of what looks to be a rather rickety staircase for his rather solid frame (hmm...drool).

Brynford would be a very scary Javert for sure and he'd sing the shit out of that part. You'd have to have Alfie Boe singing Valjean, or a tenor equally robust. And why not??? I suppose it might break the bank, but it would be worth it for a one-off.

Philip quast had a long run as javert. Experience in the role makes a huge difference in being able to give it a more significant interpretation. This is damn good singing though.

Seriously people? You clicked on this over some 25th Anniversary BS and want acting. When I see the name of one of the most amazing baritones in the world, I want to hear phenomenal singing. And that's what Terfel brings every time he opens his mouth. Now if you want broadway crap, go find some and keep your mouths shut about this man.

magnificent performance. No one comes close to him.

Damn man fucking looks like a slightly slimmer Meatloaf. They certainly share a talent for singing.

ECK ECK

An all Welsh cast would be awesome. Bryn as Javert. Katherine Jenkins as Fantine and Rydian as Enjolras.

Which begs the question why choose the song? Its a song that is very much belonging to a particular character and not one that really means a great deal without the back story. I get what you are saying...but I don't think the song works without the Javerty-ness.

Great performance, but why is he on a ladder?

really? lol This song is amazing.

maybe but not on the movie only on stage

Ramin Karimloo and Bryn Terfel in the Confrontation... Just imagine! Ramin Karimloo - Jean Valjean Bryn Terfel - Javert

Russel Crowe ? Are you kidding me ? ._. Philip Quast was an amazing Javert... But Crowe... hahahahah

Beautiful rendition; wish the orchestra didn't drown him out. :-/

he sounds a lot like the original javert roger allam

Well... he is no Javert for sure. :-)

I second that. Sure this was not Terfel's greatest performance (perhaps he also thought the staircase thing was stupid and had absolutely nothing to do with Javert's character), but really, the actor Crowe is better...? That seems a bit much... There is a better version of Terfel doing stars on spotify. I thought he captured Javert's character pretty well in that one.

Not sure about the re-arrangement, I like it musically but a bit too triumphant for this song I feel

He has an amazing voice, but the technical aspect of the song was off in a lot of places. With more practice and a coach for vocal acting, he could do really well in this role!

I love Bryn Terfel and he sings this very well, I'm not a huge fan of the orchestration though. It's much better in the original show.

Hasn't got the right voice? The guy is a baritone who has sang in more opera houses than most people can think of, of course he has the "right voice" for a Musical Theatre baritone role. And as for comparing him to Norm Lewis, there is literally no comparison to be had.

@snarby21 You are really completely wrong. Bryn Terfel, who has dedicated his career to telling stories with his voice, Perhaps you are mistaking the fact that he doesn't scream and get hoarse for lack of feeling. Or maybe that the presentation is stupid with the staircase, but you cannot believe that Bryn Terfel is phony, he lives and dies onstage, simply watch him perform any role, I beg you. This is one of the most imaginative singers of the century

Not at all. Javert is stone cold. He is not emotional. He is logic, obedience, constancy and the law. If you wanna see Bryn Terfel emote, check out one of his other characters.

Okay, okay, I want to like this, but I can't really. Terfel clearly has the power and range to sing this well, and he's going for it, but the orchestra around him is set up to drown him out almost completely (at least in the recording here)-- and they're also playing it fast as well as in kind of a 'kitsch, chintzy way. I'd much rather hear him sing it just by himself in a massive room, him and a microphone. You know?

Great singing. And the orchestra was good for most of it, but the arrangement made the very end sound for a brief moment like it was a mistake (just so used to the stage musical version). But the singing carried it... powerful, passionate. Though he should shave before a concert, hahaha (just kidding, don't really care).

I honestly prefer Phillip quast but this is good though

he would have made a way better Javert in the musical movie than Russell Crowe, that much is for certain!

I can't speak for my fellow Americans but, personally, I think this musical arrangement is abysmal ;p

I'm not surprised you deleted your comment before I can respond Let me tell you something, you are close minded. You view this song in a vacuum, and refuse to accept interpretations which contain different qualities as your favorite version. This is not in the context of the musical, nor is it meant to be an homage to the style of musical theater, it is simply a different interpretation, and you would rather pretend to have a refined taste in theater than accept it as simply a vocal performance

Presumably people think it is mediocre in relation to Quast's performance, which I suppose is the gold standard for this song. In my opinion, at the points of crescendo the orchestra overpowered him a bit.

You obviously do not know Javert...

I find this rendition too fast and with little passion.... And so the search for a better Javert (than Quast) continues :P

Carlos,you obviously have not heard Philip Quast's rendition of this song,far superior to Bryn's!

Great performance..BUT.. Phillip Quast is THE best Javert, bar none. Quast brings such emotion to his performance. Can't beat the man.