Fantine's Arrest
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Fantine's Arrest is a song from the first act of the musical Les Misérables. It follows Lovely Ladies (the two are sometimes counted as one song) and is followed by The Runaway Cart.
[edit] Overview
Fantine, having become a prostitute, is mistreated by a customer and attacks him. Bamatabois (his name is not mentioned in the musical, only the book) calls for the police. Inspector Javert, known as a prison guard from the Work Song now Inspector in Montreuil-sur-Mer, arrives to arrest Fantine, believing only Bamatabois' version of what happened, not Fantine's. Fantine is about to be brought away, when Jean Valjean/M. Madeleine, the mayor, intervenes. He demands, that Fantine, who is sick, be brought to the hospital. Fantine tells him his story in short and how she came to be fired from the factory and Valjean has her brought to the hospital, much to the displeasure of Javert.
[edit] Melodies
The song changes melodies and paces all the time. The scene between Bamatabois and Fantine is medium-paced and aggressive, Javert's arrival picks up the tune already sung by the constables in Valjean Arrested & Forgiven with Bamatabois and Fantine singing the melody the bishop sung in that sung. As Valjean intervenes, the music changes back to slow and soft, the tune ressembles the one in Come to me.
