Eponine - Lea Salonga vs Frances Ruffelle

Hands up the fans of the Alain Boublil-Claude-Michel Schonberg musical Les Miserables? And hands up the people who believe that while Cosette is the one who gets the guy, Eponine is actually the premier female role in the musical (except maybe Fantine)? Yeah, me too. The most recognised performers are Frances Ruffelle who created the role at both the original London and Broadway runs, and Lea Salonga who was selected as the Eponine in the 10th anniversay *dream cast* (There's also Kaho Shimada but I haven't been able to track down a recording of her) . So, who is the better? If we compare the best songs for Eponine, I'll give my rundown.

*On My Own* - Eponine bemoans the fact that her love for Marius is unrecognised. Salonga sings Eponine here as strong and defensive of her love while Ruffelle's version seems more wistful, particularly in the verses where she tells of how she imagines their life together. I suppose if you think of it in terms of acting, Ruffelle is better at displaying this as Eponine's flight of fancy followed by her agony at the knowledge that Marius will never return her affection. However Salonga's vocal superiority far outstrips Ruffelle, the intensity and power she puts into lines, particularly All my life, I've only been pretending... and the vibrato as she holds the final syllable - I wish I could sing like that. Ruffelle has a thinner, higher pitched voice, but when it breaks in some notes...makes you feel Eponine's emotions a bit more. I guess its a tie between acting vs singing here!
LS - 4.25/5, FR - 4.25/5

*A Little Fall of Rain* - Duet with Michael Ball (definitive Marius) as she's dying.
Woah! Lea Salonga takes her acting guns out here and her voice just craps all over Ruffelle's. The sad sweetness as she revels in the joy that Marius finally realises how much she loved him, even if he couldn't/didn't return it, she can die happy knowing at least he knows, assuring him that she's fine even though she's mortally wounded...wow! Her dying gasps, her short notes in her last verse, here's a girl who'd rather walk through fire than admit her pain to her love. If there's one complaint, its that sometimes Salonga sounds a bit too robust for someone who's dying...but it just shows her vocal awesomeness once again. Although sometimes screechy, Ruffelle's version isn't bad (she sings it better than I ever could) but she's just blown away.
LS - 4.85/5, FR - 3.5/5

The crystal-clear voice, the technically perfect vocal attack, the solid depiction of character... add one more trophy to your cabinet Lea Salonga. You are my definitive Eponine!