Einmal (or Once) was performed in the German musical of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame; Der Glöckner von Notre Dame. The German musical took the Disney film and made it darker and more like the book. A lot of Songs were added including Einmal (Someday.)
Einmal is performed after Frollo gives Esmeralda his ultimatum in jail. Esmeralda considers taking it if only to save Phoebus. Phoebus tells her she should do it for her, so she can live. Esmeralda say she doesn’t consider a life with Frollo living. She then sings about how she hopes the world will learn after countless war and bloodshed to live and not to hate.
Einmal hits a bit more to core without gentle lyrics in the hope for peace. It less sweet and vague than Someday. I don’t want to get too much into Einmal since Der Glöckner von Notre Dame’s review day is coming.
However I do like that this song is performed as Esmeralda’s dying wish, it gives the song even more power. It also gives it a very different feeling than “God help the Outcast” and lets Someday stand on its own instead of just being a replacement song.
I understand why it’s not in the movie even with the placement of where Einmal is in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame. If it had been place in a Jail scene it would have taken away the drama of the execution scene plus the music used in that scene in the movie is awesome.
Plus another Esmeralda scene without Quasimodo would have made the audience forget all about Quasimodo (or so the directors thought.)
Next Time – The Demo version of Someday from the Movie