The crescendo which rises after the Phantom sings of the “power of the music of the night” never fails to raise the hairs of the back of the neck, and especially so on this occasion due to the significantly increased orchestral forces in use. The Phantom’s show-stopping “Music of the Night”, a darkly romantic homage to the inspiring nature of music is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful melodies ever – and I do mean ever – written. The centerpiece of the show is “The Phantom of the Opera”, a powerful, modern piece which throbs to a bed of rich synthesizers, pulses to electric guitars and is enriched by Christine’s increasingly flamboyant trills and calls as the Phantom weaves his magical spell on her.
The music is, of course, unforgettable: very few songs cross over from the theatrical stage into public consciousness – let alone four from the same production, as has happened here. Anyone familiar with the themes from the stage production will be amazed at how much better it now sounds. Beefed-up with a massive string section, powerful brass and judicious use of synthesizers, the orchestral part of Phantom has never sounded better.
Phantom of the opera 2004 soundtrack full#
The making of the film gave Lloyd-Webber the opportunity to revisit his own music after almost two decades and re-orchestrate it for a full symphony orchestra – something he was unable to do at the time of the recording of the original cast album. However, Raoul and Christine also share a romantic history, and before long a love triangle develops which spells tragedy for all… Unknown to all, Christine has been secretly receiving singing lessons from the Phantom (Gerard Butler), a mysterious figure who haunts the opera house and severely punishes anyone who does not meet his demands, and who has fallen in love with Christine. The star singer, Carlotta (Minnie Driver), storms off set, and the production looks certain to be shut down until chorus girl Christine (Emmy Rossum) stuns everyone with her beautiful voice and assumed the lead role. Firmin (Ciaran Hinds) and Andre (Simon Callow), the theatre’s new owners, and its new patron Raoul (Patrick Wilson) are in preparation for a new production of the opera Hannibal when a tragic accident strikes the rehearsal. The story, for those who don’t know it, is loosely based on the novel Le Fântome de l’Opera by Gaston Leroux and concerns events at a Paris opera house in the late 1800s. Fifteen years later, director Joel Schumacher has finally brought this well-loved musical to the cinema screen as a lavish, large-scale costume-drama which looks set to be successful both at the box-office and at awards ceremonies in 2005.
It premiered on the London stage with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the lead roles, and was an immediate smash hit, with its combination of lush romance, Gothic horror and classic themes of love and loss. One of the most beloved musicals in modern history, The Phantom of the Opera was written by British composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber in collaboration with lyricists Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe.
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