The Angel of Music: The Phantom of the Opera Album Cover
Contents
A look at the album cover for The Phantom of the Opera by The Angel of Music.
The Angel of Music
The Angel of Music: The Phantom of the Opera Album Cover is an album cover by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the musical The Phantom of the Opera. It was released in 1986 and features Webber himself as the angel, and Sarah Brightman as Christine.
The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. The book was written by Richard Stilgoe and Lloyd Webber. The musical opened in London’s West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical.
The Broadway Musical
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. The musical is based on the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. It tells the story of a phantom who hides in the catacombs of the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with a young soprano singer, Christine Daaé.
The musical premiered in London’s West End in 1986 and has since been staged in more than 150 cities around the world, grossing over $6 billion. Phantom wasBroadway’s longest-running musical from its premiere until 2006, when it was surpassed by The Lion King. Twentieth Anniversary productions ran on Broadway from 24 January 2006 until 20 September 2015, making it Broadway’s longest-running musical revival.
In October 1991, a filmed version of the musical debuted on home video, becoming one of the most popular rental titles ever released on videocassette. A miniseries based on Leroux’s novel, starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, and Patrick Wilson as Raoul, premiered on PBS in America in February 2014 to critical acclaim.
The Film Adaptation
The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 British-American musical drama film based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn is based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera.
The film was directed by Joel Schumacher and produced and co-written by Lloyd Webber. He wrote the music and lyrics for “Learn to Be Lonely”, an original song written for the film. The title character is played by Gerard Butler, while Emmy Rossum plays Christine Daaé.
The film was generally panned by critics, with many praising Lloyd Webber’s music but finding fault with the screenplay and direction. However, it was a commercial success, grossing $154 million worldwide against its $70 million budget in spite of mixed reviews. It became one of the highest-grossing musical films ever.
The Album Cover
The album cover of The Phantom of the Opera is an iconic and timeless piece of art. It depicts the tragic love story of the phantom and his angel of music, Christine. The album cover is simple, yet beautiful and it has been used in many different ways over the years.
The Design
The album cover for “The Angel of Music: The Phantom of the Opera” was designed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and depicted by artist Maria Björnson. The design is fairly simple, with a white background and a black-and-white image of the titular phantom. The title is written in a flowing, ornate font, and the name of the artist and album are both written in smallerprint beneath the image.
Björnson was inspired by Webber’s music to create an image that was “grotesque, yet somehow beautiful.” She wanted to capture the phantom’s dual nature, and she achieved this by using light and shadow to create a sense of mystery and menace. The result is an arresting image that perfectly conveys the dark, gothic atmosphere of Webber’s musical.
The Significance
The album cover for The Phantom of the Opera is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it features the titular character, the Phantom, in front of a musical score. This is significant because it represents the Phantom’s great love for music, and also his talent as a composer. Secondly, the cover also features the chandelier from the Opera House, which is significant because it is one of the most iconic symbols from the story. Finally, the cover is significant because it is very simple, yet effective, and really sets the tone for the album itself.
