Music of the Night: A Look at the Phantom of the Opera Movie

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Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the music of the night in the Phantom of the Opera movie.

Introduction

The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 musical drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux. The phantom, played by Gerard Butler, is a disfigured musical genius who terrorizes the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum), a young soprano, and becomes obsessed with making her a star.

The film was directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Schumacher, Lloyd Webber, and Kevin Roberts. It was released in North America on December 22, 2004, and received mixed reviews from critics. However, Rossum’s performance received praise, and she received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

The film grossed $154 million worldwide against its $70 million budget and was nominated for three Academy Awards.

The Movie

The Phantom of the Opera is a movie based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. The movie was released in 2004 and starred Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. The movie was directed by Joel Schumacher and was produced by Peter Schneider and Lloyd Webber.

The Cast

The 2004 movie adaptation of Phantom of the Opera featured an all-star cast, including Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, and Patrick Wilson as Raoul. The film was directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The movie was widely praised for its beautiful music and impressive visuals. Rossum’s performance in particular was lauded, with many critics saying she was the best part of the film. While the movie was not a huge box office success, it did receive a number of award nominations, including Best Picture at the Oscars.

The Plot

The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 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 1909 novel The Phantom of the Opera. The film was directed by Joel Schumacher, and produced by Lloyd Webber and Kevin McNally. It starred Gerard Butler as the Phantom and Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé.

The film starts with a scene set in Paris in 1881, showing The Opéra Populaire being built. When it is completed, an gala opening night performance of Charles Gounod’s opera Faust is interrupted by the phantom (Gerard Butler), who causes part of the chandelier to collapse, killing many people. After learning that he was once a highly-praised musician and composer named Erik Destler who was born with a disfigured face, Meg Giry (Sandra Nelson) persuades her father to take her to see him. Raoul (Patrick Wilson), Vicomte de Chagny, who attended the performance with his older brother Philippe (Simonorate Rossi Stuart), also visits Erik.

Erik tells them that he will only allow Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum) to sing at the Opera if they agree to his conditions: one box seat ticket to all her performances reserved for him and 20,000 francs per month paid into an account.Raoul and Christine visit Erik’s home in the catacombs beneath their home, where he lives with many animals. Later that night, Christine sings while hidden behind a curtain as Erik accompanies her on the piano; he is furious when she leaves without saying goodbye.

Madame Giry ( Miranda Richardson) asks Raoul not to go down into the cellars again because people have mysteriously disappeared there; Philippe had vanished 10 years earlier after visiting Erik.Raoul ignores her warning and goes anyway. HeFinds Christine crying over her father’s grave; she tells him about her love for singing and how it has brought her father back to life for her through their shared music. They are caught by Madame Giry before they can kiss, but she agrees not to tell anyone about what she saw if Raoul will get Christine a role in Faust .

With Madame Giry’s help, Erik begins coaching Christine without her realizing his true identity;he secretly watches over her from his lair as she prepares for Faust . On opening night, Ernest Lehmann replaces Carlotta as Faust ‘s leading lady after Carlotta becomes sick from drinking champagne that had been spilling onto her head during rehearsal due to a hole poked in it by Madame Giry’s sonpiang\e Anton.. As Lehmann sings “Jewel Song”, Erik throws off his cloak and reveals himself on stage next to Christine; everyone gasps at his appearance. Lehmann faints during Carlotta’s triumphant return in “The Phony Princess”.

Afterwards, Monsieur Firmin (Ciarán Hinds) prevents Raoul from assaulting Erik and orders him never to return; Firmin then confides in Raoul that however horrifying Erik’s visage may be, his genius as a composer is unmatched.. Meanwhile Piangi disappears after going down into the cellars alone.. Raoul goes back down despite Firmin forbidding it , heard strange noises coming from inside Erik ‘s lair . He finds Piangi dead with two puncture wounds on his neck.. After being confronted by Firmin , Monsieur André , and Madame Firmin about what he knows regarding these recent murders , Madame Giry tells them that Erik has been tutoring Christine and helping with Faust .

During “Don Juan Triumphant”, which was written by Erik himself under the name Monsieur Joyeuse,, Piangi ‘s replacement sings instead of Carlotta , who had mysteriously fallen ill backstage withappendicitis pain.. In actuality , Madame Giry had drugged Carlotta so that Christine could take her place . At first reluctant because this would mean revealing herself before an audience for the first time since being traumatized by seeing Erik ‘s face years ago when they were both children , she ultimately decides that this may be her only chance achieve stardom . As anticipated , once exposed to the bright stage lights , Christine falls victim to stage fright just like Carlotta did.. This sudden fright gives wayto hysterics until finally being calmed down enough so she can finish singing “Don Juan Triumphant” without incident .. Afterwards commotion breaks out as members ofthe audience wonder aloud if they really did see what they think they just saw or if it was all just part ofthe show ..

The Music

One of the most defining aspects of The Phantom of the Opera is its music. The movie’s soundtrack was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and includes some of the most iconic and well-loved songs from the musical, such as “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Think of Me,” and “Music of the Night.”

The songs are performed by a mix of established opera singers and actors with no prior opera experience. Emmy Rossum, who plays Christine Daaé, has a beautiful singing voice and her performance of “Think of Me” is one of the highlights of the movie. Gerard Butler, who plays the Phantom, also delivers a powerful vocal performance, particularly in “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Music of the Night.”

Overall, the music in The Phantom of the Opera movie is one of its strongest assets and helps to transport viewers into the world of the phantom’s lair beneath the Paris Opera House.

The Soundtrack

There are many things that make the Phantom of the Opera movie great, but one of the most notable is the soundtrack. The music of the night is truly a work of art, and it helps to set the mood for the movie.

The Songs

The songs for the film were recorded at AIR Studios in London, with an 87-piece orchestra conducted by Simon Lee. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and arranged by David Caddick. Four new songs were written for the film: “All I Ask of You,” “No One Would Listen,” “Don Juan” and “Your Eyes.” The film’s score also makes use of Lloyd Webber’s previous works, drawing from such musicals as Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Song and Dance, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love. In addition to the new songs, many of the original ones were cut from the film or had their lyrics changed.

The Composer

Andrew Lloyd Webber is a British composer and producer, best known for his musicals. He has composed 13 musicals, a opera, 2 film scores, and a number of other works. His most famous and successful stage musicals include Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of Opera, School of Rock: The Musical, and Sunset Boulevard.

He has won many awards for his work in musical theater including 7 Tony Awards (from 13 nominations), 3 Grammy Awards (out of 14 nominations), an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Olivier Awards (from 8 nominations), a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting, 7 Drama Desk Awards (from 12 nominations), and 3 Outer Critics Circle Awards. In 1992 Lloyd Webber was made a Knight Bachelor for services to Music. In 2010 he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Conclusion

After watching the Phantom of the Opera movie, I have come to the conclusion that it is a very good movie. The music is beautiful and the story is very moving. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves musicals or the Phantom of the Opera story.

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