The Phantom of the Opera: The Music Book
Contents
The Phantom of the Opera: The Music Book – A Comprehensive Collection of the Songs from the Hit Broadway Musical
Introduction
The Music Book was created as an interactive journal for fans of the musical, The Phantom of the Opera. It allows you to keep track of your favourite songs, make notes on the lyrics and record your favourite moments from the show.
The book is divided into three sections:
The first section is a song-by-song guide to the musical, with full lyrics and annotations for each song.
The second section is a collection of essays on various aspects of the music of The Phantom of the Opera, written by experts in the field.
The third section is a blank journal, which you can use to keep your own personal notes on the show.
We hope that you enjoy using The Music Book, and that it helps you to get more out of your experience of The Phantom of the Opera!
The Music of the Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera has some of the most beautiful and moving music ever written for a musical. The songs are truly haunting and beautiful, and they are what make the Phantom of the Opera so special.
Themes
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. The book was originally published as a novel by Gaston Leroux. The story revolves around a masked figure who haunting the Paris Opera House, and a beautiful soprano named Christine Daaé, whom he falls in love with.
The musical has been very successful, winning multiple Tony Awards and Olivier Awards. It has been running on Broadway since 1988, making it the longest-running musical in Broadway history.
One of the most notable aspects of The Phantom of the Opera is its music. The score includes such well-known songs as “The Music of the Night”, “All I Ask of You”, and “Think of Me”.
The music of The Phantom of the Opera reflects a variety of genres, including opera, operetta, and musical theatre. Webber borrows heavily from the works of other composers, including Gounod’s Faust, Wagner’s Lohengrin, and Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann. He also draws on more modern pop and rock influences, which gives the score a unique sound that has become one of the trademarks of the musical.
The Score
The score of The Phantom of the Opera was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics written by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical’s book together. Originally recorded in 1986, the music was released on compact disc in 1987, 1999, and 2012. The 200625th anniversary edition was released as a three-disc set, two discs containing the original album masterings residing alongside a newly mixed 5.1 surround sound version of the entire score on the third disc. In 2018, it was released on picture disc vinyl
The music of The Phantom of the Opera has been applauded by many critics. Lloyd Webber’s score has been described as “brilliant” and “one of his best works”. It has also been called “inspirational”, “haunting”, “majestic” and “operatic”. The Los Angeles Times wrote that “Andrew Lloyd Webber has fashioned an inspired new score that is richer and more varied than anything he’s done before.” In contrast, some critics have faulted Lloyd Webber for writing music that is too similar to his earlier works.
The Broadway Production
The original Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera opened on January 26, 1988, at the Majestic Theatre. The musical was directed by Harold Prince with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne. It starred Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine Daae. The Phantom of the Opera won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and became Broadway’s longest-running show after surpassing Cats in 2002.
The original cast recording won two Grammy Awards, one for Best Cast Show Album and one for Best Engineered Album,Non-Classical. In 2004, a stage adaptation of the novel The Woman in White opened on Broadway. In 2006, a production of The Phantom of the Opera started a UK tour which is still ongoing as of 2019. Also in 2006,Love Never Dies, a sequel to the musical, opened on Broadway but was not as commercially successful as its predecessor.
The Making of the Score
The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most popular musicals of all time, and its score is just as iconic. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the lyrics were written by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. The score was released in 1986, and it won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
The Collaboration
When Andrew Lloyd Webber set out to create his musical sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera,” he was looking for a fresh start. “I wanted to try and do something different with this show,” he says. “It’s very easy to slip into formula.”
He found his collaborator in Sarah Brightman, who had played Christine in the original production. The two had kept in touch over the years, and when they began working on “The Phantom of the Opera: The Music Book” they found they had a shared vision for the project.
“We wanted to create a score that would be accessible to a new generation of music lovers, while still staying true to the spirit of the original,” says Brightman.
To achieve this, they enlisted the help of some of the world’s top musicians, including conductor John Mauceri, pianist Lang Lang, and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.
The result is a score that is both familiar and new, with all of the passion and drama that made “The Phantom of the Opera” one of the most beloved musicals of all time.
The Writing Process
The Phantom of the Opera is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialization in Le Gaulois from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910. The novel was published in book form in late March 1910 by Pierre Lafitte.
Leroux began writing The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l’Opéra) in early 1907, inspired by an actual event at the Opéra Garnier.
The story revolves around a beautiful soprano named Christine Daaé, who is being stalked and haunted by an enigmatic figure known only as “The Phantom”. The Phantom falls in love with Christine and takes her under his wing, teaching her how to sing and making her a star. However, Christine’s love is torn between her mentor and her childhood sweetheart, Raoul de Chagny. As the story progresses, the Phantom’s obsession with Christine turns deadly, and she must find a way to escape his clutches before it’s too late.
The novel has been adapted into numerous stage productions and films, most notably Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version, which has become one of the longest-running musicals in history.
The Recording Process
After three months of hard work in the studio, The Phantom of the Opera was finally ready to be released as a double-album on CBS records. The project had been a labor of love for everyone involved, and they all felt a great sense of accomplishment.
The album was recorded in London at dearley Studios, and it was mixed and produced by Michael Jay. The musical Director was Dave Copley, and the engineers were Tony Gilbert and Paul Gomershall. The entire cast performed their roles admirably, but special mention must be made of Sarah Brightman, who played Christine Daae. her voice was perfectly suited to the role, and she brought an emotional depth to the character that was truly remarkable.
The album was an immediate success, and it quickly became clear that it was going to be a huge hit. It peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to sell over three million copies in the United States. It also received critical acclaim, with many critics hailing it as a masterpiece.
The Recording Process
The Music in the Film
There are many things that make the film version of The Phantom of the Opera (2004) so special. The music, of course, is one of the biggest factors. The entire film is filled with beautiful songs that capture the emotion of the story perfectly. Let’s take a closer look at the music in the film.
The Score
The score of The Phantom of the Opera was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the book for the musical.
The musical’s instrumentation includes a full orchestra, comprising string, brass, woodwind, percussion and keyboard instruments. The score makes use of many operatic and classical themes, including what Lloyd Webber has called “a soaring love theme” which recurs throughout the show. It also features Neapolitan, waltz and Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired themes. The title song contains part of the Lacrimosa from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem; other phrases are quoted from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Charles Gounod’s Faust and Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto.
The Songs
The songs in the film are (in order of appearance):
“Think of Me”, “Angel of Music”, “Little Lotte/The Mirror (Angel of Music)”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “The Music of the Night”, “I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It”, “Magical Lasso”, “Notes/Prima Donna”, “Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh”, “Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I’ve Been There”, “All I Ask of You”,
“All I Ask of You (Reprise)”, “‘Til I Hear You Sing”, and “Finale”.
Conclusion
The Phantom of the Opera: The Music Book is a beautifully written and composed piece that any fan of the musical will adore. It is clear that a great deal of care and attention went into creating this book, and it shows in the final product. While it may not be the definitive guide to the music of the Phantom of the Opera, it is certainly a worthwhile addition to any fan’s collection.
