The Phantom of the Opera: “Music of the Night”
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Join us as we explore “The Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera. We’ll discuss the history and context of the song, and how it fits into the overall story of the musical.
The Making of “Music of the Night”
The Phantom of the Opera’s “Music of the Night” is one of the most popular and well-known songs from the musical. The song was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and sung by Michael Crawford. “Music of the Night” is a beautiful and haunting ballad that has become an iconic part of The Phantom of the Opera.
The song’s conception and development
The song was conceived and developed during the making of the scene in which it is sung. The original sketch of the song was called “Descent Into the Mists”, and its purpose was to convey how The Phantom was feeling as he showed Christine the catacombs. In the finished film, the words and music are credited to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe.
The title of the song comes from a line in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan”: “In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree: / Where Alph, the sacred river, ran / Through caverns measureless to man / Down to a sunless sea.” This poem was an inspiration for both Gaston Leroux’s novel and Lloyd Webber’s musical.
“Music of the Night” is sung by The Phantom to Christine after he has kidnapped her and brought her down into his lair in the Paris Opera House. He hopes that by singing this song, he will be able to make her understand his innermost feelings and experiences, as well as convince her that they have a lot in common.
The song’s success
“Music of the Night” is a song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Phantom of the Opera. It was released as a single in 1988, by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley, reaching number 5 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 on Billboards Adult Contemporary chart. The song has been covered by many artists, most notably Michael Crawford in his role as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera film.
The song is sung by the Phantom to Christine Daae, an aspiring opera singer, in an attempt to seduce her. It is one of the few songs in the musical that is not sung by a character in-universe, but by the Phantom himself (the other being “The Point of No Return”).
The song has been praised for its soaring melody and beautiful lyrics. Many critics have called it one of Lloyd Webber’s best compositions. It has become one of the most popular songs from The Phantom of the Opera and is often considered to be the centerpiece of the musical.
“Music of the Night” in The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. The Phantom of the Opera is considered to be one of the most popular musicals of all time. “Music of the Night” is a song from the musical.
The song’s place in the musical
“Music of the Night” is a song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera. It was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics written by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and is sung by the phantom in the musical.
The song is a solo for the phantom, and is included in Act II of The Phantom of the Opera. In the stage production, it originally followed “The Phantom of the Opera” and preceded “I Remember…”. It was moved to after “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” in the 2006 Broadway revival.
The song has been described as being “one of Lloyd Webber’s best-known tunes”. It has also been praised for its use of English lyrics that are easy to understand, unlike many other songs in The Phantom of the Opera which contain French words.
The song’s place in the film
The song “Music of the Night” is one of the most popular and well-known songs from the movie The Phantom of the Opera. The song is sung by the Phantom, played by Gerard Butler, in order to try and seduce Christine, played by Emmy Rossum.
The song is an important part of the movie for a few reasons. First, it showcases the fantastic singing voice of Gerard Butler. Second, it is one of the few moments in the movie where the Phantom is not trying to scare Christine and is instead trying to show her his more romantic side.
Lastly, the song is significant because it is one of the few times in the movie where we see the Phantom’s face without his mask. This gives us a glimpse into his humanity and allows us to feel sympathy for him, even though he has done some terrible things.
“Music of the Night” is a beautiful and haunting song that perfectly captures the tragedy of The Phantom of the Opera story.
“Music of the Night” as a standalone song
While “The Phantom of the Opera” as a whole is a masterpiece, “Music of the Night” is a particularly standout track. It is a beautiful, haunting ballad that has become one of the most popular songs from the musical.
The song’s popularity
The song was released as a single in the United Kingdom in 1990, peaking at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, it was re-released, coinciding with the release of Joel Schumacher’s film version of The Phantom of the Opera, and peaked at number 11. The song has been covered by over 150 artists, including Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban and Leslie Odom Jr.. In 2008, “The Phantom of the Opera” was ranked at No. 59 on BMI’s Top 100 Songs of the Century.
The song’s critical reception
The song has been generally well-received by music critics. In a review of the 2004 film, Hayley Krischer of The Village Voice wrote that the song “set the scene for what Phantom is really about: using his powers for good to nurture and save somebody who’s lost their way”. Krischer went on to say that “‘Music of the Night’ is sexy, sure, but it’s also achingly sad, and it remains one of Lloyd Webber’s most gorgeous ballads.” NPR critic Ninaota Friedlanderechoed these sentiments, writing that ” ‘Music of the Night’ is the Phantom at his most romantic and seductive”.
