The Phantom of the Opera: Who Wrote the Music?
Contents
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, its central character is a deformed man who, f
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’
The Origins of the Phantom of the Opera
Gaston Leroux’s novel, The Phantom of the Opera, has been a source of fascination for readers and audiences alike since it was first published in 1911. The story of the masks, the music, and the love has been told and retold countless times, in many different ways. But who wrote the original music for the Phantom of the Opera?
The French novel by Gaston Leroux
The French novel by Gaston Leroux was the first work to introduce the character of the Phantom of the Opera. Published in 1909, it was a huge success and has been translated into many languages. The book has been adapted for film, television, and stage several times, most notably by Andrew Lloyd Webber in his 1986 musical.
The story is set in Paris in the late 19th century and revolves around a young soprano named Christine Daaé, who is haunted by a disfigured musical genius known only as “the Phantom.” The Phantom falls in love with Christine and becomes obsessed with making her a star. He eventually kidnaps her and takes her to his lair beneath the Paris Opera House, where he plans to force her to marry him.
The novel is full of suspense, romance, and intrigue, and its depiction of the dark side of human nature has captivated readers for more than a century.
The British musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber
The British musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber is based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux. The music was composed by Webber, while the lyrics were written by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius known as “the Phantom” who haunts the Paris Opera House, causing death and destruction in an attempt to make the woman he loves, Christine Daaé, a star.
The Music of the Phantom of the Opera
The songs by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe
The songs by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe are some of the most beautiful and memorable in musical theatre history. From the soaring “Think of Me” to the haunting “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”, these songs have helped make The Phantom of the Opera one of the most popular musicals of all time.
The score by Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. With book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew 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 musical tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his disposal.
The Mystery of the Phantom of the Opera
Who wrote the music for the Phantom of the Opera? Was it Gaston Leroux, the author of the novel? Or was it Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of the musical? The answer is both. Gaston Leroux wrote the original novel, and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the musical.
The identity of the phantom
No one knows the true identity of the phantom of the Opera. There are many theories, but the most popular one is that he was a man named Erik.
Erik was born in 1810, in Sweden. His father was a sailor who died at sea when Erik was just a child. His mother died shortly after, and Erik was sent to live with his aunt in Paris. He grew up to be a very talented musician and became a famous composer.
In 1881, Erik saw Christine Daaé perform for the first time. He fell in love with her instantly and began to stalk her. He even snuck into her dressing room one night and watched her undress! Christine was scared of Erik, but she also found him fascinating.
Erik began to haunt the Opera Populaire, where Christine worked. He started wreaking havoc backstage, causing accidents and putting the blame on other people. The more chaos he caused, the more he became obsessed with Christine.
One night, Erik abducted Christine and took her to his secret lair beneath the opera house. She finally saw his face and was shocked by how deformed he was. Erik revealed that he loved her and wanted her to be his bride.
Christine didn’t return Erik’s feelings, but she didn’t want him to hurt anyone either. She agreed to stay with him if he promised not to cause any more damage. For a while, Erik kept his word — but then Christine met Raoul…
There has been much debate over the years as to who the true author of the music from The Phantom of the Opera is. There are two main theories: that it was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, or that it was composed by Gustav Mahler.
The evidence for Lloyd Webber being the author is mostly circumstantial. For example, some of the musical elements in The Phantom of the Opera are similar to those found in other works by Lloyd Webber, such as Cats and Sunset Boulevard. In addition, Lloyd Webber has admitted that he was inspired by Mahler when composing the music for The Phantom of the Opera.
The evidence for Mahler being the author is mostly based on similarities between The Phantom of the Opera and mahler’s unfinished 10th Symphony. For example, both works make use of leitmotifs (recurring themes that represent certain characters or ideas) and both works have a similar overall structure. In addition, many of Mahler’s original manuscripts for his 10th Symphony were found in Lloyd Webber’s possession after his death.
So, who really wrote the music from The Phantom of the Opera? Unfortunately, we may never know for sure. But one thing is certain: it is some of the most beautiful and iconic music ever written, and it continues to captivate audiences all over the world.
