The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack)
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Free Music Notes for The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack)
Free Music Review: A Must-Buy CD!
Hit: 5 Stars
Oh, where do I begin? The music is so entertaining, so enchanting, so beautiful, that it's hard to pin-point a specific part of it!
First of all, the songs are awesome! I love all of the songs. I listen to this CD from Track 1 to Track 14, without skipping any of the songs.
The singers are wonderful! Emmy Rossum has such a beautiful voice, I was jealous when I heard her. =( Gerald Butler makes a great Phantom. He has the ability to sing well, all the while delivering the harsh, sharp voice necessary for a man who's hated by the world. The others (Raoul, Margaret Preece -- Carlotta's singing voice -- Madame Giry, Meg Giry, etc.) do a great job as well. In fact, I like this recording much better than the one with Sarah Brightman. If you ask me, Sarah Brightman is too annoying to enjoy the music.
This CD is so fun to sing along to. I can't help but sing along while the CD is playing, as well as whisper the songs throughout the day.
My one complaint is that there aren't all the songs on it. I was going to get the Special Edition, but there's too much talking for my enjoyment. The whole reason I wanted the soundtrack is so I could sing along to the songs. After I had the CD for a while, I switched to singing along with the movie because there are so many good songs that aren't included, such as "Twisted Every Way" ("Twisted every way, what answer can I give? Am I to risk my life to win the chance to live? Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice? Do I become his prey? Do I have any choice? He kills without a thought, he murders all that's good. I know I can't refuse and yet I wish I could. . ."), "Raoul, I've been there" (". . .but his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound, in the night there was music in my mind. And through music, my soul began to fly. And I heard as I've never heard before. . ."), and lots of others. I wish they would have just taken the songs, without the dialogue, and put them on one CD.
I really recommend this CD. I bought it almost 5 months ago, and I'm still listening to it every chance I get.
Free Music Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber's PHANTOM hits the movie screen
Hit: 5 Stars
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has been a long time in coming to the screen, but thanks to the box-office boom of CHICAGO and MOULIN ROUGE (and subsequent renaissance of the movie musical), it's finally arrived - and it's gorgeous. Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicalization of the Gaston Leroux potboiler has been enjoyed onstage now for 18 years, both the London and Broadway productions still high-sellers with theatergoers. This all-new PHANTOM will be welcomed by all Phans with open arms.
This single disc edition of the soundtrack comprises all the main numbers from the musical.
Gerard Butler is a fine Phantom (though occasionally quite raspy and with an accent that seems at odds with the character and other actors).
Young Emmy Rossum is a lovely Christine, and imbues the character with all the restlessness and uncertainty of youth (the only glaring change is the simplified cadenza at the end of "Think of Me"). Her soprano voice is quite beautiful, though it doesn't reach the dizzying heights of previous Christine's like Anna Maria Kaufmann, Rebecca Caine and Sarah Brightman.
Patrick Wilson is a dashing Raoul, beautifully sung (as you would expect from this veteran of Broadway's OKLAHOMA! and THE FULL MONTY). Raoul can be a difficult role to play (in the wrong hands he can be quite weak and effeminate), but Wilson gives us a strong, stridant and powerful adversary to the Phantom.
Margaret Preece (serving as the voice of Minnie Driver's imperious opera diva Carlotta) is thrillingly-sung in the breathtaking "Prima Donna". Jennifer Ellison is a fine little Meg Giry.
The orchestra is full and rich, and serves the music well (the trademark organ motif of the Overture and swelling passages of "All I Ask of You" are superbly-executed). In their brief moments here in this `highlights' disc, Miranda Richardson (as Madame Giry), Simon Callow and Ciaran Hinds (as opera managers Firmin and Andre) are all excellent.
This new PHANTOM recording deserves it's place on the shelf next to the original cast with Crawford and Brightman.
Free Music Review: A Touch Of Tragedy: A Brilliant Score
Hit: 5 Stars
Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 "Phantom Of The Opera" will never be surpassed, that's an established fact. But this version, starring
Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum is a bold new approach, a genuine effort to lure younger audiences to the theatre and we must give them credit for doing so. The movie directed by Joel Schumacher has already been nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actress, Best Picture and Best Original Song (the song performed by Minnie Driver on the closing credits). This movie has a powerful effect and the soundtrack is only its reflection.
On here, are highlights really- the Overture, the love song "Think of Me" which Christine sings at her glorious debut at the Opera, the duet Angel of Music, the duet with the Phantom, the duet with Raol and the finale with the Phantom "Point of No Return". Minnie Driver as the hilarious, bitchy, bossy diva is really worth watching and hearing.
When I saw the film when it premired Dec 22, I was so moved and touched by the tragedy. Phantom Of The Opera is tragedy, even more than it is a love story. The Phantom is a difficult role. He's not a murderous monster hiding beneath the theatre wanting a mate. He's not the ugly special effect creation performed by Lon Cheney back in 1927. He's HUMAN. He's been so damaged and hurt by the world outside that has shunned him for being a "freak show". He was born with a great facial deformity but his soul is sensitive, romantic, his brain is genius, his talent is strong. Having been exposed to the world of music and opera, he became in his own right a great composer. Through Christine's singing, he has a voice to express himself with, he is showing the world he's really a great man to be admired. Such a role is hard to SING. Michael Crawford does it for me but Gerry Butler brings a more youth-oriented MTV voice. Think of this as Moulin Rouge by Baz Luhrman where Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGreggor sang in a way that was musical/theatre but also very youth-oriented to get the young ones. This is a great album.
Free Music Review: Perfect music!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Phantom of the Opera is my favorie musical of all time, simply put. The movie is absolutely incredible, so I just had to have the soundtrack. Though this one-disc version leaves out many excellent pieces, it still has the bulk of the music.
First of all, let me just say that Emmy Rossum (Christine) sounds MUCH more elegant and true than Sarah Brightman (who overpronounces to the point of absurdity) in the classic London Cast recording of the musical.
Second of all, Gerard Butler may not be as operatic as Michael Crawford, but he is a much better actor, and the simple sound of his voice IS the Phantom. "Music of the Night" is so beautiful when he sings it, unlike Michael Crawford's mockery of the piece as he tries to sing those bass notes and just ends up mushing it all together into a horrible, overpronounced, over-legato MESS!
Now, Patrick Wilson! He has such a wonderful voice it just makes me faint! Wow! He is, I swear, the greatest tenor alive. Anyone who criticizes his beautiful performance of Raoul is simply insane.
This soundtrack has some utterly perfect music, such as
1. Gerard's incredible performance of "Music of the Night." He sings so beautifully at the end with that last "night" that one can scarcely believe it.
2. "Down Once More," the final scene of the movie can produce tears even without images on a screen. Hearing the three characters' voices together is sheer perfection!
3. "All I Ask of You" has wonderful emotion on all fronts, and Rossum and Wilson blend together into pure love. Bravo! Brava! Bravi!
4. "All I Ask of You (Reprise)"... It is so truly heartbreaking that I can never stop crying. "You will curse the day you did not do... all that the Phantom asked of you!" It has such a blend of emotion that one can only sit and listen, in bliss and awe.
This soundtrack, though missing some songs (get the two-disc set if you want them all), is basically perfect. I will love this music and these wonderful singers forever.
Free Music Review: Phantom fan
Hit: 5 Stars
I saw the Phantom on stage in Toronto. I did not see the movie until 2007. I enjoyed the movie much more than the play. When I saw the play I never got a good feeling of the story. Perhaps I was too close to the stage to get an overall look of it. When I saw the movie, because you see everything up close, it was much more understandable. I bought the two disc version of the dvd and was interested in the explanation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Shumacker of the casting and the production. I think they did exactly what they intended... made it enjoyable to a larger audience.
As to the casting...the only one I did not enjoy was Patrick Wilson, but perhaps its because I thought the character was trying to control Christine too much. I loved Gerard Butler's version of the Phantom.
I think although actors like him may not have the voice of a professional singer they more than make up for it by their acting skills. When it comes to hiting the note or giving the emotion, the acting always wins.
Emmy was very good and I love her low range voice even more than the higher range and there was no break in between, which you often get with
opera singers.
As to the story, I still cannot quite understand why Raoul bought her the music box, unless Christine was obsessed by the phantom during their marriage. She should have really picked the phantom; so what if he gets mad and kills people every once in a while, it's his only fault. (I'm joking)
My one regret is that I did not see the movie on the big screen. I hope that some theatre nearby has a showing of it so that I can see it in its full splendor. I think it's somewhat like "Lawrence of Arabia" or "The Fountain" that should be seen large to get the full video effect.
I have both versions of the cd. This shorter version is great for those who only want the main songs. I bought the 2 disc version because it leaves out some of my favorite parts. But I play both of them all the time.