The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
|
List Price: Our Price: $12.47 You Save: $3.48 (22%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.87 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Free Music Review: Excellent Phantasy
Hit: 5 Stars
PTO is a potboiler. The original novel, the older films, and even the stage production lose their strength, because it's always the darkness against the light of Little Lotty. Schumaker has brought this musical a new life by creating dramatic tensions that don't spin into sheer sentimentality ('sheer' - remember sheer). Emmy Rossum is perfect as Christine - vulnerable, lovely, and seducible. Her voice is grand. The voices are wonderful throughout, maugre the Crawford/Brightman idolators. The music is superb, though I would agree with others that the final credit song is out of place (not bad, but better for a summer evening in Dubuque).
The director has balanced the two male leads so that the seductive force of the phantom's persona, music, and power draw us in, and Raoul is not a shoo-in for Little Emmy. Raoul is a sound hero, yet he himself recognizes the pull of the other man on his lover. The Point of No Return scene energizes every part of that pull on the heroine. Only when the phantom confesses his impotence is the spell broken (while his purity is kept ... well, yeah, except for killing people with chandeliers). Cleverly, they have made the 'villain' young and handsome even with his scarred face and murky apartments.
Minny Driver is sheer delight, comic relief that plays devilish counterpoint against the surrounding heaviness. The Gothic eminence of the sets and the changes in action jerk the film away every time it is on the edge of jerking tears. There are a trifle too many cape flaps by the phantom and some ridiculous lights rising from the water, but otherwise the surreal aspect keeps it from being an old Technicolor sob story. The film is a metaphor that hides metaphors.
Webber is not Mozart, but the pop rock music is as gushy, delightful, melancholy, and lush as moves most of us who recognize it for what it is, though he does reach operatic complexity in some numbers like Prima Donna. For sheer stage musical effect, the show stopper of the play, Masquerade, is even more - far more - awesome in the film, one of the most incredible musical numbers ever created in that medium.
This movie is a joy to get down in the dark and let roll over you. Clap at the end, even for the celluloid. You'll feel good about it. Oh, and buy the music. The rich, full orchestra and voices are better accented than some of the tinny effects of the stage version with less of the screaminess.
Free Music Review: It's just different than the version you are used to...
Hit: 5 Stars
It's not as good as the Original Cast Recording? Is anyone surprised by this? There is only one Michael Crawford. Crawford OWNS that part like Patti LuPone OWNED Evita - no matter who played them in the movie. But original Broadway recordings of shows ARE ALWAYS BETTER than the movie soundtracks. Is that any reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater? Just because the Broadway albums to My Fair Lady and West Side Story are better, does that mean that we don't LOVE those movies?
I have not yet seen the movie, but I have my hopes up from listening to this soundtrack. First, and most important, the score remains ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME from the show. A few things have been changed, of course, but if you have listened to the show's cast album and then seen a performance, you know that Andrew Lloyd Weber constantly tinkers with his music and lyrics. Other changes, I am sure, are for cinematic purposes. On the two-disc deluxe edition of the soundtrack - which I recommend over its abridged counterpart - much of the dialogue (too much, actually) of the movie remains.
As for the new singer/actors, Joel Schumacher applies his usual sensibility of hiring the "bodies beautiful." Emily Rossum actually has a lovely singing voice and I have high hopes for her in the part of Christine. She was only sixteen at the time of this recording and is physically perfect for the part. Patrick Wilson, as Raoul, is the only professional Broadway singer in the cast, and he does very well. However, everyone's attention is focused on the Phantom himself - played by Gerard Butler. Whereas Michael Crawford brought an operatic sensibility to the part, Butler is all rock-and-roll. He has a husky, gravelly voice - low on vibrato and high on sex appeal. From what I've seen of the movie, Butler's Phantom is so young and attractive one can't understand why Christine would be interested in Raoul.
Most of the negative criticism of this album comes from people who have had the original recording in their heads (myself included) for 18 years! Of course this won't measure up. The fact is, it wouldn't measure up even if it DID measure up! It's like people who say the book is better than the movie; what they really mean is that the book is DIFFERENT from the movie. Yes, the film soundtrack is different, but it is still great. If you're interested in the film, I suggest you buy this first.
Free Music Review: I love it.
Hit: 5 Stars
The two-disc edition of the soundtrack is waaay better than the normal one, as it includes all the music from the movie. It's almost like listening to the entire movie from start to finish, with the added audio.
There've been so many comparisons between Butler and Crawford and their ability to play the part of the Phantom. Crawford has a great voice and he can hit all the high notes really well, but I have to say I prefer Butler's voice for this role. I like the rough edge it has, not to mention the display of emotions you can hear in his voice when he sings each of his songs. I understand that Crawford fans prefer the smoother voice of the Phantom, but, in my opinion, Crawford's voice is a little too high. The Phantom is a man, no? Therefore, he should SOUND like a man. Butler's voice is deep and masculine and oozes a certain mysterious ambience. It's not perfect, but then again, he hadn't had any serious vocal training before he was chosen for this role. However, it is perfect enough for his character. Butler said himself that he was going more for an emotional portrayal, even though he knew it probably wasn't something that longtime fans of the musical would enjoy as much. It's a new touch, I like it. I'm glad he was chosen to play the Phantom.
Emmy Rossum's voice is refreshing and at such a young age, it's pretty incredible she can sing like that. She lacks the power that Brightman sings with in the original soundtrack but her voice fits well with her role as a young, naive girl. At times her voice gets drowned out by the actual music but I'm not sure if it's her fault, or if it's because of how the instrumentals and vocals are compiled.
Honestly, I'm happy with the two chosen to play the main roles. I don't understand why Butler's getting so much flak for his performance; if people hadn't heard Crawford's version back then, would they still be ragging on Butler about how bad he is? STOP COMPARING THEM. Their voices are different, that's it. As for the soundtrack itself, the only minor problem is that the vocals seem to be weaker than the music in the background, so it's sometimes hard to make out what they're singing. Other than that, I can't stop listening to it. It's a good movie, and the soundtrack is equally good.
Free Music Review: A whole lot better than I thought it would be.
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a great soundtrack. After reading all of the negative reviews about how "bad" the singers are, I was worried about getting this soundtrack. I too am a fan of the Orginal London Cast album, and I've seen the US national tour version as well. No, Gerry Butler and Emmy Rossum do not sound like professional Broadway singers, in terms of support and range, but you can't expect them to sound like people who've had vocal training for years. Yet, they come really close, and that's something I'm really impressed by.
There are certain parts of the soundtrack where Rossum "cheats" to get to the high notes (not too many at all), but she does make them (she did the "climb" at the end of the title song perfectly). Personally I like her voice a lot. It's very sweet and melodic, and she interprets the part well. I like the emotion Butler puts into his part, but sometimes it seems like he's trying too hard to sound tragic and angry, and it's just overdone a few times. On one song he literally growls out a line of melody, which was kinda painful, but no biggie as it only happens once, to that kind of extent, anyway. Supporting cast is also pretty good, especially Wilson and the guys who play the managers.
Orchestrations are great too, except I kind of object to the electric guitar in the song The Phantom of the Opera and the over-use of synthesizers and the different ending in the Overture. I would rather they keep the singing parts sung instead of spoken (in Little Lotte and Masquerade, specifically), but they don't sound bad at all, like some of the reviewers have complained. I do agree though that the movie sound effects (fighting, murders, etc.) should have been edited out, because it really detracts from the enjoyment of the score, But that's about all of the qualms I have about the soundtrack that I can think of at the moment.
Overall, this soundtrack is very impressive. It really surpassed my expectations (tremendously), which is I gave 5 stars. The soundtrack is also a 5-star effort on the part of the actors and producers. I believe that they performed to the best of their abilities and they deserve all the recognition they can get.
Free Music Review: Just Wonderful
Hit: 5 Stars
I own the original cast from 1986, the 'regular' POTO movie sound track, and this one. I like all three, but I do suggest that if you want more than just the highlights, stick with either the original cast or the 'special extended' version of the movie soundtrack.
The regular movie soundtrack (in effect, highlights) goes manage to get all of the major songs and music in, but the CD is maddeningly incomplete. Just as you expect a bit more, a better transition, more music, more singing, more of the plot, it just isn't there.
However, it's pretty much all here in the extended version, including the song added for the movie (which should have won the Academy Award for best song).
I suppose the arguing as to which version, stage or screen, has the better voices, presentation, and so on will go on for years.
I must admit that, though Michael Crawford has a more 'professional' signing voice, I prefer the raw emotion that Gerald Butler puts into his version of the Phantom.
Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Crawford felt a need to 'protect' his voice, since he is a professional signer. Bulter isn't, so he can belt out a number like there's no tomorrow.
Emmy Rossum is a delight in the role of Christine. She's absolutely gorgeous, and has such a pretty, youthful voice. She sounds young, as she's supposed to sound. Sarah Brightman's voice is more mature, which doesn't fit the roles as well, in my opinion.
Patrick Wilson's Raoul does a good job, though he is one of film's greatest wimps. In 'All I Ask of You', his voice matches Emmy's very well, and it's a memorable performance.
A word, too, for the two junk (make that 'scrap metal') dealers who buy the opera house. Ciarán Hinds and Simon Callow play Firmin and Andre, respectively, and they do a wonderful job in their roles, minor as they may be. You certainly can believe that they are indeed 'amateurs', and are quickly over their heads with a both a diva and a ghost to contend with.
This is such a pleasure. Highly recommended.