Search - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Lee, Alison Skilbeck :: The Phantom of the Opera [The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Absolutely great

M. Menzer | Seattle | 12/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many people will listen to this and immediately compare this to Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. People will say that Emmy Rossum is too young, and that Gerard Butler can't sing at all compared to Michael Crawford. Some people will comment that Minnie Driver, rather than being dubbed, should not have been cast as Carlotta. To these I say the following:



Christine is supposed to be a young choir girl. Sarah Brightman is not young, nor a choir girl. Emmy Rossum sang with the Metropolitan Opera when she was seven, and is the perfect age for the part. She has a beautiful, clear voice that doesn't sound (don't get me wrong, I love Sarah Brightman, but...) like her mouth is stuffed with cotton when she sings the high notes.



Michael Crawford is, anyway you look at it, WAY too old to play the sexy, mainstream appealing Phantom that a movie needs. Gerard Butler CAN sing. Don't be fooled by the deeper, fuller tambre his voice has. Deeper isn't bad. In fact, for the mainstream appeal the movie is unarguably shooting for, Gerard Butler's voice is better than Michael Crawford's; none of the tinniness that has a tendency to creep in on high notes ("But that's the Phantom!" the people will say...). Gerard Butler's Music of the Night is great (It's more impressive to be able to reach those notes without having to resort to high falsetto, guys, it gives a fuller, deeper tone.); listen to it and pretend you've never heard Michael Crawford. It's by no means bad, or anything close. I enjoyed it. And his Point of No Return runs circles around Michael Crawford's.



The one constant in every review of the movie (not the soundtrack, the actual movie) is that Minnie Driver's performance as Carlotta is brilliant. Surely you wouldn't say that this excellent performance should not have occured because of a few dubbed singing parts.



Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I love this. The reorchestration is great with a COUPLE of exceptions. What on earth happened to Phantom of the Opera? What's with the claps? And the wailing guitar solo? Woah. I like that it's much fuller, but it Learn to be Lonely. Now I know it's not on the extended edition, thank god, but I felt it's existence needed to be mentioned. Why? For the love of god, why, did the creators of the wonder that is Phantom, write this tripe? Guitar plucking and bongos. BONGOs! Was it for the oscar nomination? There's no chance of this song winning an Oscar! None! Not in a million years! Minnie Driver has a beautiful voice, but displaying it is not worth the humiliation! Ehem. This CD set really deserves 5 stars, I think, but, (to my discredit I admit) I lowered it a star. Not just because of the Phantom of the Opera rock wackiness (though that was a big reason), or the tragedy that is Learn to be Lonely (although that, while it probably shouldn't have, played a small role), but also to acknowledge to diehard fans of the Original Cast that this isn't your old 1987 CD set with one track per disc. They're different singers. Their voices have different tambres. Gerard Butler is not the tenor that Michael Crawford is (thankfully, at some parts). Deal with it, and learn to be happy with a great soundtrack for the long awaited movie version of one of Broadway's greatest shows. December 22nd can't come quickly enough."

Beautiful beyond belief

Lindsay | 03/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a Phan and proud to be one. I've seen the stage-show several times plus I own every recording of POTO available. Why does this recording, despite being lambasted by Michael Crawford fanatics, stand out? Reason 1 is the impeccable orchestra and the improved sound. Plus the tempi of the conductor are way superior. Nr. 2 would be the cast. Fresh and new without any baggage they deliver sincere and intense performances. The lead is sung and acted by Gerard Butler. He is one of the few actors whose private persona disappears when he's on screen, even his appearance changes with every part he plays, unlike other Hollywood-Hunks who always play themselves (Brad Pitt...*Cough* Orlando Bloom...*Cough Cough*) He has had over a year of vocal coaching and training before he tackled the role of the Phantom and it shows. I'm one of those who prefers the Phantom to be sung by a rich voice, like Brad Little, Anthony Warlowe, Peter Karrie and Ethan Freeman and not by tenors like Crawford who sound bloodless at times. (Crawford's "Down once more" couldn't scare a mouse) While not yet perfectly controlled Butler's rich baritone sounds perfect for the Phantom, also his ability to shade and colour phrases, to act with his voice is incredible. One thing I love is his "Christine, I looooooooooooooooove......you!" Not spinning a long phrase that merely sounds pretty Butler spins a gorgeous piano and then ends on a firm vocal attack mixed with a sigh of fear until the "you" comes out like a cry for mercy. (Burn, Christine, burn for hurting a precious soul like that) Another detail is the soaring pianissimo on "Touch me! Trust me!". Others sing this as an order, Butler sings it as a gentle plea, absolutely magical. There are MANY more, I just wanted to give you an idea. ;-)

Christine is sung by Emmy Rossum, a great actress in the making. At seventeen she's blessed with the voice of an angel, unlike the matronly sound of Sarah Brightman. Christine is supposed to be a chorus-girl in the beginning. Yes, she blossoms to be a primadonna BUT she's not yet a dramatic soprano d'agilita. I DO believe that if they had waited a year or two her voice would have matured to greater heights (Listen to her and Patrick Wilson on GMA, she improved a great deal!) but she's a wonderful Christine.

Patrick Wilson sings a great Raoul, yet I prefer Steve Barton who's less foppy, acts with less arrogance and selfishness. (Plus he isn't made to look like a girl, poor Patrick, he's a handsome man in real life)

There've been those who dislike it because it isn't the OLC. Oh what a pity that Crawford no longer wants to play the Phantom, come on, if he moved on, so should you! The movie itself is beautiful and different, so I'd suggest to watch both the movie and the stage-show. It's a love-story of endless beauty."

AWESOME! PERFECT! .... PEOPLE... PLEASE DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phan! | Florida, USA | 12/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, let me begin by saying that this is a marvelous score and I am extremely disappointed that some people can't get past the fact that these people are very different from the original cast. I am an opera student and have been for many years. I have seen the original version with Crawford and Brightman and while I can agree that they were great in their time, Rossum and Butler bring a new life to the music.



Brightman's Christine sounds old, she slurs, she just overdoes it. I completely agree with another reviewer when they remind people that Christine is supposed to be untrained. There is a reason why she needs the tutelage of her Angel Of Music. Rossum's voice is clear, her annunciation is perfect and she is youthful. She has life and charisma that frankly, when I reheard the original cast recording, Brightman lacked. I love Brightman, don't get me wrong, but she is not the ideal Christine. Rossum's Think of Me was beautiful, whereas Brightman was a bit too powerful for being a chorus girl. True, Christine is supposed to blow people away, but for a 17 year old, Rossum blew me away.



Moving on to Butler. I adored him. Trust me, it is not easy to bring high notes to life without using a falsetto. I admit that when I first heard a preview of the soundtrack, I was a bit put off by how it sounded. Then I saw the movie and all that changed. I immediately bought the extended version after I left the theatre because I was enthralled by Butler. His voice is rich and powerful. Crawford's voice grated on my nerves after awhile but Butler's voice is simply haunting. He captures the essence of Erik beautifully and brings to his character new sensuality that Crawford did not posses. In Why So Silent, Butler is dark and amazing. This Phantom leaves the viewer reeling with feeling, especially in the All I Ask Of You (Reprise) and in The Point of No Return. In the very last scene, right before Christine leaves him for a final time, I felt Erik's pain as he barely managed to choke out a part of Masquerade. His rendition of "It's over now- the Music of the Night" reduced me to tears. His portrayal and his voice just made the movie come to life even more.



Finishing with Wilson as Raoul, he has an exquisitely youthful voice. I believe this is the first time that I was actually enthralled by Raoul's character. His duet with Rossum in All I Ask Of You was superb. Wilson's voice is very classical and very appropriate for the role.



Overall, the Overture was incredible. The additional orchestration was excellent throughout the whole soundtrack. I particularly loved the additional chords in The Phantom of the Opera. It has a more rockish and modern feel to it which in my opinion far surpassed the original version. When I went back to hear the original, I felt it was rather dull and lacking. Furthermore, the additional music added to the already wonderful score. The only song I was not thrilled with was Learn to be Lonely. I think Driver can sing, but I just don't feel the song fitted. Maybe it will grow on me with time.



This was an exhilarating experience for those who are open-minded and won't automatically reject the singers because they are not the originals.



FYI: ALW personally had these people tested for their musical abilities, so they were obviously chosen for a reason. Don't you think that he would know who was right for his "most personal work"??????



Please, please, please, as another reviewer put it, learn to be happy! Hollywood has finally granted phans with a movie worthy of praise! Let us support it and let us be proud!

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