Phantom of the Opera music

Anyone seen the Phantom of the Opera yet??

The music is amazing. I love all the songs.

 

I am in complete agreement. I've been a slave to the 2-disc Broadway recording since I was just a little guy, so the movie soundtrack definitely presented a different, often impressive take on the show.

I loved the fuller orchestrations, to be sure. There's certainly something to be said for the difference in sound between a pit orchestra and a full movie orchestra. And the organ! Now that's some beefy action! I must say I enjoyed a most pleasant and quite vibratory drive cranking the Overture over my car stereo.

On the other hand, the smaller new bits - especially the synth parts under the Phantom's menacing threats as he sabotages Il Muto - didn't seem to have much resembling Sir Andrew's original score. When the Phantom intones "Did I not instruct Box 5 to be left empty?!" in the play, man...*wipes brow*...he and the music have your attention by the snorglies. But I digress. The music editing for the duel in the graveyard was just atrocious, and somehow the underscore for the carriage ride there didn't seem to fit. Piano? Nuh-uh. The small flute flourish in Notes/Prima Donna under "Spare me these unending trials" was extremely flat. Oof. Additionally, whoever got the bright idea of putting in synth handclaps (die-hard fans know what I'm talking about here) should be given paper cuts and dropped into a vat of lemon juice.

As much as I could rant about comparing the Broadway cast to the movie cast as far as vocal talent goes, I'll try and keep well clear of that argument. The only issue I'll address directly was Christine's final cadenza in Think of Me. What...the hell...was that?! It wasn't even close to what was written. Suffice to say, it was quite clear that few of the cast had had formal opera training. It's one thing to watch the film, because all the actors and actresses are hot, but it's quite another to listen to the soundtrack alone. The word 'painful' comes to mind, especially the choice to have had the Phantom sing "Go now! Go now and leave me!" Didn't work for me at all.

Other than that, I was pleased that almost every song appeared in the film in one form or another, but by that same token, Act II's Notes/Twisted Every Way was arranged and edited strangely, not to mention out-of-sequence. Minor quibbles, to be sure, but I figure if you're going to make a film of Phantom, why not be faithful to the original production? The play was just about the most cinematic production I've ever seen; I can't understand certain elements somehow not making the cut.

Enough of my pissing and moaning. All in all, I'm ecstatic that Phantom has finally been given the treatment and accessibility it deserves. Only a tiny bit more thought owuld have made this movie truly great. See the play.

 

Additionally, whoever got the bright idea of putting in synth handclaps (die-hard fans know what I'm talking about here) should be given paper cuts and dropped into a vat of lemon juice.

I had to remind myself I was in 2005 and not 1987 when I heard that in the theater. I know nothing of the play (other than that it was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber), but I just assumed that the choice of "instruments" there was made just to be true to the play.

 

Heh. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) the handclaps were most definitely NOT in the play. I saw it four times (once in NY, twice in SF, and once in London) and never was there any handclap action. Blugh.