Review Summary: You need this
When I first heard the music from 'The Phantom of the Opera' 4yrs ago, almost instantly, a surge of emotion and inspiration tingled up my spine and I was in awe of the brilliance of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Strouse, and Richard Stilgoe. The composer, Lloyd Webber, has simply out done himself in this album, more so than in any of his other fantastic musicals. Not only did he choose a fascinatingly mysterious story to create his operatic musical, but his music is so powerful and so stirring for the listener, that they become part of the action in the musical. The lyrics, written by Charles Strouse and Richard Stilgoe, are brilliantly descriptive which creates rich imagery for the listeners. With the combination of both Lloyd Webber's compelling music and the lyricists' words, 'The Phantom of the Opera' is infallible.
'The Phantom of the Opera' consists of a number of songs which would appeal to listeners. The title song, "The Phantom of the Opera", involves the two leading characters, the Phantom and Christine, singing of how the former is incessantly in the mind of the latter. As this song contains rock and opera it would appeal to a wider variety of listeners. "The Music of the Night", one of Lloyd Webber's greatest pieces of music, is one of the most descriptive songs I have ever heard. A soft and haunting tune, this song's lyrics evoke fantastic description for listeners, and create a tension yet a resolution; and are in fact rather paradoxical, but amazing to listen to, as it is powerfully beautiful. "All I Ask of You" is one of the few positive songs in the album, which reveals the strong love between the main female character, Christine, and another central character, Raoul. This song has a touch of opera but is more of a 'musical' type song. Once again the lyrics are superb, involving passionate description.
"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", is a very stirring song on this album, as it is set in a graveyard. Christine creates a sense of sadness as she sings of how she misses her father, and the listeners are coerced into pitying her situation. Lloyd Webber's music is powerfully emotive and the lyrics are passionate, and thus appeals to the listener's own emotions. "Past the Point of No Return" is another haunting song in this album. When the Phantom sings it, with Christine, he is disguised as another character and he is actually performing to an audience on the stage. This song reveals the situation to the listeners, Christine is past the point of no return, she cannot turn back and must stay with the Phantom all of her life in his dark 'dungeon' below the opera house.
The music and the lyrics are both emotive and stirring. The last scene is full of action and resolutions. However, the album leaves the listeners with a mystery, as the Phantom disappears and leaves nothing but his mask. Yet, the last scene brings my favorite part of music in the whole album, which is when Raoul and the Phantom are singing together; The Phantom: "For either way you choose, you cannot win"; Raoul: "Either way you choose, he has to win." The harmony and the power created when these lines are sung are just outstanding and emotionally stirring.
On every other 'Phantom' album I have heard I have not heard it sung nearly as well. Portraying a deformed, violent, obsessive murderer, yet passionate in music and Christine, Michael Crawford had a challenging task ahead of him when he was playing the Phantom. Yet, out of every Phantom I have heard, he is the greatest. Indeed he is not as emotional as Colm Wilkinson (who breathes too much in his portrayal), but he portrays the Phantom graciously and smoothly; Crawford has a massive lung capacity, as he holds onto notes for large amounts of time. The songs in the Phantom do not call for an abrupt and loud voice, as Colm uses in the "Original Canadian Cast" version, but a compellingly soft and smooth voice in which Crawford uses in this album. In fact, I believe Crawford uses fantastic emotions to depict the Phantom, such as when he is singing "I gave you my Music..." at the end of the first disk; the emotions Crawford uses are not over the top, but they are just right, and in my opinion, no one has matched Crawford's unique ability to portray the Phantom yet.
Sarah Brightman, out of every other 'Phantom' I have heard, depicts Christine far greater than anyone else. Her voice is very clear and high-pitched and no one else seems to be able to compare. Steve Barton's Raoul is very good, although his voice is not very powerful, he is still very emotive. Overall, "The Phantom of the Opera" 1986 Original London Cast is by far the greatest album to buy out of all of the other albums. The cast is the best I've heard and the music and the lyrics are awe-inspiring. I have one complaint, though; I would have loved the album to be complete. However, Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius and with his lyricists has immortalized Gaston Leroux's early twentieth century gothic novel.
this is the album art below.
