Customer Reviews

Highlights From The Phantom Of The Opera

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I ordered this version of Phantom for 2 reasons: 1. it was inexpensive 2. the listing said "soundtrack" so I hoped it would taken from at least the national touring company if not Broadway. When I received it, it lists only "C.C. Productions" for credits. No vocalists, no orchestra, no other information! And the music and the vocals are both just terrible! I have seen "Phantom" live on Broadway at the Majestic twice and listened to the REAL soundtrack (which unfortunately I don't own but will purchase now!) and this is barely even recognizable. Retailers should be ashamed to even stock this poor version of "Phantom".

I ordered this recording recently to build up my rather small Phantom collection, containing only the Original London Cast Recording and many mp3s that I've found on the internet. I listened to the CD all the way through in little more than half an hour- the short running time would not have irked me as much had half the emotion and talent of the Original London Cast been there.

The whole CD seems rushed, in a sense; the singers aren't all that bad, but they appear to overlook many of the small details added in other recordings. The background orchestrations are weak, as well, and many sound like I could have made them with a simple MIDI program on my computer. It's almost a shame to see such a great score and wonderful story ruined by this lack of emotion and input.

And we come to the part of the play that matters most to me: How good is the Phantom? Well, I rate the different Phantoms by whether or not I, had I been Christine in the story, would follow the Phantom, and choose him instead of Raoul. Had the Phantom shown up in my mirror with this man's voice, I might wander back to Raoul. I've heard worse... but it simply does not have the emotion, the seductiveness, and the longing that many of the other Phantoms that I've heard have.

If you're looking for another recording to add to your collection, I'd suggest the Original Vienna Cast, my personal favorite. Though you can't find it on Amazon, it's worth it to find it somewhere else and order, at least much more so than this below-par recording.

I own the Original London Cast version of The Phantom of the Opera and I've seen the musical many times, and this is only my opinion, but I think the singer who sings as the phantom on this CD sings like he's getting choked by someone while he sings, and it also does not include the "Music of the Night" which is one of the main songs on the musical, so I wouldn't call this CD the HIGHLIGHTS from the Phantom of the Opera.

Despite some of the others' feedback, I would have to say that I really liked this CD. In fact, I liked the soprano (Christine's role) better than any other sopranos I've heard perform the Phantom, including Sarah Brightman. The only disappointment to me was that there were no credits on the CD cover and so we have no way of knowing who the real performers are.

As the title says, the music isn't so hot, but it doesn't stink either. The singers are okay, but not as fabulous as the Original Cast. The singers voices tend to start off badly, such as the Christine singer, the one who sings for Meg, and the Phantom singer. They seem to be sped up and their voices, at times, are very shaky and sound a little nervous. At times, the Christine character seems to be whining. Not too much character or emotion is shown, but they do sing well.

The Phantom isn't too good. His voice seems to be too shaky and there's no emotion. Christine's voice is okay. It seems a bit shaky at times and she sounds a bit old for Christine. Raoul's voice is alright. Carlotta's voice isn't at all what I expected. I expected it to be loud and powerful. This one is soft and almost sweet.

I bought it mainly for the cheap price. S&H cost more than it. The people were okay, but this wouldn't be the best one to buy. If you are willing to listen to a shaky, whiny cast, but it. If you want an addition to a collection, buy it. If you are looking for fabulous singers and music, don't.

This is the recording with Kyra Bronte so if you already have the recording with Michael Heate and Kyra Bronte do not buy this, this is the same recording

This was a HUGE suprise! The singers on this CD are VERY much musical-theatre singers and sound amazing! The music is bare...HOWEVER - real. A real pipe organ is used along with other non-altered instruments!

One year, as a birthday surprise, I recieved this rather enigmatic recording. I use the word "surprise" because, although an avid fan of musical theater, I had heard of but had never before expressed any interest whatsoever in "Phantom." This CD was my first introduction to Lloyd Webber's sometimes lauded, sometimes reviled phenomenon. It has spoiled me for most other recordings. The performances on this CD, albeit mysterious, are incredible, far surpassing those of other, better known casts (yes, I also own the Original London Cast.) Christine, who sings with a clear, expressive, and meliflous soprano voice, makes a complete and utter fool of the likes of Sarah Brightman, who, incidentally, sounds as though she is singing through a mouth full of cotton and mashed potatoes. The Phantom, who posseses an enviable baritone/tenor range which is at once seductively sweet and marvelously menacing, outshines even Michael Crawford, whose wonderful performance earned him a Tony Award. While this recording is frustrating in its lack of infromation and does not include such jewels as "The Music of the Night," and "Notes," the studio cast more than compensates for its deficiencies with unparalled performances. If you are in the market for a highlights version of "Phantom," forego the Original London Cast and buy this one. You won't regret it for a moment.