Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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594 of 651 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely great, December 13, 2004
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.
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231 of 252 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed in myself for not being open to the new singers, December 13, 2004
I'm not going to write a long review on this soundtrack. Those of you who have only listened to the soundtrack but have yet to see the movie judge too soon and too harshly. All true fans of ALW's Phantom of the Opera will be impressed. The music will come together a lot better when you see the movie. I'm disappointed im myself for not being open to Gerard Butler's part as the Phantom. It's not fair for any of us to criticize him for his singing only because it's different from Michael Crawford's. I'm also not going to revolve this subject about the singers not quite measuring up or that they don't sound like the original cast of almost 20 years ago.
I believe M. Menzer said it best on their review that
"They're different singers. Their voices have different tambres. Gerard Butler is not the tenor that Michael Crawford is... 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."
Please take this morsel of advice when you approach the silver screen; view the movie with an open mind and do yourself a favor; cast away the sounds of the original cast when you see it. (They're too old to take those parts again and you know it) You'll only disappoint yourself if you don't. You won't be let down, I anxiously await its release on DVD, and will probably see it a couple more times at the theater while I wait.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful beyond belief, March 10, 2005
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.
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Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Gaston Leroux
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
~ Andrew Lloyd Webber
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
DVD ~ Gerard Butler
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by Andrew Lloyd Webber 
