The Phantom Of The Opera Soundtrack

[Tina Larzelere]

Watcha classic horror film in the darkened Duke Chapel with a live, improvised soundtrack. Organist Peter Richard Conte will accompany the silent film The Phantom of the Opera (1925) at this special concert in our Organ Recital Series.

Free admission. Interest in this event is high; please plan to arrive early to park and get seated. Paid parking is available on a first-come-first-served basis in the Bryan Center Garage at 125 Science Drive. ADA parking is available in the surface lot at the same address.

Conte, one the most admired "orchestral" organists of this era, has presided over the world's largest fully functioning musical instrument at Macy's Center City in Philadelphia since 1989. According to a review in The American Organist, "Conte's brilliance in registration is incredible, his playing credibly, refreshingly excellent. Fabulous." He is highly regarded as a skillful performer of the standard organ repertoire, arranger of orchestral and popular transcriptions, and silent film accompanist.

Plus, Instagram users who attend the event can have fun using a custom filter to take photos of themselves in the Chapel "wearing" a phantom mask. To access the filter, use a phone with the Instagram app and tap here.

For the first time in Olympic history this year, single figure skaters will be allowed to use music with lyrics in competition. While ice dance teams are already allowed to do this, this is a big change for solo athletes, and we've already seen some embrace this by performing to Beyonc, Lil Jon and even the Hamilton soundtrack.

This will be an interesting year to tune in to figure skating, as in the past this limitation has led to some very uncreative song choices. While there are technically many options out there in the world of instrumental music, year after year many athletes choose to stick to the standards.

Arguably the most overused piece of music in figure skating history, this famous French opera has been used by more than 50 different skaters over the years, in every single discipline (women's, men's, pairs and dance). It's a versatile piece of music and depending on which part of this four-act composition someone uses, it can be playful or dramatic. Many have also extended this playfulness into their costumes, as seen with the over-the-top looks of Russian ice dance duo Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, or the more understated inclusion of fire-ombr and a rose accessory on American competitor Sasha Cohen.

One of the best-known ballets in the world is also a go-to composition for skaters. It's a particular favourite among the women's discipline, from three-time world champion Mao Asada to Canadian Olympian Kaetlyn Osmond, who will be skating to Tchaikovsky's music in her free skate in Pyeongchang. Note: this is also another program that has prompted some fun costumes, many that can rival the likes of Bjork's famous swan dress.

Of course, Swan Lake isn't the only popular Tchaikovsky piece used in figure skating. Another composition many skaters gravitate towards is Romeo and Juliet. Often used in pairs programs for obvious reasons, single skaters like Marin Honda, Sasha Cohen, Ashley Wagner and Daisuke Takahashi have also used Romeo and Juliet in competition.

Skating to Beethoven is almost like a rite of passage for figure skaters, and many have chosen Moonlight Sonata as their composition of choice. Russian champ Evgeny Plushenko, Olympic gold medalists Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, American Johnny Weir and French dance team Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron are just some of the people who have picked this piano number over the years.

This big symphonic suite has been used by over a dozen skaters. South Korean competitor Yuna Kim used this in her free skate when she won the 2009 World Championships and just a few years later, Japanese skater Mao Asada incorporated this piece into her short program during the 2011-12 season. American star Michelle Kwan also famously skated to Scheherazade at the 2012 Salt Lake City Olympics (her final Olympics), where she lost the gold medal a second time and placed in third.

Many figure skating fans will recognize the sound of those crashing symbols from this Italian opera. It's a grandiose soundtrack to many skaters' memorable programs, from Michelle Kwan to Kanako Murakami. It also appears to be a popular pick among Russian skaters, as the following have all skated to Tosca: world champion Irina Slutskaya, dance team Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, as well as Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko.

The Phantom of the Opera is synonymous with certain famous symbols and images: the rose with a black ribbon, the phantom's white mask, and a falling chandelier, to name a few. Besides these, and the grand spectacle of a Paris opera house, deep underground catacombs that make up the Phantom's lair, and a large mausoleum, The Phantom of the Opera is most acclaimed for its sweeping, soaring songs.

The movie, which is based on the play by veteran Broadway artist Andrew Lloyd Webber (who also did Cats), is a stunning extravaganza of music that's devastatingly romantic, and just plain devastating.

After Christine Daae's introduction to the Phantom, she awakes from her faint-induced slumber to find herself in the Phantom's lair. She sings her portion "I Remember" that leads into his "Stranger Than You Dreamt It" after she peels the mask from his face in a moment of his weakness.

Christine's portion is full of an innocent curiosity and naivet, which ultimately leads to her being hurt and scorned by the angel of music. Phantom's song is the first time viewers get a peek into the trauma of the opera ghost. Shackled to the underground labyrinth of the opera house, he refers to himself as a beast, a carcass, a monster, and believes he's in Hell, forever burning and yearning for Heaven's beauty. The instrumentals involve quick, successive sharp tones of orchestral strings. Though not present in the book, the tune in this musical (based on the 1911 French novel) is a memorable scene nonetheless.

After her mournful song in the graveyard where her father is buried, Christine sits on the steps of her father's mausoleum to say her final goodbye. As she does, the angel of music appears again, hypnotizing her again into the Phantom's presence.

In another beautiful duet between Phantom and Christine, they start to draw near one another again, Christine "yearning for his guidance" and declaring her angel of music her protector and beholder of true beauty. Phantom reminds her that he is the watchful presence that keeps her safe and cultivates her voice. The music swells and encompasses brass, winds, and strings, as she makes her way up the steps, and Phantom's voice is passionately mesmerizing.

This song, which involves the whole cast (minus Phantom) sees the opera house players as they get ready for that night's opening play. After securing Carlotta once again and demoting Christine to a mute role, the artists prepare during song in which they all reflect on the situation they're in.

"Prima Donna" reinforces the feminine divine of Carlotta and her leading soprano, while Raoul, Meg, and Madam Giry wonder what will happen to Christine, what misfortunes will occur when the Phantoms demands aren't met, and how a nation adores their artistic pleasures at the theatre. The musical accompaniment is smooth and sailing for much of the song, then comes to a loudly triumphant end.

The whole cast joins one another on-screen once again during this spectacular music number following a new year. The opera house is holding an exorbitant masquerade party full of costumes, drinks, dancing, and physical affection. It is one big party to greet a new year -- and simultaneously celebrating 3 months of being Phantom-free.

Perhaps the biggest of the film's operatic numbers due to the sheer size, magnitude, color, and musical force of "Masquerade", it is an unforgettable musical moment. The size of the orchestral instruments and everyone's voices add to the already magnificent and larger-than-life song where people must "guess the face" in a sea of yellows, blues, and reds, clowns, ghouls, and beasts.

The first time the audience gets to her Christine Daae's voice is in her solo performance in "Think of Me" when she replaces Carlotta after she storms out in a huff. Daae's entrance mimics the books' as she steps in to take her place on center stage.

The song, crystal-clear in its vocalization, and the light, springy, and sprightly music behind it makes this song one of the most memorable for the central character. The sound crescendos at the end produce a monumental effect on the audience as they listen to Christine's words of asking her lover to promise to remember her when their love has faded, much like the fruits and flowers of seasons do.

The song is hot and heavy with passion, and love, which is reflected in its lyrics, the props and set, and even the clothes they are wearing, a clearly perfect creative aura from director Joel Schumacher. The actors' voices are on full display as the song gradually comes to its louder close, and the images of their bodies, desires, and physical prowess for one another is unmatched when they sing of the flames consuming them.

The song is a heartbreaking one full of anguish and despair as Christine wrestles with the end of her affair with the angel of music. She is torn between wanting to maintain the relationship but realizing she can no longer be what is necessary to make him happy. She wants to break free and "try to forgive...give me the strength to try."

As they stand in the snow on the rooftop of the Paris opera house and sing of their love, devotion, and commitment to one another, it becomes increasingly harder for fans not to root for the two of them. It is a genuine show of sincere love and affection that culminates in a passionate kiss and the song that defines their relationship forever.

The solo performance from the opera ghost is one that follows on the heels of their famous duet together and that introduces Christine to the musical genius of the angel of music and his workspace. In a way that is almost intoxicating, Phantom seduces her with his world full of night, dreams, and music. He inspires her to let her spirit soar and succumb to the rich, full existence of his world.

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