Sandy Clifford

Music 1010

Andrew Lloyd WebberThe Phantom of the Opera

As a youth…Born in London, England

on March 22, 1948. Family is very musically

inclinedPlayed piano, violin, and

French hornOriginally dreamt of

becoming the chief inspector of ancient moments and began studying history at Oxford.

First big hitsMet fellow musician

Tim Rice while attending Oxford.

Began writing musicals and pop songs together including such pieces as “The Likes of Us” and the ever famous “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

Hits the big time with some winners and losersBegins writing

musicals with popular music in a classical operatic style

1971: Jesus Christ Superstar

1974: Jeeves1976: Evita

CatsBased on Old

Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T.S. Eliot.

First premiered in London in 1981

Very unique plot with stage full of cats dressed in exotic feline costumes

Lasted for 21 seasons

The PhantomIntroduced in 1986Broke records all

over the world with its success and popularity

The highest making money entertainment event of all time

Personal LifeFirst met previous

wife, Sarah Brightman, when she was cast in some of his productions.

Left first wife, Sarah Hugill for her.

Brightman cast as lead in “Phantom”

Divorced in 1990 but continued to work professionally together.

Awards and Honors2 Oscar nominations7 Tonys3 GrammysBecame theater

owner in London which he restored in 2000.

Composition History Listening Guide

World famous due to its beautiful music and alluring plot of characters.

Gross total income of $5.6 billion since its first showing

Estimated 130 million viewers across the world

Longest running Broadway show of all timeFirst opened in London in 1988.Revenues surpass films such as “Titanic,”

“ET,” and “Star Wars.”

History of the Production

The Phantom continued. . . Premiered in over 20

countries being translated into at least 15 languages.

All album sales total over $40 million.

Became a film in 2004Came to the city of

Las Vegas, Nevada as a permanent production in 2006.

0:00 - Begins with familiar theme in a repetitious format on a minor scale giving listener a foreboding feeling

0:22 – Melody sung in homophonic texture with a heavy repetitive form. Deep pulse in the rhythm.

1:06 – Change in the timbre of the music with the Phantom’s voice being forceful and controlling. Dynamics change and harmony is again in a minor scale.

1:48 – Orchestra enters pushing a heavy tempo in a forte sound fluctuating its dynamics. Voices end in a consonant tone.

Listening Guide : The Phantom of the Opera

2: 26 – Moderate tempo with smooth melody. Dissonance is heard and instruments and introduced again into the piece. Heavy and scratchy electric guitar adds texture against Christine’s ascending and descending contour of melody.

Piece ends with a forceful and loud single note in minor and dissonant tone creating a tension to the listener.

0:00 – Song begins on a major scale. The tempo is adagio with a soft dynamic. Melody is smooth is a consonant harmony.

0:44 – Second verse mirrors that of the first with a slight increase in dynamics to a moderate forte and an increase in intensity approaching the bridge.

1:25 – New contrast in the melody with a yo-yo of dynamics throughout the bridge. Phantom’s voice resonates with a distinct timbre and rhythm

2:10 – Melody returns with a serene and smooth harmonic mode.

Listening Guide: The Music of the Night

2:53 – Song rises to the peak of its intensity. The strength of the instrumental sounds increase into a powerful cadence ending on a long, sustained note. Following this note, the piece retreats back into the soft and smooth familiar lullaby of the initial melody.

3:30 – Repeats in form, harmony, rhythm and tempo. Brass tones are introduced to add force to the cadence.

4:25 – Melody is played by heavy strings, drums and brass instruments leaving the listener to hear the melody in its purest and smoothest form.

4:46 – Return to original adagio tempo and piano dynamic. Large disjunct in the first few notes.

5:45 – end of song

0:00 – Absence of music, words sung without specific melody or harmony.

0:13 – Begins in a major harmonic mode with consonant sound. A repetitive pulse is heard on the off beat.

0:55 – Contrast in the melody, increase in the dynamics and tempo.

1:37 – Melody repeats again with a slight rhythmic pulse bringing a sense of foreboding

1:57 – Intensity increases and strings are introduced in a moderate dynamic. Texture changes with a second voice present created a harmony. The voices retreat to a piano dynamic ending in a minor scale with a final note that creates a audible dissonance.

Listening Guide: Angel of Music

"About." AndrewLloydWebber.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2012. <http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/about/>.

 "Andrew Lloyd Webber." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 3 Feb 2012. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/Lloyd-Webber-Andrew.html>.

 "Biography for Andrew Lloyd Webber." IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515908/bio>.

Buchanan, Jason . "Andrew Lloyd Webber." New York Times. n. page. Web. 3 Feb. 2012. <http://movies.nytimes.com/person/116170/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber/biography>.

 "The Show: Facts and Figures." The Brilliant Original Phantom of the Opera. N.p., 2012. Web. 3 Feb 2012. <http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/the-show/facts-figures>.

Bibliography