The Phantom of the Opera music – analysis and songs
WARNING – THIS IS VERY BIASED DESPITE CLAIMS OF BEING UNBIASED DURING THE MIDDLE OF FIC. TRUTH OF BEING VERY BIASED IS INSERTED IN THE END. THANK YOU FOR READING. IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN UNBIASED ANALYSIS, I SUGGEST THAT YOU FORGET ABOUT PUTTING YOUR HANDS AT THE LEVEL OF YOUR EYES, AND SIMPLY READ ANOTHER FANFIC. HAVE A NICE DAY, AND REMEMBER TO LEAVE A REVIEW!
Here we are! Hello, it is me and I am doing a little project. One of the biggest arguments when concerning the Phantom of the Opera is whether Christine should be with Raoul or Erik. For those of you who have only seen the musical, the Phantom has a name. His name is Erik, and no, he is not actually a ghost he is a man; a very deformed man who happens to be a genius concerning architecture and music. I just wanted to clear that up to avoid any confusion.
I have the resolution to the argument! I have put aside what us readers want, and instead I have taken a look at what the characters want. I concluded that the best way to do this would be to look at their emotions, and the best way to do this is? To look at the songs of course! Since songs are basically poetry (if you don't believe me take a look at the lyrics to any pop song), I will be able to analyze them and show us all the truth! All readers should be warned to keep their hands at the level of their eyes; the truth can be quite shocking.
The songs we will go through are:
Angel of Music
The Mirror (angel of music part 2 if you will)
The Phantom of the Opera
Music of the Night
All I ask of you
Masquerade
Wishing you were somehow here again
The point of No Return
Down Once More
In this update we will go through the first five.
These are all the songs with Christine, Erik and Raoul in them. The songs that actually have to do with them. I can't put 'Think of Me' on here as it's sung in a play, so Christine doesn't mean a word she says there. I know what you are thinking, "So why is 'The Point of No Return' on here? That's sung in a play too!" All in good time my readers, all in good time.
I am being as objectified as possible and I am basing this on the musical. No books here. All my type will be bolded.
1st song – Angel of Music – Christine, Meg Giry, Erik
Erik: Bravi, bravi, bravissima
Meg: Where in the world have you been hiding?
Really you were perfect.
I only wish I knew your secret,
Who is this new tutor?
Remember that Christine has just come off stage. She played the main role in Faust. She used to be a choir girl, but Erik pulled some strings and got her the main part. How nice!
Christine: Father once spoke of an angel
I used to dream he'd appear
Now as I sing, I can sense him
And I know he's here!
Here in this room he calls me softly
Somewhere inside hiding
Somehow I know he's always with me
He the unseen genius
Christine at the start of the play, is obviously feeling very affectionate towards Erik (her tutor in case no one caught that)
Meg: Christine you must have been dreaming
Story's like this can't come true
Christine you're talking in riddles
And it's not like you
Christine: Angel of music, guide and guardian
Grant to me your glory!
Meg: Who is this angel Christine?
(Group 1) – A duet or chorus will look like this
Christine: Angel of music hide no longer, secret and strange angel!
Meg: Angel of music hide no longer, secret and strange angel.
Christine: He's with me even now.
Meg: Your hands are cold.
Christine: All around me.
Meg: Your face Christine it's white!
Christine: It frightens me.
Meg: Don't be frightened.
Christine just did some thinking and decides (thanks to Meg) that maybe this isn't a good thing. Notice that she only becomes scared after Meg starts asking questions like, "Do you really know him?" and tears down all her hopes of her daddy sending an angel down from heaven. And yes, Erik accepts this title (at least I think so), so he can talk to Christine. Would you befriend a disembodied voice coming from your bedroom walls? I think not.
After this Meg gets called away and Raoul comes in. He talks about the Angel of Music stories her father would tell them. Christine tells Raoul that she has been visited by the Angel of Music. He doesn't believe her and invites her to come over for dinner. He assumes that she accepts, despite her numerous protests that she really doesn't want to come. He runs off to fetch something.
2nd song – the mirror (angel of music part 2) – Christine, Erik, Raoul
Erik: Insolent boy! This slave of fashion!
Basking in your glory!
Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor!
Sharing in my triumph!
Erik can be a bit possessive (understatement), but keep in mind that because of his disfigurement he has had no friends and no real family. It is almost certain that he has no social life and Christine is the only person to care for him. Of course he falls in love with her! He is worried that Raoul will steal Christine away (which he does, so kudos for Erik here) so he gets jealous and immediately hates Raoul. Another reason for Erik to hate Raoul is that Raoul is handsome. Think about it. Erik adores beauty in all its forms (music, acting…) and his soon to be rival just happens to be breathtakingly handsome. Oh Christine, you shallow girl, you. Moving right along then.
Christine: Angel I hear you speak, I listen
Stay by my side, guide me
Angel my soul was weak, forgive me
Enter at last, master.
She obviously knows which buttons to push. Note how desperate she is to be nice with him, while with Raoul she might as well have said, "Go away, I don't want to go to dinner. Fuck you, you attention demanding bastard." I'm just saying. Please don't hurt me.
Erik: Flattering child you shall know me
See why in shadow I hide
Look at your face in the mirror
I am there inside!
Evidently, Erik has zero willpower when it comes to Christine.
Christine: Angel of music, guide and guardian!
Grant to me your glory!
Angel of music, hide no longer!
Come to me, strange angel!
Erik: I am your angel.
Come to me angel of music.
Wait a minute! Who is Erik referring to here? He doesn't consider himself an 'angel of music' or else he would have said, "I am your angel of music, come to me …" Is he referring to Christine as an Angel of Music? I think so.
Raoul: Whose is that voice?
Who is that in there?
Oh right. I forgot about him.
Erik: I am your angel of music.
Come to me angel of music.
…how conceited… keep in mind, there are two reasons Erik could be saying this: 1. He is conceited and 2. He heard Raoul and is very desperate to get Christine in the mirror quickly. Now is his only chance.
Note how before he heard Raoul, he didn't call himself an angel, ok he did, but not an angel of music. When Raoul comes he goes, "Oh crap, I'm an angel of music, really, get your butt over here." This points to reason #2.
Raoul: Christine! Angel!
Erik pulls Christine in the mirror leaving Raoul shocked. Erik leads Christine to his home in the basement of the opera house. How does nobody notice him? Let me explain. I need to pull some info from the books, but whatever, this is needed to spare us all an intense headache while trying to figure this out. Erik was the leading architect building the opera house. After working hours, he worked in the basement building an area for himself to live in. He also built numerous secret doors and hollow walls and stuff, allowing him to travel anywhere in the Opera house without anyone seeing him. Erik is also an expert ventriloquist, now doesn't that explain a lot? See, not a ghost. Erik is just a man, albeit a genius. When the opera house was finished, Erik disappeared, and nobody knew that he had taken up residence in the maze of tunnels in the basement. Soon they forgot about their architect.
3rd song – The Phantom of the Opera – Christine, Erik,chorus1
Christine: In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice which calls to me
And speaks my name
And do I dream again?
For now I find.
The phantom of the opera is there
Inside my mind.
My, my Christine. Have you been dreaming of your beloved Phantom/Angel of Music/Erik? Christine hints that she has dreamt of meeting him (and do I dream again?)(In dreams he came), almost to the point of obsession perhaps? This seems like a recurring dream, if it wasn't than it would be a lot harder for her to remember it. She also seems like she's in shock. Like she can't fully believe what is happening. Which is perfectly acceptable, she was just pulled through a mirror and is led down stairs and dark tunnels, only to be put on a boat. Yes, there is a lake in the basement. I did some research and it flooded, the workers were never able to drain all the water out. That is in real life mind you! The writer put it in the book, and it was then put in the musical. But the musical doesn't explain anything because they expect you to know all this. Or maybe they are just lazy.
Erik: Sing once again with me
Our strange duet
My power over you
Grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me
To glance behind
The phantom of the opera is there
Inside your mind.
Yes, Erik does come off a bit creepy here with the whole power thing, but in a sense it is true. She thinks of him as her angel and friend. She's been dreaming about him, he obviously holds some sway over her. In this scene he is basically proving his existence, which would make him seem more 'real' to Christine, thus increasing the sway he holds over her. And about the whole turning back thing, once again, she is confused here and very likely has no clue what is going on. Remember, she considers him to be an angel sent from heaven. Why would an angel take her to the bowels of the opera house? Clearly, in proving his existence, Erik has shattered the illusion that he is an angel. She realizes that he is in fact the phantom of the opera, she is scared and confused. (Earlier in the play the Phantom/Erik made a prop fall, which in turn drove Carlotta away from the opera house, which then got Christine the main part in Faust as she was Carlotta's understudy. I told you Erik pulled some strings earlier didn't I?)
Christine: Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear
Erik: It's me they hear
What does she mean about being his mask? I have no clue. This (and the end) is basically the play's 'fuck you moment'.
(Group 1)
Erik: My spirit and your voice in one combined.
Christine: Your spirit and my voice in one combined.
(Group 2)
Erik: The phantom of the opera is there
Christine: The phantom of the opera is there
(Group 3)
Christine: Inside my mind
Erik: Sing.
Chorus1: He's there the phantom of the opera.
Beware the phantom of the opera.
Beware? That's kind of uncalled for… She begged him to reveal herself, he obliged. Where is this "fear him!" vibe coming from?
Erik: In all your fantasies
You always knew
That man and mystery
Christine: Were both in you
Again, confirming that he is no angel. About her fantasies, there must not be much to do in an Opera house, because now Erik reveals that he is in fact a stalker. How else would he know that? I have a feeling that Christine certainly didn't tell him, "Oh Angel of Music, I think you're really the Phantom of the Opera, but I don't really care and I won't act on my suspicions!" Well done Christine. You are shallow and lazy. Why am I doing this again?
(Group 4)
Christine: And in this labyrinth, where night is blind!
Erik: And in this labyrinth, where night is blind!
(Group 5)
Christine: The phantom of the opera is here
Erik: The phantom of the opera is there.
Christine: Inside my mind
Erik: Sing my angel of music
Christine: He's there, the Phantom of the Opera
*cough* If you would scroll back up to 'The Mirror', this proves reason #2. He does consider her the angel of music! Although I'm not altogether sure what the major difference is between an 'angel' and an 'angel of music'. Do Erik and Christine think that an 'angel of music' has a higher status then a regular angel?
Erik: Sing
Sing for me
Sing my angel of music!
Sing for me!
I know, this part looks weird, but I can't type in Christine's high pitched wordless singing. After this Erik tells Christine that he wants her to sing his music. This (for an artist) is a very big and meaningful thing. It is almost guaranteed that if you ask an artist to show you his/her work he/she will be reluctant and nervous to show you, especially if it isn't finished. The fact that he wants her to sing his music really says a lot. Artists are very fragile things and if you say that their work sucks, you probably won't ever see it (or them if they worked really hard on it) ever again. He is demonstrating remarkable trust considering that everyone he's met has probably wanted to hurt him. (Just read Phantom by Susan Kay, it's heartbreaking) Argh! I promised no stuff from the books! …Ah well… Much as the play has a 'Ha! Ha! Fuck you' moment, this monologue has one as well.
Moving right along with the plot, Erik then serenades her with this song. About halfway through, a mannequin with a wedding dress on it is shown to Christine. That's actually very sweet when you think about it. He proposes with a serenade. So very cute!
4th song – The Music of the Night – Erik
Erik: Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness wakes, ands stirs imagination
Silently the senses, abandon their defenses
Helpless to resist the notes I write
For I compose the music of the night
Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it; sense it, tremulous and tender
Hearing is believing, music is deceiving
Hard as lightning, soft as candlelight
Dare you trust the music of the night?
Dare you trust your emotions? Do you trust me?
Erik: Close your eyes for your eyes will only tell the truth
And the truth isn't what you want to see
Erik is in fact very intuitive, and knows that Christine doesn't think that she loves him, even though she does at this point in the play. The woman practically worships him, and if she didn't love and trust him, then why didn't she run away when he was leading her down to his home and proving that he wasn't an angel? Obviously, Christine didn't care that he wasn't an angel. If she only viewed him as 'my tutor the angel', she would have cared and then she would have run right back to her room!
Erik: In the dark it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be
Obviously someone has self-confidence issues. You don't think you're worthy of her love Erik? Seriously? They both need to open their eyes. Christine needs to face the fact that she loves him, and Erik needs to believe in himself more. I wonder what Raoul is doing through all of this?
Erik: Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night
As creepy as this sounds, he is telling her to accept the fact that she loves him (open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind). He is referring to their love as the darkness and perhaps to himself as the music of the night. In short, what Erik is saying is this, "Christine, you love me, don't try to hide it." Which actually isn't that creepy…
Erik: Close your eyes, start a journey to a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes and let music set you free!
Only then can you belong to me
Once again, asking Christine to accept her love for him and spend the rest of her life with him. Set your emotions free Christine! Don't hide them! You can't hear it in the type, but (only then can you belong to me) is sung very sadly. Poor Erik is obviously very scared that Christine won't accept her love for him. And then he keeps serenading! This guy's got guts.
Erik: Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night
You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night
He is saying in the last two lines that he can only be happy if she is with him. Very sweet, very romantic, let's see if Christine accepts this proposal. Of course she doesn't! Then the play would be over. You foolish optimist, you!
The wedding dress mannequin appears and Christine faints. Who knows why, because I sure don't! Erik carries her to a bed and tells her that he loves her…even though she can't hear him. I'm not sure what he was thinking, but whatever. Let's move along.
She wakes up in the morning to find Erik playing his organ. She being curious, attempts to take off his mask. He stops her with a hard glare and does his best to ignore her. She rips off his mask and he gets really pissed. Erik chases her around the stage, but Christine has already seen his face and runs away terrified. It can't help that he is shouting at her, but of course Erik is angry! The mask was there for a reason: privacy! If I was disfigured I wouldn't want people to look at me. Christine rips that privacy away from him and he tries to get it back. Eventually he collapses and starts crying when he realizes how much he is scaring Christine. Christine cautiously gives him his mask back. Then she collapses and starts crying. Both of them have done some very bad things here. Christine should have asked instead of ripping the mask away, and Erik shouldn't have chased her all over the stage trying to get it back. They both acted rather childish actually.
Erik starts talking to Christine in an attempt to comfort her. He tells her how he has always wanted to look like a normal person. Really Erik? Is that what you want? We couldn't tell. Can you state that again please? He tries to touch her, but she recoils.
After she stops crying, Erik realizes that, believe it or not, the Opera will need Christine to sing in the coming performance. He leads her back up and we find out what Raoul has been doing all this time: nothing. *cough* you sure care Raoul. He doesn't even press anyone for info!
The managers have gotten Carlotta back and she will sing instead of Christine. Erik gets pissed and shouts at them that Christine should get the main role or a disaster will occur, but they don't give a damn about what he says and Carlotta gets the role anyways.
During Carlotta's performance, Erik somehow ruins her voice. She is rushed off stage, and the ballet dancers come on, but Erik has a mischievous, playful side to him! He makes shadows on the walls to scare the dancers and the only thing that ensures that they don't flee the stage is the dancing instructor, Madame Giry (Meg's mom, I know, that came out of left field there didn't it?) thumping her walking stick and telling them to smile. Then the corpse of Buquet (some guy with no real importance in the play) drops onto the stage. It is hung by the Punjab lasso, Erik's weapon of choice.
Christine drags Raoul up to the roof and tells him where she was. He doesn't believe that she was with the Phantom. Even though it makes perfect sense considering what just happened on stage! Dammit Raoul! Listen to her!
They sing a song together. This is my least favorite song in the whole play apart from 'Masquerade' and 'Primadonna'.
5th song – All I ask Of You – Raoul, Christine, Erik
Raoul: No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you
This is actually very sweet, Raoul doesn't believe a word she is saying (I don't actually think that he's listening to what she's saying), but he still try's to comfort her. That actually is very nice, but I'm not sure that I like the romantic innuendo's…
Christine: Say you'll love me every waking moment
Turn my head with talk of summertime
Say you need me with you now and always
Promise me that all you say is true
That's all I ask of you
"But? What? No! What happened to Christine's love for Erik You were going on about!" Calm down reader, calm down! Christine isn't singing of her love for Raoul, she wants him to comfort her. Is it possible that Christine realizes that Raoul is only comforting her because he loves her? I think so, if you look at the text above closely, you will see that she wants to know that someone isn't lying to her. She wants only to be comforted by someone. She is still confused and distraught from what happened with Erik and Raoul gladly plays the part of her shining knight in white armour.
Raoul: Let me be your shelter
Let me be your light
You're safe, no one will find you
Your fears are far behind you
Christine: All I want is freedom
A world with no more lies
And you always beside me
To hold me and to hide me
Notice how Christine is still focusing on the whole 'hide me' aspect. She is angry that Erik lied to her, and perhaps angry with herself for believing him? Think about it, "I'm an angel Christine, please talk back to me."
"Oh, ok then!"
Note also that she wants Raoul there to hide her from Erik. She is hurt and wounded by what happened and right now she doesn't want to see him anymore. Raoul, of course, doesn't notice this and continues on with:
Raoul: Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you
Anywhere you go let me go too
Christine, that's all I ask of you
Of course, right now, all Christine wants is someone to comfort her. So of course she plays along and accepts his offer, she is not intuitive, but she is smart enough to know that if she doesn't accept his offer, he won't hide her from Erik and comfort her. They have been best buddies all their lives; of course she wants his comfort!
Christine: Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you
Gosh Christine, you're just full of lies today! You lie to yourself about your emotions. You lie to Raoul and tell him you love him (when you don't)! I must say, everyone in this play seems to have some sort of issue: Erik has self-confidence issues and believes he is worthless, Christine lies to everyone including herself, and Raoul is thick and doesn't listen. *sigh*
Christine: Share each day with me, each night, each morning
Say you love me
Raoul: Though, I do, love me
(Group 1)
Raoul: That's all I ask of you
Christine: That's all I ask of you
Again, with Raoul loving her, it ensures that he will always be there to protect her from her own emotions. It means that she doesn't have to come to terms with them. It means she can hide away. This is why I hate this song. Lies! Lies everywhere!
(Group 2)
Raoul: Anywhere you go let me go too!
Christine: Anywhere you go let me go too!
(Group 3)
Raoul: Love me, that's all I ask of you
Christine: Love me, that's all I ask of you
They skip off and Erik comes on. He was there the whole time. Were you surprised? Come on, we already know that Erik follows Christine around like a lovesick puppy.
Erik: I gave you my music
Made your song take wing
And now, how you repay me
Denied me, and betrayed me
While singing this Erik sounds crushed. As though Christine has ripped his heart out and stomped all over it, which in fact, she has. He gave everything he had to her and then she goes and throws it away. Erik is absolutely right when he says that she has betrayed him, but she has also betrayed herself by denying her feelings.
Erik: He was bound to love you
When he heard you sing
Christine, Christine
It sounds like Erik starts to cry and sobs out her name. Erik is right again! Raoul only notices her when Christine starts singing, until then he doesn't seem to care that his childhood friend is on stage. Only then does he notice her beauty and her voice. Tell me Raoul; were you blind and deaf up until that point? No, he most certainly was not. And then, almost as if to taunt Erik we hear from offstage:
(Group 4)
Raoul: Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Christine: Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
(Group 5)
Raoul: Say the word and I will follow you
Christine: Say the word and I will follow you
(Group 6)
Raoul: Share each day with me each night, each morning
Christine: Share each day with me each night, each morning
Erik lets out a scream of grief and rage.
Erik: You will curse the day you did not do
All that the phantom asked of you
He then lets loose some maniacal laughter. This song is truly heartbreaking; no one leaves or comes in happy, well except for Raoul. Erik is miserable and vengeful, he has had the only happy thing in his life taken away from him and Christine is acting the whole time! She is crying on the inside for her true love, Erik. She wants Raoul's protection, not his love. She doesn't want to be alone. She feels she has been deserted by everyone, her father died, her angel is really Erik (ouch) and now her best friend will leave her too unless she tells him that she loves him. She clings to the only 'normal' part of her life that she has left: Raoul. And that, my friends, is not love. The only one happy is Raoul: he has his true love safely in his arms and doesn't realise that she doesn't love him. And that is why I hate this song, what seems like a simple love song is actually a twisted search for what exactly? Heartbreak, and believe me, it will come. Unfortunately for you, this is the end of act 1; this is so very long (as you already know) that I will continue this in act 2. Until then!