The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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...Read more

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...Read more

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...Read more