Just received my copy of "The Phantom of the Opera" songbook from sheetmusicplus - it's based on the movie version with 3 additional pieces not in the stage play - and it contains photos of scenes from the movie, those of which contain Emmy Rossum ("Christine") are particularly delightful.

As soon as I finish work on a couple of other pieces I'll start work on one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's best songs ever: "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from this exciting and dramatic production.

Anyone else working on or thinking about doing something from "Phantom"?

Trap

I'm not but I think you just inspired me.

I love POTO. It really inspired me to properly learn the piano. But it's been years since I've played it. All I Ask Of You is about the only thing that stuck with me over the years. I also managed to learn Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again and Angel of Music. When I find the time I plan to refresh the stuff I've learned in the past and forgot.

Have fun with it!

You know I'm always thinking about this. Not hardly at the point of playing any of these on piano yet. I'll get there.

This is the kind of music that the forum owner posted about in that recent thread. Lets face it. Those plays are all about the music. Just ask Mr. Webber. His stuff and Les Miserables are outstanding in the world of music.
I do have to admit. Just "Broadway" I'm not crazy about. But this music is the best.

You've chosen an outstanding beautiful song. One to easily obsess over.

I'm taking it you got the piano versions? Makes me think. This is where Mr. Webber created those melodies. Where they began. And Mr. Webber is the artist playing those on those recordings? Of course you got the recordings and the sheet music. Right?

Would love to see Emmy doing this live. Absolutely sweet, beautiful, precious heifer...in every way.

Glad to hear it - go for it - in the world of music it doesn't get much better than this - the music itself is an intense inspiration.






Thanks - I'm absolutely sure I will - "The Music of the Night" is also an intensely seductive piece that I think will be my 2nd undertaking from this collection. And I hope you do find the time...




I fully agree - my favorites from Les Mis are "Bring Him Home" and "Empty Chaairs at Empty Tables" - I've seen Les Mis live in 6 different production - simply the best ever!



Yes, it's the piano version - I've posted this elsewhere recently here at PW but for those unfamiliar with the song and this wonderful performance of it, here it is again:






Trap

Hiya Trap! This book was one of the first ones that I got for piano. I want to learn "The Music of the Night" and the "Angel of Music." Is your book the Easy Piano one?

What the heck does Easy piano mean anyway? Level 1, 2 3?

I also have two version of this musical on Dvd. One by ALW and the other by the same director of Nightmare on Elm street! LOL. I'm not sure how long it will take me to learn the songs I want as I think it's still above my skill level.

Becca - here is the book I have - it is based on the movie version directed by Joel Schumacher and produced/written by Andrew Lloyd Webber himself - it contains additional instrumental pieces he wrote especially for the movie. As you can see it's difficulty level is rated "medium", which is not sheetmusicplus' normal way of indicating "easy piano". Also, check out the reviews there...


POTO

"Easy Piano" can mean a lot of different things to different people at different levels of skill - basically in refers to arrangments for relative beginners which contain fewer notes and less complex combinations, e.g., few if any chords (either melody chords in the RH or harmony chords in the LH) that contain 3 or 4 or more notes.

Trap

Very nice. I found mine there also: ALW-Easy Piano As you can see, yours has more songs to play.

Wouldn't that be considered musical influences? I'm not sure where the line of influence to plagerism is drawn for music (writing is so much easier to figure out.)

Not even a coincidence - hardly even a faint resemblance - more like a desperate stretch - what are the chances that Webber was familiar with any of those artists/musical works, let alone all of them? Slim to none.

Nice try, no cigar...you could take selected works of just about any composer and come up with the same thing given enough time & imagination...


Trap

San Francisco Opera Magazine, Vol. 87, No. 5, 2009–2010 Season, June–July 2010, page 42, box in lower right corner of the page, titled "Was Puccini Robbed?"

"The climactic phrase in Dick Johnson'a aria, "Quello che taceta," bears a strong resemblance to a similar phrase in the Phantom's song, "Music of the Night," in Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera. Following the musical's success, the Puccini estate filed suit against Lloyd Webber accusing him of plagiarism and the suit was settled out of court."

Oh, I forgot about Music of the Night. Honestly it was never my favorite song, but I used to play that as well, back in the day.



Love Les Mis as well. Seen it 6 times (most on Bway) too! Never managed to learn Empty Chairs, but it's on my to do list. I've got A Heart Full of Love in my repertoire, needs some brushing up though.

I barely hear it, but it's not like he's the only one. Many songs sound like other songs. For instance that Bruno Mars song, It Will Rain sounds a lot like Adele's Chasing Pavements.

I agree, but it's so BLATENT. Name me ONE other composer who has been sued by the estate of a dead composer. And he settled!

There are many people who have seen it many more times than us - but, you're obviously a person of impeccable character and highly discriminating taste - but then it takes one to know one

Trap

Nothing like unpretentious humility.
I honestly haven't caught on to the large group songs in Les Mis? Guess I'm missing something? Love: A Little Fall of Rain. On My Own. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. I Dreamed a Dream. Don't think I missed anything.
Must confess. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing one of these plays live. I live in a place so highly cultured that "Young Frankenstein" is the latest thing to come to the civic center. To be fair; The Black Hills Playhouse does do some good work.

Gee...nobody wants to jump on the Phantom's Organ music? Bwaaaaa ha ha ha! Maybe Rossie?

I heard that! NO, I generally dislike organ music, especially that of the "Blackpool tower ballroom wurlitzer" type.

I have got the coconut headed ones sheet music songbook from Cats though, I bought it to learn "memory"
which I love as a piano piece.

Oops... the guy is everywhere instantly! Oh come on Rossy. Not even with your Basset Hound at your side?

Love "Memory"... Would love to sing it with a full grown Siberian Tiger at my side. End it with: Touch me... you will know what happiness is...unless I'm hungry...Then you're lunch.

All excellent songs but I think you might be missing this:





Jean Valjean sings a prayer for the safe return of his future son-in-law Marius from the next days battle in the streets...one of the emotional high points in a show filled with them...

Trap

Thank you. You are right.

Another one I've seen. Where two men and a woman sing together. The woman is Fatine...I think one of the men is Marius, then another. What I saw. They didn't really hit it. I can see that it could be fantastic if they're really together on it. Difficult to do right.

Thank you!



Haha! The last few shows I've seen were Godspell, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Hair. Really enjoyable shows, good performances / singers. But I'm more a fan of semi-operatic and old school R&H / Gershwin musicals. Unfortunately none of my peers want to see those types of shows these days.

I love the musicals of R&H - always have, always will - the only thing that I've never been able to decide about them is which one had the most great songs...some dilemma, huh?

Trap

I know! I mean, Sound of Music is great, love the movie and Julie Andrews, but I think Oklahoma! and Carousel are far more superior musically. I can't decide which I like better though!

I always thought that the Battle of Most Great Songs was being waged among The Sound of Music, The King & I and South Pacific, but it's all a matter of personal preference...

Here's an outstanding R&H songbook in my music library that I heartily recommend:

The Rogers & Hammerstein Collection


Trap

I hadn't played anything from this musical before, but I just tried a lead sheet of The Music of the Night and was quite amazed at how well it sounded, even with just the chords. The only other song from Phantom I have is All I Ask of You, and I might see if I can't play that one right now.

OMG! I just realized I don't have a R&H song book! What is wrong with me!?!

Lol, but thanks, I'll check this one out.

Have fun - but then it's guaranteed!

Trap

Definitely true.
Very true.
Insanely true.

I for one. Won't turn on my beloved Phantom. Nor the brilliant masterpiece of Les Miserable. Did I say brilliant? Yes, brilliant. Don't forget masterpiece.
Some of us require more depth of meaning in our music.
I won't say who. (Singing: On my Own.)
I'll be turning in early again tonight. So I can wake up to practice my Music of the Night.

I hope all traitors have Music Man nightmares. Barf...

OK, I'm a bit late here, but...thought I had read somewhere that Emmy was, like, what? 16 or younger when she was in this movie? I recall her being very young, not even 18! Lovely voice, but seemed so odd to me to cast someone so young in this role. Ah, Hollywood...

BTW, how's the arrangement on Phantom in your book? 50% of the time I hate the arrangements....

(addendum: Ok, so she WAS 18....)

You're welcome - and hey, I still don't have any sheet music for Les Mis - hard to believe and perhaps unforgivable...but a sad situation easily correctable with another visit to sheetmusicplus

Trap

Ron - there really is no conflict or incompatibility at all between the music in Phantom or Les Mis and the truly beautiful songs of R&H such as "If I Loved You" or "Some Enchanted Evening" or "Climb Every Mountain" or "The Sound of Music" itself, or "Love Look Away" or "Hello, Young Lovers" or "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" or many others...they're all part of the spectrum of wonderful music that constitute the best popular songs ever written - I'd hate to think you may be denying yourself a whole lot of marvelous listening enjoyment - maybe a refresher by cruising YouTube for good R&H vids...

Trap

I hadn't heard the story of plagiarism before...hmmmmm. Sometimes "settling" just means it's not worth the hassle of going through court not that one is guilty don't you think? But interesting tidbit all the same. Thanks for sharing that.

I do love the POTO music and am playing through "All I ask of you" now. Can't quite get the final key change without adding some flats that don't belong. It's fun to play and my listeners appreciate it more than they do the classical pieces. I'm now inspired to hear the music from Les Mis. I show the non musical version in my Ethics class as an exemplar of multiple approaches to ethics and love the story. Have never heard the music I'm sorry to say.

From the books I've got...Easy can mean level 4-5 as well or intermediate level. They vary so much you almost have to play through them to see what level they're at. Sometimes they call it easy when it has accidental after accidental which I don't find easy.

"All I ask..." is a beautiful duet (although it does break the Phantom's heart, and then embitters him...).

WiseBuff, who are you playing for?


Here's a few more of the numerous great songs from Les Mis for your edification, entertainment and enrichment (these are all from the 10th anniversary concert in London):











Trap

I like to...lets say...over do it a little when making a point in a post. The basic is truthful. Although... I could never hold anything against Julie Andrews...a wonderful singer. Many of those songs are really good. I really like the work of Steven Sondheim and Jerry Hermann also. What a profound song: Send in the Clowns. Could mention others. I uphold Brian Stokes Mitchell as one of the very best. Man of LaMancha...what a beautiful romantic insanity. Impossible Dream a great song. Nobody does it like Brian. R&H has some really great songs.

Still, I must conclude that I love the deeply profound, which illustrates a love greater than selfish love. That is what we were meant to discover...to evolve into in this life. There is where hope lies. In the loss of self. The gain of life...even past death. Conquering death.

Trapper
I'm playing mostly for myself and occasionally for family members. Ah...and the occasional Denver piano party with PW friends. I have to really KNOW a piece before I can play for an audience...even a small audience. The piano is my morning friend and I enjoy spending time conversing with her. She always wants more time with me but other duties call.

Ron - that sounds like something the Phantom might say in his deepest, darkest dispair...in the movie version at the end when Christine's husband, the Count, returns to visit her gravesite half a century after the strange events at the Paris Opera House he finds a single rose lying on her tombstone - a symbol that the Phantom is still alive, still visiting the cemetery too, and still in love with her...

Trap

In illustrating the Count's learning of unselfish love. What precious, extremely personal gift, did he bring to her gravesite?

WB - yes, I understand - my DP is both a morning companion and an evening companion - but, I'm not so sure we're always on the best of terms - in fact, she can be rather contentious and uncooperative at times, perhaps far too often - I keep threatening to trade her in on a new model but I doesn't seem to help - she refuses to be intimidated...I think she's had a sneak peek at my financial statements and knows it's an empty threat

Trap

I began my study today of the medium difficulty version of "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from the songbook I mentioned in the OP. I'll be working on this beautiful piece part-time, probably during my morning practice session.

I'll continue work on the equally gorgeous song "Looking Through The Eyes of Love" during my evening practice session. This is the theme from the movie "Ice Castles" from the late 1970s. This is an "advanced" arrangement (I'm trying to challenge myself somewhat to push the envelope forward along the learning curve). I've been hammering away at this version for the last 3 weeks and am only now starting to get somewhat of a handle on just the first verse.

Hopefully, I'll ultimately get one or both of these tunes polished to the point where I'll feel confidant enough about their quality that I'll want to upload them to an ABF Recital in the future. We shall see.

Trap

I just found Vocal/Piano score for Les Miz on their website. Says the piano is "easy". ????
Have to see it. Give it a try in the future. Maybe near?
So I ordered it along with the Complete Symphonic Recording. Supposed to be the best of the best vocals. Need something decent to listen to in that trash truck.

So.... I may bless (curse) you all with my pounding of keys if I end up looking for opinions on how I'm doing something. Yes....I can pound real good!

I really should be picking up some stuff from the Really Useful Group. Just haven't yet.

Ron - good luck and have fun - is this the one you ordered?


Les Miserables - Easy Piano


Trap

That appears to be it. Didn't have as much description as your source.

EDIT: I'd like to add. I'd like to take back what I said about not being impressed with anyone but Michael and Lea. For a few reasons, been looking at the best youtubes of this I could find. Much from the 25th anniversary concert. I have to say I'm impressed with everything. Must confess that there are some singers I can understand their words better than others. As far as performance...different people are different...they all give it all they got. Impressive.... fantastic songs... a masterpiece.

Phantom just yesterday celebrated it's 10,000th performance on Broadway in NY City - it has been running continuously there since 1988 (since 1986 in London) - that's about 24 years - it is, by far, the longest running show in Broadway history, and second only to Les Mis in total worldwide performances. It has now earned $845 million since it's beginning, and doesn't appear to be losing any of it's appeal since last year was it's best ever in terms of revenue.

Here's another great song from POTO in celebration of the Celebration:





Trap

I've had this one for what must be about 20 years. Very familiar with listening to and playing these great songs.

Les Mis is the king for me, though. Seen that 11 times now - 8 in the Palace Theatre in London, once after the move to the Queens Theatre, once on Broadway and finally the recent 25th Anniversary Concert at the 02 Arena in London.

Once of my best Christmas presents of recent years was a new Les Mis music book, which unlike my old one contained Red and Black and One Day More. Good times.

Scotty - I've always felt the Webber "borrowed" from other composers and the music he writes is not always his.

Did he write Miss Saigon? There is a scene taken from Madama Butterfly plus if I remember a version of Puccini's music.

I'm not a big fan of Weber's Broadway Musicals. He's doing something right - Phantom of the Opera is still running. Something for everone.

People in this country having been taking the Michael out of ALW's plagiarism for decades. (This one's taken from a BBC organised event.)




The case against him is more robust than many other music plagiarism cases that hit the London courts. I think he settled with the Puccini estate to keep it out of the press: a court case would have meant plenty of adverse coverage across the media, every day. And on top of that, the decision would have been against him.

My reasoning on the possible outcome is this: 1. In the Ray Repp plagiarism case that was brought against him, ALW employed not only expensive lawyers but an expert musicologist, to demonstrate that (a) ALW had in fact plagiarised himself and (b) the original (in 2 parts) which he had plagiarised predated Ray Repp. In other words, ALW has the full resources (financial and professional) to defend himself against an accusation of plagiarism, in the courts, if he so wishes, and if he thinks he can win the case. 2. ALW has made other out of court settlements regarding other issues. He is familiar with the legal options open to him, through personal experience and expert advice. 3. The allegations in the Puccini case referred - AFAIK - not just to a motif, but to the key recurring melody, to orchestration, and to various different sections of music, not just the one. I conclude that in this case ALW took expert advice and found that he didn't have a legal leg to stand on, so he settled out of court in order to minimise the public damage to himself.

What's he doing right? He's created another niche in the tourist industry, with the hordes of MOR people who travel from the global boondocks to see things wrapped up in shiny stuff. These people spend money. Pretty much like The Mousetrap.

He reminds me of all those vinyl discs you could get in the 60s and 70s, covering all the songs of the day.

Hound - you are a true believer You really do put the word fan back into the word fanatic from where it came! I'm envious - but that gives me an excuse to see it at least 5 more times just to catch up with you, which I will do if I get any chance at all.

Trap

musdan - FYI, from Wiki:

Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. The setting of the plot is relocated to the 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and Madame Butterfly's American Lieutenant and Japanese geisha coupling is replaced by a romance between an American GI and a Vietnamese bar girl.

They are the composers of Les Mis also...

Trap

I get tired of reading people talking about accusing Mr. Webber of plagiarism. All any of us have to do is go over to a hear and play site...They will teach you how simple music melodies are... how there are only so many of this and so many of that and most all out there follow those melodies...how there can't be much change from all this because it's all been covered somehow before. Talking of plagairism is just destroyers destroying. Selfish people trying to profit from someone elses hard work. It isn't easy putting on plays. It's work. You risk losing your money. No guarantee anything is going to make money.

Now what Mr. Webber does right? He puts on stuff that has hope. Illustrates a love that is greater than selfish self serving love. The Christians borrow the Greek word: agape, for this. This is what ALW does right. People go to his plays and are fed something greater in their hearts and minds than selfishness, self centered thinking, and destruction.

Eglantine - so sorry about the invasion of those "hordes of MOR people" from the "global boondocks" spending all that filthy money on "shiny stuff" - it must be excruciatingly painful for those of you in the rarefied air of the super-refined and oh-so-sophistcated elite to even acknowledge these great unwashed and smelly peasants (scum that they are), let alone mingled with them in the theater district - you have our deepest sympathy - hopefully this too will pass...in the meantime: keep a stiff upper lip and keep that nose pointed skyward!


Trap