Swing Joined: 6/9/05
Did anyone realize that the end of this song was transposed a step lower for Emmy Rossum at the end of the song? (when the Phantom says "sing my angel of music!" and Christine just sings without words) I noticed it the first time I saw the movie, but I was just reminded once again. Does anyone know why -- was it because they wanted it that way or Emmy couldn't sing the high C and E? Sorry if this has already been posted, I just think it's interesting.
Broadway Star Joined: 8/11/04
They've transposed it before as I have heard on a German recordings. I don't really thing it's that rare because obviously a High E is very, very, difficult to sing. I highly doubt Emmy could it hit it well. She probably could be probably not that well. For instance I can hit it, but does it sound pretty? Nope, and I've been privately and classically trained for eight years.
Like I said, it's a very difficult note and if the right person doesn't sing it, it sounds just like a screech unlike Sarah Brightman's awesome high E.
They left out a verse in the middle ("In all your fantasies, you always, that man and mystery were both in you) and one of the Ah modulations at the end, so that's two steps lower without transposing the entire song.
The song wasn't transposed a whole step lower, just a half-step. So Rossum's version ends with a high E flat/D sharp, not with an E natural like Brightman's.
Featured Actor Joined: 8/24/04
Brightman sounds like she's screaming more than singing the note on the OBC anyway.
Broadway Star Joined: 9/8/04
And even then it sounds like it's digitally enhanced.
Broadway Star Joined: 1/20/05
Neither Rossum or Brightman can sing at all!!
Or Hanson..or Joseph. Although the former has been argued..
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/29/04
guys, it's called a semitone, not a half step.
Leading Actor Joined: 12/31/69
Not surprised... Emmy was awful in the movie and she didn't deserve the role. There are much more talented people that are capable of singing POTO better than her and actually in the right key.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/05
Emmy may not be the best singer, but compared to the horror that was Gerald Butler, Emmy was practically Streisand.
The only thing I liked about the movie was the performance of Miranda Richardson as Giry - she sang all her own stuff and was just about the only person in the movie to use a French accent, which makes her the most professional of the cast members. Minnie Driver has some funny moments, but overall, this movie was a huge bomb for me. Not only is it Andrew Lloyd Webber (can you say "yuck"?) but most of the cast couldn't even sing!
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
Why should they have French accents? They are French people speaking French.
When you do "A Little Night Music", do you use a Swedish accent? When you do "Romeo and Juliet", do you use an Italian accent?
For that matter, why the hell do the Thernardiers have Cockney accents on the OCR of Les miz?
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/30/05
good point... i've never understood the cockney accent thing? Especially when Eponine has a really over the top one... mentioning no names but when we listened to it we just cried with laughter the girl was so bad.
Broadway Star Joined: 9/8/04
>>>>Emmy may not be the best singer, but compared to the horror that was Gerald Butler, Emmy was practically Streisand.
See, I don't get that. To me, both Emmy and GeraRd seemed to be on the same level singing wise. Though I would rather listen to him over her any day. She was not better than he was, IMO, and yet people trash him within an inch of his life. If you say he can't reach notes, listen to Emmy.
My point is that if someone in a show has an accent - EVERYONE in the show should, if the characters are mainly all european or what-have-you. What would be wrong with everyone in Night Music having a Swedish accent? Not a thing.
>>>>guys, it's called a semitone, not a half step.
Semitone, half-step, same difference: both mean the smallest interval in the Western tonal system.
"Emmy may not be the best singer, but compared to the horror that was Gerald Butler, Emmy was practically Streisand."
But compared to Emmy and Gerard, Minnie was Streisand.
Swing Joined: 6/9/05
Yeah, but people seem to have a blindspot in really listening to Emmy...or thaht's how it seems to me. haha. I have two friends who are obsessed with her and refuse to listen to other recordings of POTO...they're missing out. But I've heard "But she was only 16 when she filmed the movie, she has a good voice for being so young," but in that case, they should have gotten someone older with a good voice.
I know it's been discussed before, it's just been driving me crazy.
(and sorry...i meant half-step in the original post, but typed just one step for some reason)
How come "And in this labyrinth where night is..." isn't in the title song in the movie?
Broadway Star Joined: 9/8/04
Because then Emmy would have had to sing the cadenza at the end in the original key.
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