|
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
|
Product Description
Review
As the most anticipated musical of the millennium, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies is almost guaranteed a lukewarm reception. Being the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, the most successful musical of all time, tends to have that effect. Indeed, the ‘phans’ have already shown online support of what little they’ve been allowed to hear, but as the show takes up residence at the Adelphi there’s sure to be an increasing gulf between them and all other consumers. In truth, this cast recording inevitably falls somewhere in the middle of the two camps.
Immediately, the obvious plot asserts itself as a weaker aspect of Love Never Dies – even the title assures the audience that they’re unlikely to be too bleary-eyed as they leave. The action begins around ten years after Phantom, in Coney Island, where the Phantom (Ramin Karimloo) has risen to lead a freak show. Without divulging too much, the love he lost at the end of Phantom returns with her ghastly husband and all necessary plot twists (involving paternity issues, among others) are present, if rather hackneyed.
Lloyd Webber shows no musical progression since Phantom, and the emotional content is disappointingly broad and impersonal. There is not enough menace in the freak show sections, and the attempts at rock during The Beauty Underneath are laughably leaden (especially given the rollicking numbers that pepper Jesus Christ Superstar). Perhaps most damagingly, the female lead of Christine is underwritten and terminally fixated on the Phantom’s magnetism.
Memorably, this male dominance is accentuated by an entertaining display of bravado early in the second act as the Phantom and Christine’s husband trade insults in a bar, making the crucial female parts seem almost forgotten by the composer. Likewise, in the musical’s most memorable song, ‘Til I Hear You Sing, Karimloo’s performance is full-blooded, but the melodies are not as immediately recognisable as, say, The Music of the Night.
Themes from Phantom are reprised occasionally, with The Point of No Return featuring prominently – however, harking back to the original only highlights the inadequacies of the whole. Simply put, the songs aren’t there and the dark emotional milieu of the original has been lost in favour of confusion. It’s not as loveable and not as shattering in purely musical terms. That’s not to say that it’s without highlights, but it gives Lloyd Webber a problem: phans will rejoice, but most likely alone. --Daniel Ross
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Product Description
titolo-love never dies. phantomcompositore-andrew lloyd webber etichetta-universaln. dischi2data5 marzo 2010supportocd audiogenerepop e rock internazionalecolonne sonore-brani----disco 11.prologueascolta2.the coney island waltzascolta3.that's the place that you ruined, you fool!ascolta4.heaven by the seaascolta5.only for him / only for youascolta6.the ayrieascolta7.till i hear you singascolta8.giry confronts the phantom / 'til i hear you sing (reprise)ascolta9.christine disembarksascolta10.arrival of the trio / are you ready to begin?ascolta11.what a dreadful town!...ascolta12.look with your heartascolta13.beneath a moonless skyascolta14.once upon another timeascolta15."mother please, i'm scared!"ascolta16.dear old friendascolta17.beautifulascolta18.the beauty underneathascolta19.the phantom confronts christineascoltadisco 21.entr'acteascolta2.why does she love me?ascolta3.devil take the hindmostascolta4.heaven by the sea (reprise)ascolta5.ladies...gents! / the coney island waltz (reprise)ascolta6.bathing beautyascolta7."mother, did you watch?"ascolta8.before the performanceascolta9.devil take the hindmostascolta10.love never diesascolta11."ah, christine!..."ascolta12."gustave! gustave!..."ascolta13."please miss giry, i want to go back..."
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!,
By
This review is from: Love Never Dies (2 CD) (Audio CD)
I first heard 'Phantom of the Opera' 18 years ago. I remember buying it as a double cassette tape, when I was 13 years old, and it blew me away. I've loved the show ever since. Because of this, my expectations for 'Love Never Dies' were very high indeed. In fact, after bringing the CD home, I left it on my desk for several hours before I had the courage to listen to it. I was worried that it could never live up to what I expected (and wanted) it to be.
'The Beautiful Game' was truly awful. 'Whistle Down the Wind' was good in places and disappointing in places. 'The Woman in White' was excellent. 'Sunset Boulevard' was fantastic. And what about 'Love Never Dies'? I think 'Love Never Dies' is absolutely and consistently brilliant. It is better than 'The Woman in White', equal to 'Sunset Boulevard' and almost as good as the original 'Phantom of the Opera'. Listening to this show, I was swept up in the melodies, I was there! The new Phantom has an amazing voice. In fact, at times, I thought it was still Michael Crawford. I can't wait to listen to it again.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phantastic!,
By
This review is from: Love Never Dies (2 CD) (Audio CD)
Well I came to this with little anticipation. Some of the reviews of trhe previews were not great and I was never a huge fan of the original Phantom show or score. But I have to say that this is great. It is very clever at subtly developing themes from the original but not using the obvious melodies. The singing is superb and orchestrations lush. There does seem to be a negative groundswell of people pre-empting the opening tonight in London - my advice is to rid yourself of these thoughts and just listen with an open mind.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"hearts may get broken... love endures!",
By
This review is from: Love Never Dies (2 CD) (Audio CD)
I absolutely love the phantom of the opera. I think the music is sublime- the best musical by a mile. The first time i listened to this cd i was in two minds about it. However on the second listening i was absolutely enthralled. Almost as good as the original! I was listening in bated breath throughout- The story line is REALLY REALLY GOOD, the ending kind of spoilt it for me but can't have it all.
shining moments: *love never dies *'til i hear you sing *once upon another time *beneath a moonless sky *the beauty underneath *look with your eyes and *devil take the hindmost These songs were absolutely breathtaking. Very high standard of lyrics and singing and I was as enchanted as I was when i first heard songs from the original. 100% worth the money any day of the week just to hear the title track alone. and i'm sure that every phantom phan will buy it anyway even if they don't really rate it. It is the sequel meaning more PHANTOM!!!!!! hmm maybe i should add another star for that (XD)
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
