Musicians - The Phantom of the Opera

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The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l’Opéra in French) is a French novel by Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialization in Le Gaulois from 23. September 1909 to 8. January 1910. It is believed to have been inspired by George du Maurier's Trilby. It was translated into English in 1911. It has since been adapted many times into film and stage productions, the most notable of which was Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical, which is now the longest running Broadway show in history.

The story is about Erik, a ruined genius with a mutilated face, who terrorizes the Paris Opera House, under which he builds his lair and where he takes a beautiful soprano, whom he loves, under his wing.

The novel has a significant cult following, members of which term themselves 'Phantom Phans'.

Plot summary

The Phantom of The Opera is a Gothic novel, combining romance, horror fiction, mystery, and tragedy.

Leroux's original 1910 novel is set in 19th century Paris at the Opera Garnier (The Paris Opera or The National Academy of Music), which was built between 1857 and 1874 over a huge underground lake. The employees claim that the opera house is haunted by a mysterious ghost who wreaks chaos and destruction when displeased. Erik, posing as the "Phantom of the Opera" (Opera Ghost in the Mattos and Bair translation), sends the managers of the Opera Garnier repeated threats of future catastrophes should they not pay him a monthly stipend of 20,000 francs and perpetually reserve box 5 for him at every show. This arrangement, unbroken during the many years of the manager's tenure, is abruptly broken off when two new proprietors, Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard, take over the opera house and refuse to give in to what they view as the empty threats of a madman.

Meanwhile, Erik has taken on a new protegée, Christine Daaé. He tells her that he is the "Angel of Music", a spirit sent by her dead father from heaven to help her, and proceeds to give her regular voice lessons through the wall. Under the tutelage of her new teacher, Christine makes rapid progress in her musical studies and achieves new prominence on the opera stage when she is selected to replace the current prima donna Carlotta, whose act is sabotaged by the Phantom. Christine shines in her featured debut and immediately wins the hearts of the audience, including that of her childhood boyfriend Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny.

Erik becomes envious of Christine's growing relationship with Raoul and brings her down to his Gothic world beneath the opera house. Christine quickly learns that there is nothing at all angelic about Erik, who is as malicious, terrifying, and bitter as he is brilliant and pitiful. She is infuriated at having been deceived by an incredibly silly criminal, and demands to be set free. Erik promises to let her out after 5 days. When Erik sings a love song to her, Christine rips off his mask, driven by curiosity to find out what the face of the man who loves her, lied to her, and kidnapped her looks like, and why he wears a mask. "If I live to be one hundred, I should always hear that superhuman cry of grief and rage which he uttered before that terrible sight reached my eyes," Christine later tells Raoul while recounting what went on below the Opera House. The Phantom is furious and tells her that she will have to stay in his lair forever, but later changes his mind. Christine is released, but only after promising to return on her own will and swearing to never give her love to anyone else. Christine returns out of pity, but only after planing an escape with Raoul.

But the Phantom isn't the only one who is envious. After Christine's debut performance, Raoul overhears Christine succumbing to a tyrannical, disembodied voice in her dressing room (Erik). He becomes suspicious that another man is taking advantage of her innocent belief in an "Angel of Music" to seduce her. He starts spying on her, attempting to seek this mysterious seducer. Christine suddenly becomes aware of this and is very angry, but after Erik reveals himself to be the Phantom of the Opera, she decides to tell Raoul on the roof of the Opera Garnier everything that has occurred between her and Erik. The two of them plan to run away from Paris and the "horror of Erik."

The Phantom discovers their plan and abducts Christine from the stage during her final performance at the Opera Garnier as Margarita in Gounod's Faust, at the part where Christine, as Margarita, is appealing to the angels. Raoul follows them down into the depths of the lake cavern beneath the opera house and is guided to Erik's lair by a character known as the Persian. Unfortunately for both of them, the entrance they take to Erik's lair leads instead to a torture chamber, where they helplessly listen to Erik raging at Christine, who lied to him and betrayed him. He threatens that should Christine not marry him, he would explode the Opera House and "many members of the human race" would be destroyed. Christine, now on the brink of suicide, sadly accepts his proposal.

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Musicians - The Phantom of the Opera

Plot summary

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