Analysis of "The Music of the Night" from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

One of the most famous musical theatre songs is "The Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera (music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber). This song comes in the first known meeting between the Phantom and Christine, the two main characters. The Phantom sings this song to Christine while she is asleep expressing his pining for someone to appreciate him and his music.

It is a sweet song, sung at a slow pace, and the softness can be inferred from the lyrics. The song, especially at the beginning, has a lot of sibilance, which evokes the gentleness of the song. The first words are "Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagine. Slightly the senses abandon their defenses," which is full of sibilance. Not only does the sibilance contribute to the ambiance, but so does euphony. One of the verses goes like this: "Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams. Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. Close your eyes and let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live like you never did before." The repeated "r" and "l" have a soft sound that mirrors the song and its meaning.

Webber does a great job conveying the humane, gentle side of the Phantom in this song and this allows the audience to sympathize with him. When we see his dark side, one can be reminded of his gentle personality by remembering this song. We know what he is going through and what he wants, and the sibilance and euphony help the audience understand the gentle and soft side of the Phantom.