For many little spinaches, the most heard Western musicals should be "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera".
When these two classic musicals are put together, one person will immediately come to mind:
Andrew Lloyd Webber is a famous British musical theatre composer.
Today is his 70th birthday, and we will tell his story.
This man was a rare musical theater genius, known as the "modern Schubert".
His masterpiece "Phantom of the Opera", which has been born for 32 years, has been staged in more than 74,000 performances in 145 cities in 27 countries around the world, won 70 theater awards, and has been watched by more than 140 million people around the world.
In 2015, "Phantom of the Opera" was staged in China, and Uncle Bo deliberately went to experience it once.
That kind of shock that reaches the heart cannot be forgotten to this day. The classics are permeated with modernity, which not only blurs the obscurity of classical music, but also restrains the publicity of modern music, in short, everything is good.
All of this is inseparable from Weber's genius grasp of the rhythm of musical theater.
Born into a family of British musicians, Weber has been immersed in classical music since childhood, and the rock culture of the 1960s has tainted him with pop.
His ability to navigate both pop and classical styles is what makes him so beloved.
In an interview with BBC, Weber summed up his more than 50-year musical career with 7 songs.
1. "Dreams Come True"
From the 1967 musical Joseph's Magical Dress.
Weber was 19 years old at the time and had just met his gold medal partner Tim Rice.
Rice is keen on the choice of musical theater themes, Webb said:
I trust Tim Rice's instincts, he knows what works will go viral.
He was invited to write a song for a middle school choir to sing at an Easter concert.
Weber thought that this should be a song with a range and rhythm that can make children quickly get started, and as for whether it is suitable for singing in concert, it is not his point of consideration.
So, the song is simple, in a childlike tone, with a vision of dreams come true.
This should be a knock on the door for Weber and Rice to enter the musical theater stage.
2. "Superstar"
The song is from the 1973 musical The Stars of The World, based on the life of Jesus.
This is a 25-year-old Weber and Rice teamed up to create a very rock 'n' roll musical.
Serious religious stories with avant-garde rock music, if it were not for Les's precise and unique selection of materials, Weber's talent across the classical and popular fields, and the confidence of young people who did not know the sky high, the average person would not dare to try it easily.
Webb and Rice, a young couple who worked wonders along the way, presented new musicals to the world, and established their place in the history of musical theater.
3. "Suitcase in the Corridor"
another suitcase in another hallmadonna - evita (music from the motion picture)
An episode of the 1978 musical Evita.
This is a song sung by a little three in the play when he was on the street after being swept out of the main room, expressing a sad and fragile mood.
When writing the song, Webb and Rice tried to make it independent of the stage.
Sure enough, the song quickly squeezed into the top 20 of the Uk Hot Songs Chart, and later, Madonna's re-singing made the song rush to the top 10.
It was An attempt by Weber to challenge the pop song charts with a musical interlude.
4. "The Magical Mr. Mies"
From 1981's Cats.
"Cats" is Weber's adaptation of a poem written by Eliot for children, so it is very popular with children.
Prior to this, Weber had always liked to compose music based on ready-made lyrics, and "The Amazing Mr. Mies" was the first time he had written a song without lyrics.
Based on his impressions of poetry as a child, he wrote this vernacular jazzy "Magical Mr. Mies".
The significance of the musical "Cat" to Weber is by no means unique, because in the creation of the theme song of the play, "Memory", his conflict with his good friend Les intensified, and he eventually parted ways.
However, 24 years later, the two dramatically put their debut film "People Like Us" on the stage, as if everything had returned to the original point.
The most reliable partner in the world is not a heart-to-heart, seamless cooperation, but a clear bet not to interact with each other, but for the sake of common feelings, it will turn the old page in a dashing manner.
5. "The Music of the Night"
the music of the night(from "the phantom of the opera")andrea bocelli - cinema
From 1986's Phantom of the Opera.
Music of the Night is actually Weber's love letter to the goddess Sarah Brightman, who was "someone else's husband" and had just been separated from her ex-husband.
I thought it was a really good song, but at the time everyone said to me, "Andrew, you can't write a song for a woman who gets involved in someone else's marriage and still try to hide that." ”
Therefore, the song was not released after it was written, until the appearance of "Phantom of the Opera". But even so, in the musical, Sarah Brightman still failed to sing the song of her own, but was sung by the male protagonist Phantom.
But in reality, Weber is much braver and crisper than the Phantom. After divorcing his ex-wife, he was married to the goddess Brightman on March 22, 1984.
The most important thing to remember about a musical is that you want to be the guardian of the story.
Unfortunately, Weber's marriage to Brightman lasted only 6 years before it ended.
But they are rare lovers who can "remain friends after the breakup", and until now, this musical talent and the moonlight goddess still maintain a good working relationship.
6. "If I Never Say Goodbye"
From 1993 Sunset Strip.
Adapted from the 1950 black-and-white film of the same name, it is the story of a silent film actress who is immersed in a world of past glory and cannot extricate herself.
The climax of the whole play is in this song "If I Never Say Goodbye", which is also the best portrayal of the heroine's dream of returning to the stage.
When I first watched the movie Sunset Strip, I thought, "Oh my God, if I could get the adaptation rights, this song would make it worth the money." ”
7. "Men Must Be Strong"
From Weber's 2015 new drama "School of Rock", adapted from the film of the same name.
It was a song with a guitar-based soundtrack, and the rhythm reminded me of the days when we used to write "Superstars."
He found 13 young people and asked them to sing and dance while playing. Without saying a word, these young people performed themselves without prior consultation or rehearsal.
The audience didn't believe it was an improvisational performance, but the old man enjoyed it.
Although his body is aging, he still maintains a fiery young heart, not reducing the year.
For an artist, always young, always full of tears, is the secret of their continuous and enduring creation.
To meet Weber, to meet Weber musical, a blessing in life.