Gaston Leroux
The Phantom of the Opera
Most people have heard of The Phantom of the Opera, probably
associating it with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s successful musical or perhaps the
Hollywood film of 1921. How many people, however, have read the novel by the Frenchman
Gaston Leroux — let alone heard it? They are missing a treat.
The Phantom of the Opera is a horror story, which reflects
all the opulence of the age. It was written in 1911 and the story is set in
mid-nineteenth century Paris. Gaston Leroux, who had the dubious privilege of
being born on the train between Paris and Normandy, worked first as a lawyer
and then as a journalist before becoming a prolific novelist. These early
experiences and love of Paris give a definite flavor to the novel.
However, it is his knowledge of and fascination with the
Paris Opera House
that provides the authentic backdrop to the plot. It is here
that the gothic tale of horror is played out. Gaston Leroux maps out the
Opera’s corridors and dark passages, traces its workshops, sweeps us through
the wings onto its stage, climbs with us into its roof space and then drags us
down into its labyrinths.
This is an obsessive love story; full of contrasts. The
plush glamour of the front-of-house contrasts with the other face of the Opera
— the fearsome chill of the cellars. This is replicated in the beautiful young
life-affirming heroine, Christine, and her opposite, Erik, the hideous monster
who belongs to the underworld.
We, the audience, are absorbed and mystified: who is this
grotesque man in the mask? Illusion and reality criss-cross in rapid
succession. “Is it a ghost?” the ballet girls cry. We are led to believe that
it must be, but then what is real and what is not? Everything else seems so
normal, but can ghosts really write letters?
The story taps our darkest thoughts and most romantic
dreams. In one sense we are part of a battle between good and evil, as
Christine struggles against the pull of the embittered Erik. He has a real and
dangerous power, the power to teach her how to sing like an angel. She needs
him, yet at what cost?
Add to these rich ingredients a couple of buffoon managers,
a lovesick viscount and a wizard of a Persian who acts as a go-between ‘twixt
light and
dark and you have an operatic plot with elements of fairy
tale, pantomime
and farce.
And yet there is a serious element as well. As the story
progresses we learn
more about the feelings of tragic Erik. We begin to feel
sorry that life has delivered him such a terrible burden to bear. He is a man
who needs love, whose own mother could not bring herself to look at him. This
drives him to the brink of insanity. He is capable of evil deeds and we get a
glimpse into the workings of a criminally deranged mind.
The Phantom of the Opera lends itself perfectly to audio.
Its prose is elegant and musical, pleasing to the ear with its cadences and rhythms.
Take a deep breath and delve into the mysteries of the Opera.
Notes by Jan Fielden