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British singer is austere on new albums but her art does not always imitate life
By Preston Jones
McClatchy Newspapers
Published on Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
A riddle: What do the 2008 Olympics, the gore-streaked Saw movie franchise and famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber have in common?
Give up? The answer is Sarah Brightman.
Gifted with a glistening, ice-carved soprano known the world over, the 48-year-old Briton began her eclectic career in the late 1970s as a member of the dance troupe Pan's People and, later, Hot Gossip (even recording a cover of the 1963 teen-pop confection My Boyfriend's Back).
Brightman made the transition from light-as-air pop music onto the stage and the London debut of Cats, where she met Lloyd Webber, whom she married in 1984 (they divorced in 1990). For his then-wife, Lloyd Webber created one of the most indelible musical roles of the 20th century, that of Christine Daae in his titanically successful 1986 musical, The Phantom of the Opera.
Away from the glow of stage lights, Brightman
remade herself as part of the ''popera'' vanguard, taking her place alongside other notable, classical-minded contemporaries like Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Charlotte Church.
This year has proved to be exceptionally busy for the vocalist: the release of two albums, Symphony and the holiday-themed A Winter Symphony; a cameo in the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies; a role in director Darren Lynn Bousman's peculiar rock musical Repo! The Genetic Opera; and a world tour.
''I do have a real passion for what I do, and I love to make it as complete as possible,'' Brightman says during a recent phone interview. ''It's hard at times because my career is often a whirlwind. But I actually do feel extremely privileged with what I do because, in a way, it's my hobby.
''I enjoy various parts of it tremendously and get such a huge creative satisfaction out of it; it does allow me to go in all sorts of different directions.''
You'd be forgiven if you picked up a copy of Symphony, Brightman's first album of new material in five years, and thought you'd grabbed an Evanescence album by mistake. The artwork, much like the music, reflects a darker, more Gothic tone. For that matter, A Winter Symphony may be one of the chilliest Christmas albums in recent memory.
But art does not always reflect life. Brightman simply claims that the more austere tone stems from having the luxury of time; some four years in all were dedicated, off and on, to Symphony's creation.
''It was interesting to see my tastes and what I wanted to do for the album change completely during that time,'' Brightman says. ''Taking time is a good experience. So Symphony ended up being a much more interesting album than had I completed it in a year. Everything about it is a much richer piece.''
While Symphony was afforded breathing room, Brightman had to hustle to wedge the recording of her first-ever holiday album, complete with bombastic treatments of Silent Night and Ave Maria, into her often hectic schedule.
''I'd always wanted to make a Christmas album, because I love that time of year,'' Brightman says.
''We never really got it together because . . . it was a timing issue. I finally got to the point where I said, 'I don't care anymore — I've got to make a Christmas album.' What I didn't expect was how I would feel trying to make a Christmas album during the summer months in Europe.''
Brightman's summer wasn't exclusively devoted to sonically evoking the dead of winter — she also took time out to travel to Beijing and perform You and Me (in both Mandarin Chinese and English) with Chinese vocalist Liu Huan. It marked the second time the singer has appeared at the Olympics: in 1992, she and Jose Carreras performed the soaring Amigos Para Siempre at the closing ceremonies in Barcelona, Spain.
In another unlikely turn, Brightman makes her American feature film debut as Blind Mag in the eclectic, eccentric rock musical Repo! The Genetic Opera, which also stars Paris Hilton and Paul Sorvino. Bousman, who directed two sequels in the bloody Saw series and is reportedly set for a sixth installment, had his mind set on Brightman from the early going.
''I don't really perform in movies,'' Brightman says. ''I've done bit parts and things . . . but not a proper feature in America. Darren just called me out of the blue and said, 'I'd really, really like you to come over and do this part; you're perfect for me. I've been watching all this stuff on YouTube and your Web site — you're perfect for it.' ''
Brightman took some convincing, as she was in the midst of finishing up Symphony, but once Bousman described the film to her, she signed on and soon found herself on a Toronto soundstage.
''It was a part I felt I really could get hold of and work with,'' Brightman says. ''Otherwise, I wouldn't have done it, I don't think.''
The twists and turns in Brightman's career don't strike her as particularly strange, especially given her more than 30 years in the music business. Yet her fervent fan base, considerable artistic clout and an estimated 26 million records sold provides some measure of comfort, a safety net that's allowed her to make unconventional choices and push the boundaries of blending pop music and steadfastly traditional opera.
''I think that has come from just having a very long career,'' Brightman says.
''Obviously, I've moved during that time into many styles of music — some I've actually moved into myself, others have come by default — (and some) helped you decide on certain other areas you wouldn't have even thought of going into. You take a lot on board during a long period of time in music.''
But nothing brings as much warmth to Brightman's voice as talking about her fans. The conviction she brings to her craft belies her otherwise genteel nature.
''I want (audiences) to enjoy the music,'' Brightman says. ''That's what we're there for as artists: to enjoy ourselves and to create wonderful, entertaining situations for people to enjoy, be sad about (or) whatever emotions they want to get out of it.''
A riddle: What do the 2008 Olympics, the gore-streaked Saw movie franchise and famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber have in common?
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