Sarah Brightman is a musical phenomenon. Her blockbuster albums Dive, Time to say Goodbye, Eden, La Luna and Classics have sold more than a staggering 15,000,000 copies worldwide and her concerts are famous for their rich creativity.
The variety of styles that Sarah Brightman's career has encompassed is astonishing, revealing her multi-faceted talents: Starting as a child performer she went on to study music theory with classical vocal training in the 'modo bel canto' and, at the age of 18, was already a successful recording artist as well as a professional dancer; combining her vocal talents with her ability as an actress she moved on to become the undisputed queen of musical theatre- Cats and Phantom of the Opera to name but two of the productions she starred in. Her role of Christine, which was written just for her, is still a favorite of fans all over the world.
She has become known as the first artist to fully develop the genre of classical cross-over, a term which, however, the grammy-nominated soprano finds restrictive:
"I've always been known for interpreting beautiful music, music that I really like, and I find that certain pieces fit into different areas at different times; what I mean to say is that I can hear "modern" treatments to "Classical" pieces. If you think of how Opera was viewed in the past you will see that it was always about popular reception, there was no elitism then and I don't see why there should be now. Even the term "Classical" has overtones that I don't really agree with, you wouldn't class Stravinsky and Brahms together in musical terms and yet they are both "Classical" composers. What I have done is to take fantastic melodies and interpret them in my own way."
But Sarah Brightman's music is not just about re-working classical pieces, her albums are to be found in the pop, cross over and dance charts revealing an eclecticism on the part of her public that testifies to the breadth of her appeal. Her beautiful crystalline voice is like no other female singer and her 4+ ocatave range is mesmerizing.
For more about the woman, I have found this article:
Brightman is the oldest of six children. Her ambition to be an artist was clear from a very early age. She often took ballet lessons and was an excellent student.
In 1978 she joined the dance group Pan's People. She later went on to lead Hot Gossip, a mixed dance act who appeared regularly on The Kenny Everett Video Show. The group, who were somewhat more 'raunchy' than Pan's People, had a chart-topping disco hit in this year with "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper", wherein she first discovered her vocal talents.
In 1981, Brightman tried out for a role in the then-new musical Cats. It was there that she met her future husband, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. She got the part. Lloyd Webber divorced his first wife to marry Brightman in 1984. She went on to star in a number of his musicals, including Aspects of Love and The Phantom of the Opera which was written specifically for her. Fame as an actress came at a price, however. The theatre-goers refused to give Brightman the credit she felt she deserved, saying that the only reason for her success was that she was the wife of Lloyd Webber. The two divorced in 1990, but relations have remained cordial.
In 1991, Brightman met her future producer and boyfriend, Frank Peterson. With Peterson's help, Brightman would become an international star. Their first collaboration on a major label release (with A&M records) was Dive (1993), a water themed pop album featuring the hit 'Captain Nemo'. The album was far from a flop, but its success was small compared to achievements soon to come.
Fly (1995), a pop/rock album, propelled Sarah Brightman to fame in Europe with the hit 'A Question of Honour'. The song was introduced at the World Boxing Championship match of Germans Henry Maske and Graciano Rocchigiani and featured a compelling mix of dance music, rock elements, classical strings, and Brightman's operatic vocals from 'La Wally'.
Between Fly and her next album, a single song catapulted Sarah onto the world stage. 'Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)' was the second Brightman song debuted for Maske, this time at his retirement match. This fully classical-styled duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli sold more than 4 million copies in Germany alone, the biggest selling single there to date, and a bestseller in numerous other countries. This triumph gave Sarah the confidence to fully take on the challenges that classical music and opera had to offer.
Timeless (1997) contained the worldwide phenomenon 'Time to Say Goodbye' and other classically inspired tracks such as "Just Show Me How To Love You" (with José Cura), a cover of the Queen hit "Who Wants to Live Forever", and "Tu Quieres Volver", originally by the Gipsy Kings, made this album one of her most popular.
While Brightman's capabilities as a pop and later as a classical singer would bring her some renown, it was her inspired creative partnership with Frank Peterson on subsequent albums that have and continue to cement her worldwide success. The vocal-electronic sound of Enigma, with whom Peterson started his career, has been expanded to become a distinct meld of classical, pop, and electronic sensibilities. Brightman's mega-selling albums Eden (1998), La Luna (2000), and Harem (2003) represent the successive incarnations of this Brightman-Peterson formula. The subsequent, and ever larger scale live tours for each of these albums have successfully incorporated the theatricality of Sarah Brightman's stage origins to please audiences.
Sarah has released a new album, titled Symphony. She is also sporting a new look for it, going blond; I almost didn't recognize her but she still looks gorgeous. Exploring a bold range of styles, Sarah has created another collection of material that cannot be easily categorized, but remains entirely accessible to lovers of various musical genres. From the Gothic tempestuousness of "Fleurs du Mal," to the pleading "Let It Rain," Symphony is teeming with both audacious defiance and vulnerable sensuality. Sarah has said the following about its release:
“ Whereas most singers gravitate towards
vocal works, I have always been far more
drawn to symphonic work, where the
composer paints a story that the listener can
see without opening their eyes. Over the
past four years of recording this album,
I find myself approaching my music
even more visually than I ever have before.
I found that the canvas was endless for this album. ”
Sarah adds that the album earned its title because it is truly "A coming together of many different elements to create consonance with harmonious textures that still hold true to a common thread running down the centre of the album. Throughout my career I have worked in so many different styles of music," says Sarah. "This is the first album where all of these styles come together to create a very diverse musical landscape." Recorded in Germany, the USA and the UK, Symphony features all new songs, and was created by Sarah with long-time producer, Frank Peterson. In addition to reuniting her with Andrea Bocelli on the sweeping, romantic "Canto Della Terra", this characteristically eclectic album features collaborations with Spanish countertenor sensation Fernando Lima ("Pasión"), Italian tenor Alessandro Safina ("Sarai Qui"), and rock superstar Paul Stanley of KISS ("I Will Be with You").
Also, Sarah's Official Site has posted that they are pleased to announce that Sarah will be starring as Blind Mag in the upcoming Lionsgate movie, "Repo! The Genetic Opera." Sarah has just finished recording the soundtrack, and will commence filming in mid-Sept 2007. "Repo! The Genetic Opera" is an avant-garde, horror/rock opera movie directed by director Darren Lynn Bousman, who is acclaimed for directing the Saw II, III and (forthcoming) Saw IV blockbusters. Set in a post-apocalyptic and stylistic comic-book world, this project is being hailed as unprecedented, and the plot as audacious.
The music in this movie is described as "wall-to-wall" and "a mix of industrial with opera." Many musicians, including Jane's Addiction and Nine Inch Nails, are collaborating on the project. Although the role may come as a surprise to her fans, it is perhaps not so unexpected, considering Sarah's penchant for blazing new territory and fusing eclectic musical styles. After all, Sarah is difficult to pigeon-hole, and has always dared to to defy convention. Sarah fans, brace yourselves... You are in for a radically different facet of your favorite diva... this time on the silver screen!