The Phantom of the Opera

One of the most beloved Broadway musical and novel, The Phantom of the Opera has fascinated many with its mystery of music love and death. While many focus on this incredible story, many opera lovers were surprised to find that the famous death of The Phantom of the Opera hid a real truth. There were phonograph records buried deep below the Palais Garnier.

The truth of The Phantom of the Opera was 24- 100 year old phonograph records that were found stored safely within two large metal urns. These records have been buried since 1907 and contained the long dead voices of some of the world’s most famous operatic singers including Patti, Melba, Calve and Caruso.

While many Phantom of the Opera enthusiasts were stunned, not all were surprised by the discovery. It was known for a very long time that there was a long sealed room many stories below the Palais Garnier. This “time capsule” was not to be opened until 2007- a request that was respected by the opera.

In addition to some of these treasures being opened in 2007, in March of 2008, another metal urn was opened. Inside the urn was another batch of breathtaking recordings filled with many of the best operatic singers the world has ever known. To learn more about The Phantom of the Opera records, which will soon be digitally recorded and made available to all, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

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