Symphony Hall celebrates centennial of Phantom of the Opera
Rupert Julian’s classic silent film screened with live organ accompaniment from Brett Miller
PHOTO BY MICHAEL J. LUTCH, COURTESY OF THE BSO.
Rupert Julian’s Phantom of the Opera
Starring Lon Chaney as the Phantom of the Paris Opera
Featuring organist Brett Miller
Boston Symphony Hall
Oct. 31, 2025
On Halloween night, Symphony Hall buzzed with well-dressed attendees, many wearing ornate ball gowns and masks appropriate for a masquerade. Stretched cobwebs and plastic spiders decorated the hall’s entrances, distinguishing its atmosphere from other nights. At 10:30 p.m., the lights dimmed for a screening of Rupert Julian’s 1925 silent film Phantom of the Opera, accompanied by a live organ performance by Brett Miller.
Miller briefly introduced the silent classic, explaining that it had premiered at the Astor Theatre in New York City with live accompaniment, a standard practice for silent films of that era. The film follows the story of Christine Daaé (Mary Philbin), a young soprano at the Paris Opera House who becomes the obsession of the Phantom (Lon Chaney), a disfigured, mysterious musical genius who haunts the opera house’s underground catacombs. As the Phantom manipulates events from the shadows to advance Christine’s career, his possessive love leads to increasingly violent and desperate acts.
During the 1920s, American silent films held a reputation for being the best of cinema, with elaborate productions that could rival modern blockbusters in scope and ambition. The scale of these productions was awe-inspiring, with Universal Studios going as far as to install a new organ specifically for the premiere of Phantom of the Opera. Audience members at its original screening reportedly shrieked in horror and even fainted, particularly after scenes featuring the Phantom’s disturbing makeup. Miller also mentioned that while the film was predominantly shot in black-and-white, it also incorporated several sequences in early Technicolor, adding unexpected visual depth.
As the film began, the organ immediately surrounded the hall with sound, its resonance vibrating the seats. While the acoustic impact of Miller’s performance was certainly impressive, his execution in the higher registers occasionally lacked clarity. Especially during the film’s opening sequences that introduced the Paris Opera House and its mysterious inhabitant, Miller’s runs felt somewhat rushed. This tendency continued throughout the showing, occasionally pulling the viewer’s attention away from the narrative unfolding on screen and making full immersion difficult. Luckily, Miller’s larger chords and lower registers were far more effective, reflecting the grandeur and drama that the film’s score demands. His playing during the masked ball scene and the Phantom’s final retreat into the opera house’s underground lair captured the emotional intensity of these crucial moments. Overall, Miller’s occasional missed notes and rushing were noticeable yet understandable, considering that he had to watch the film while performing to precisely coordinate his musical accompaniment with on-screen action.
Despite this lack of refinement, listeners seemed mainly focused on the film itself. It was refreshing to hear the audience laugh and applaud throughout the film after its dramatic moments, a welcome contrast from the typical atmosphere at Symphony Hall. While modern cinema offers the convenience of recorded dialogue, a synchronized soundtrack, and unrestricted access, the experience of a silent film with live accompaniment is irreplaceable.
Even a century after its release, Phantom of the Opera remains timelessly effective. Chaney’s performance remains haunting, and the film’s visual storytelling demonstrates sustained sophistication. Nevertheless, as someone familiar with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved musical adaptation, I found myself longing for the iconic theme that has defined the Phantom for modern audiences. I suspect many younger attendees shared this expectation, having grown up with “The Music of the Night” and the musical’s romantic interpretation rather than this darker, more horrific original. However, this disconnect between expectation and reality ultimately enriched the experience, showing us that the evolution of the Phantom’s story across its many adaptations reflects the eras in which they were produced.