Andrew Lloyd Webber Celebrates Second ‘Lockdown’ No.1 Album With ‘Symphonic Suites’
‘Two No.1 albums in a year when live music and musical theater suffered so much is a real privilege,’ said Webber.
The Official Chart Company has confirmed that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Symphonic Suites has debuted at No.1 on the Official Specialist Classical Chart.
This is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s second “lockdown” No.1 album in a year, following the success of the original album cast recording of Cinderella, which reached No.1 on the Official Compilations Chart. Both were made during Covid-19 lockdowns or under restrictions.
Symphonic Suites features orchestral arrangements of some the composer’s best-loved music from The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, and Sunset Boulevard.
“Two No.1 albums in a year when live music and musical theater suffered so much is a real privilege. I am very proud that this moment recognizes my new Cinderella, and our symphonic versions of some of my most treasured compositions. Thank you to everyone who has listened to these albums, and continues to support the return of live performance up and down the country,” said Andrew Lloyd Webber in a statement.
Recorded in Lloyd Webber’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane with an 81-piece orchestra, the Symphonic Suites have received glowing reviews.
The orchestra that performed these suites, conducted by Simon Lee, brought together some of the world’s most skilled musicians, united after a year of separation. For some, this was the first chance to return to live recording after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recording was conducted in line with all the Government’s current Covid-19 protocols.
This year Phantom of the Opera celebrates 35 years in the West End, while the filmed production of Sunset Boulevard, which first opened in London in 1993 at Leicester Curve, will be re-released for audiences to view between the 10th and 15th of May.
Upon announcement of the project, Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “For over a year now, we have lived without the joy of live music. To bring an 81-piece orchestra into the new Theatre Royal Drury Lane for this first performance on the biggest stage in London, feels like a momentous step forward.”
