Christine Daaé

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Christine Daaé is the main female character in Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera (1911), the young singer with whom the main character Erik, the Phantom of the Opera falls in love.

Character history

According to the novel by Gaston Leroux, Christine Daaé was born just outside the Swedish town of Uppsala. Her mother died when Christine was six years old, and she was brought up by her father, traveling to fairs where he played the violin and she sang. They were discovered there by Professor Valérius, who took them to Gothenburg and then to Paris, providing for Christine's education.

Christine was extremely close to her father, who told her Scandinavian fairy tales; a tale of the "Angel of Music" was her favorite. Christine's father died, and left her disconsolate, despite the loving care of her "adopted" mother, the bedridden wife of the late Professor Valérius, Madame Valérius. Christine enters the Paris Conservatory and trains for four years to become a professional singer to please her father and Mamma Valérius, but has lost all passion for singing.

When Christine arrives at the Opera Garnier, she is described as "sounding like a rusty hinge", but one person finds the beauty still hidden in her tone. When Erik begins to tutor her, he tells her that he is the Angel of Music of whom her father had spoken. She believes him, and he inspires her soul back into her voice. Christine debuts at a gala at the opera, after the singer Carlotta falls ill and she is asked to take her place. Christine's singing is described as "seraphic".

Christine becomes torn between her love for her mentor Erik, and her love for her childhood friend Viscount Raoul de Chagny.

In the Lofficier translation of the novel, it is stated that Christine is 17 years old. However, this is a mistranslation of a passage which says her heart was "as pure as that of a 15 year old". The evidence of Christine's childhood friendship with Raoul, and her studies at the Paris Conservatory, put her age at 20.

In The Phantom of Manhattan, a sequel to the 1986 stage musical, it is revealed that Christine's son Pierre, thought to be the son of Raoul, is actually Erik's son.

Actresses

• Aud Egede-Nissen in the 1916 German silent version by Ernst Matray, Das Gespenst im Opernhaus or Das Phantom der Oper, starring Nils Olaf Chrisander.
• Mary Philbin in the 1925 American silent version by Rupert Julian, The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney, Sr.
• Susanna Foster in the 1943 Technicolor version, Phantom of the Opera, starring Claude Rains (her last name is changed to DuBois)
• Heather Sears in the 1962 version of The Phantom of the Opera (her last name is changed to Charles).
• Jessica Harper in the 1974 rock-musical version of The Phantom of the Opera, Brian DePalma's Phantom of the Paradise.
• Jane Seymour in the 1983 TV movie version.
• Christina Collier in Ken Hill's camp-classical musical version in 1984.
• Sarah Brightman in the 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical; The Phantom of the Opera
• Glory Crampton in Yeston/Kopit's musical version.
• Jill Schoelen in Dwight H. Little's The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film) (her last name is changed to Day).
• Teri E. Polo in the 1990 television miniseries version.
• Elizabeth Walsh in the David Staller musical version.
• Emmy Rossum in the 2004 Andrew Lloyd Webber film, The Phantom of the Opera.
• Sierra Boggess in the 2006 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical; Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular.
• Gina Beck Current Andrew Lloyd Webber musical; The Phantom of the Opera.
• Jennifer Hope Wills Current Andrew Lloyd Webber musical; The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

References

• Leroux, Gaston; Wolf, Leonard (editor) (2004). The Phantom of the Opera. I Books. ISBN 0743498364. 
• The Phantom of the Opera free e-book, Project Gutenberg
• "Phantom of the Opera FAQ". How old are the Phantom and Christine?. http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/xoopsfaq/index.php?cat_id=2#q12. Retrieved October 02 2009. 
• "Phantom Appreciation Society". a history of. http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/icontent/index.php?page=14. Retrieved March 13 2005.