A Night at the Opera
Studio album by Blind Guardian
Released	March 4, 2002
Recorded	October 2000-December 2001 at Twilight Hall Studios, Grefrath and Hammer Music Studios, Hamburg, Germany
Genre	Speed Metal/Power Metal/Symphonic Metal
Length	65:29
Label	Virgin/Century Media
Producer	Charlie Bauerfeind
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles (9.5/10) link Bright Eyes Germany (13/13) link Hard Radio (9/10) link Lords of Metal (100/100) link Metal District (10/10) link MetalReviews.com (100/100) link Metal-Rules (4.0/5 & 4.9/5) link link Tartarean Desire (9.5/10 & 7/10) link link Ultimate Metal Reviews (8/10) link The Metal Observer (9.5/10) link
Blind Guardian chronology
Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998) A Night at the Opera (2002) A Twist in the Myth (2006)

A Night at the Opera is a 2002 album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. The record has received mostly superior reviews, especially from magazines and fansites devoted to the genre. Image File history File links Album cover for album [A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian)|A Night at the Opera]] by Blind Guardian. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Grefrath is a municipality in the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Location Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE6 First Mayor Ole von Beust (CDU) Governing party CDU Votes in Bundesrat 3 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  755 km² (292 sq mi) Population 1,754,317 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 2,324 /km² (6,018... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the early 1980s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal[1] [2]. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music template set forth by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin... Power metal is a style of heavy metal music typically with the aim of evoking an epic feel, combining characteristics of traditional metal with thrash metal or speed metal, often within symphonic context. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Virgin Records is a British recording label founded by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ... Century Media Records is an independant metal record label with offices in the USA, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Charlie Bauerfeind is a german Sound Engineer and producer worked with some of the greatest power metal bands of all times like Blind Guardian, Primal Fear, Rage and many others. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 3. ... A Canadian heavy metal magazine. ... German Metal and Hardrock Magazine - founded 1999 BRIGHT EYES GERMANY ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Nightfall in Middle-Earth is a concept album by Blind Guardian, released in 1998. ... A Twist in the Myth is the eighth studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. ... A Night at the Opera is a 1975 album by English rock band Queen. ... Power metal is a style of heavy metal music typically with the aim of evoking an epic feel, combining characteristics of traditional metal with thrash metal or speed metal, often within symphonic context. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the magazine as a published medium. ... A fansite or fan site is a website created and maintained by the fans or devotees of a particular cultural phenomenon. ...

Track listing

1. "Precious Jerusalem" – 6:21
2. "Battlefield" – 5:37
3. "Under the Ice" – 5:44
4. "Sadly Sings Destiny" – 6:04
5. "The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight" – 5:30
6. "Wait for an Answer" – 6:30
7. "The Soulforged" – 5:18
8. "Age of False Innocence" – 6:05
9. "Punishment Divine" – 5:45
10. "And Then There Was Silence" – 14:05

• Bonus Songs

1. "Harvest of Sorrow" (Acoustic Version) – 3:39 (Japanese Bonus)
2. "Mies del Dolor" – 3:39 (Spain/North American Bonus)
3. "La Cosecha del Dolor" – 3:39 (Argentinean Bonus)
4. "Frutto del Buio" – 3:39 (Italian Bonus)
5. "Moisson de peine" – 3:39 (French Bonus)

• "Harvest of Sorrow" has seven different versions in addition to two live versions: two in English, two in Spanish ("Mies Del Dolor, La Cosecha Del Dolor"), one in Italian ("Frutto Del Buio") , one in French ("Moisson de Peine"), and one in a mix of all of the versions except the English acoustic and Italian.

Band members Vocals and backing vocals: Hansi Kürsch Lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars: André Olbrich Rhythm guitars: Marcus Siepen Drums and percussions: Thomas Thomen Stauch Track listing And then there was Silence (14:07) Harvest of Sorrow (3:39) Multi Media Track: Born in a Mourning Hall (5:17... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Lyrical References

The album features the concepts and themes familiar to Blind Guardian fans, such as historical battles and religious references.

• "Precious Jerusalem" is based on the Christian Bible, more specifically the final days of Jesus of Nazareth, and features lyrics from Jesus Christ Superstar.
• "Battlefield" is based of an old German tale of a father and son who fight on opposing sides in a war
• "Under The Ice" also has connections to the Iliad, but focuses more on Cassandra and what happened to her after the Trojan War
• "Sadly Sings Destiny" contains many references to Jesus, and seems to be told from the perspective of Pontius Pilate.
• "The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight" is about the story of Tristan und Isolde.
• "The Soulforged" is based on the Dragonlance saga's tales of the mage Raistlin Majere.
• "Age of False Innocence" is about Galileo Galilei.
• "Punishment Divine" is about Nietzsche's decline into insanity.
• "And Then There Was Silence" is inspired by the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid.
• "Harvest of Sorrow" is based on Tolkien's tragic story of Túrin Turambar, which appears in the Silmarillion.

The album's title may be a reference to the Marx Brothers' 1935 film A Night at the Opera, or Queen's 1975 album A Night at the Opera. This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... This article concerns critical reconstructions of the Historical Jesus. ... This article is about the rock opera. ... Painting by Evelyn De Morgan. ... The fall of Troy, by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769). ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Ecce Homo (Behold the Man!), Antonio Ciseris depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem. ... Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde) is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Strassburg, which in turn was based on the story of Tristan and Iseult as told in French by Thomas of... The current edition Dragonlance logo, as seen on all books published in the more recent times. ... Raistlin Majere (326 - 356 AC) is a fictional character from the Dragonlance series of books. ... Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) (IPA: ) was a 19th-century German philosopher. ... Band members Vocals and backing vocals: Hansi Kürsch Lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars: André Olbrich Rhythm guitars: Marcus Siepen Drums and percussions: Thomas Thomen Stauch Track listing And then there was Silence (14:07) Harvest of Sorrow (3:39) Multi Media Track: Born in a Mourning Hall (5:17... title page of the Rihel edition of ca. ... Beginning of the Odyssey The Odyssey (Greek Οδύσσεια (Odússeia) ) is one of the two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the Ionian poet Homer. ... Aeneas flees burning Troy, Federico Barocci, 1598 Galleria Borghese, Rome The Aeneid (IPA English pronunciation: ; in Latin Aeneis, pronounced — the title is Greek in form: genitive case Aeneidos): is a Latin epic written by Virgil in the 1st century BCE (between 29 and 19 BCE) that tells the legendary story... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916, wearing his British Army uniform in a photograph from the middle years of WW1. ... In The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien, Túrin Turambar was a Man of Middle-earth, who became a tragic hero (or anti-hero) of the First Age in the tale called Narn i Chîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin). Unpublished drafts of... The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkiens works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher, with the assistance of fantasy fiction writer Guy Gavriel Kay. ... Groucho, Gummo, Minnie (mother), Zeppo, Frenchy (father), Chico and Harpo. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... A Night at the Opera is a 1975 album by English rock band Queen. ...

Chart Positions

Album - Billboard (North America) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Personnel

Band

• Hansi Kürsch - lead and backing vocals
• André Olbrich - lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars
• Marcus Siepen - rhythm guitar
• Thomas "Thomen" Stauch - Drums & percussion

Hansi Kürsch Hansi Kürsch (born August 10, 1966 in Lank-Latum, Germany) is the lead vocalist of metal band Blind Guardian. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... André Olbrich is one of two guitarists (and usually lead) in the German Power Metal band Blind Guardian. ... The classical guitar typically has nylon strings. ... Marcus Siepen is one of two guitarists in the German Power Metal band Blind Guardian. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Until April of 2005 Thomen Stauch was the drummer for German Power Metal act Blind Guardian. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ...

Guest Musicians

• Bass guitars: Oliver Holzwarth
• Keyboards & orchestral stuff: Matthias Wiesner
• Piano: Michael Schüren (Age of False Innocence)
• Keyboards and sound effects: Pad Bender, Boris Schmidt, Sascha Pierro
• The Choir Company: Rolf Köhler, Thomas Hackmann, Olaf Senkbeil, Billy King

Billy King (born January 23, 1966) is the team president for the National Basketball Associations Philadelphia 76ers. ...

Technical Staff

• Charlie Bauerfeind - production, mixing, recording
• Nordin Hammadi Amrani - assistant engineer, additional recordings
• Clemens von Witte - recordings
• Detlef - recordings
• Paul Raymond Gregory - cover painting
• André Olbrich - front cover concept
• Dennis "Sir" Kostroman - booklet design
• Axel Jusseit - photos

Charlie Bauerfeind is a german Sound Engineer and producer worked with some of the greatest power metal bands of all times like Blind Guardian, Primal Fear, Rage and many others. ... André Olbrich is one of two guitarists (and usually lead) in the German Power Metal band Blind Guardian. ...

External links

• "Harvest of Sorrow" (9 versions available for download)