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| There are 528 Reviews Done |
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| Masterpieces from 3 of the great masters of the Golden Age of film music -- performed by a virtuoso! |
| By: |
don0don
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| Date: |
1 Sep 2006 |
| Rating: |
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Words are inadequate to convey all the praise these concerti -- and the Carmen Fantasy deserve -- and ditto for the performances by Heifetz. The second mvement of the Rózsa concerto (which provided him with the main theme for his score for Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is one of my all time favorites. My one quibble with the Heifetz performance of this movement is that I wish he had played the central theme a little slower and sung it a bit more; however, the performance is so excellent overall -- and hands-down the best available -- that this is a very minor point indeed. I highly recommend this disc to any lover of the music of these three greats of the Golden Age. It is essential listening, indeed!
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2 of 2 found this review helpful |
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Wojciech Kilar - Bram Stoker's Dracula
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| Mastery from the brooding maestro… |
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Wojciech Kilar’s score to Bram Stoker’s Dracula should go on record as one of the horror genre’s finest. Francis Ford Coppola’s vision of the familiar Dracula story was anything but typical, and thus a typical score simply would not have sufficed. Kilar had been quite a prolific composer from the 1950s through the 1970s and 80s, composing concert music as well as scores for TV and films produced mostly in Poland. Few in the Western Hemisphere were probably familiar with his work, and his avant-garde approach would seem unlikely to attract the attention of many Hollywood producers or directors. Nevertheless, Coppola made a bold (and, it turned out, brilliant) decision to avoid theme-and-fanfare Hollywood staples in favor of Kilar.
From the first few bars of the title track, the listener can be sure this is not your typical film score. “Dracula - The Beginning” sets the scene as low, brooding strings lay an ominous foundation. After the brass-heavy, but unconventional depiction of battle, we are treated to familiar musical elements utilized in horror films: chanting, solo female voice, and frightening choral lines. While the particular elements are familiar, the execution remains haunting and fresh. As with the rest of the album, many of Kilar’s orchestrations and chord structures are atypical, at least compared to most American film music, and the result is a score with a very distinct feel.
The album is not without worthy mentions: “Vampire Hunters” is a fitting march carried by the low strings that is thematic enough to have been used for a number of movie trailers. “Lucy’s Pary” is a fascinating track reminiscent of a music box, though with foreboding undercurrents. Kilar's Polish heritage seems to bubble to the surface in "The Brides" - an odd but listenable cue full or rich strings and Eastern European harmonies. The love theme featured in “Love Remembered” and “Mina/Dracula” is quite beautiful as it sings above dissonant 7th chords, and it manages to be both romantic and sad, even heart-wrenching, while never being cliché. These two tracks are perhaps the most conventional on the album. “The Storm” qualifies as perhaps the most frightening cue in horror movie music ever recorded. The shouting choir in this track is the stuff of nightmares, as is the male chorus chanting, “Sangris vita est” – “The blood is the life” – chilling! “The Hunt Builds” is to me the most interesting track musically. It features Dracula’s theme, repeated ostinato in the strings, stacked upon itself over and over again in parallel fifths until the love theme takes over, building to an intense climax.
Not every track is a highlight, however. The inclusion of “The Ring of Fire” is puzzling as it contains no real music; only scary sound effects. Another low point of the album is the inclusion of the song by Annie Lennox. While I generally enjoy her music, this song did not fit well with the tone of the film, and it is not particularly likable on its own.
This score is clearly not for everyone, with its unconventional chord structures, ostinatos, and overlaid lines. But no score could have better matched Coppola’s stunning and vibrant visuals. Instead of familiar sweeping melodies that poke out of the music whenever a certain character appears, Kilar goes for a more subtle approach. Do not be mistaken: the leitmotifs are there: Dracula, Mina, Lucy, the Vampire Hunters—but the themes tend to nestle in among rich, complex, intertwining orchestrations rather than sailing conspicuously above underlying harmonies. The result is unsettling, whether heard alone or in the context of the film. As an album, the track selections do not disappoint, and plenty of music is included. Some of the tracks may grate on the ears a bit, but when heard in context, the music is the perfect counterpoint to the pictures on the film. Wojciech Kilar’s Dracula stands out as a superb achievement not only in its unique contribution to a unique film, but also for bringing a fresh, distinctly Old-World sound to a wide, Hollywood-reared audience.
Track-by-track rating:
Track: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Stars: 5* 4* 2* 3* 3* 5* 3* 4* 3* 2* 4* 1* 3* 3* 3* 2*
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16 of 16 found this review helpful |
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Barrington Pheloung - Magic Of Inspector Morse, The
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| One of the best classical compilations -- plus great score cues from Barrington Pheloung |
| By: |
don0don
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| Date: |
31 Aug 2006 |
| Rating: |
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This is a wonderful album. Inspector Morse is one of the best British series ever to come along and Pheloung's music was a major part of its success. Each one of the classical tracks on this album is a gem, with wonderful performances throughout -- including Pheloung's own playing on the three Vivaldi tracks, as well as on the Morse title tracks.
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5 of 5 found this review helpful |
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Vangelis - Blade Runner
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| A must hear/see situation |
| By: |
charon_
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| Date: |
30 Aug 2006 |
| Rating: |
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Let me tell you that the movie is great. It's old but it's timeless. The gods made a perfect match betwen Ridley Scott and Vangelis. The soundtrack is just unbeliveble. It will fill every crack and empty space in the room making you still and compeling you to listen it till the very end. It's powerfull, hypnotic yet calming. When the end will come, I can tell you what you will do: you will listen it again.
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14 of 15 found this review helpful |
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Basil Poledouris - Conan The Barbarian
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| Poledouris' Masterpiece! |
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Conan the Barbarian, easily Basil Poledouris’ greatest original score, is also one of the finest contemporary film scores ever recorded. Its triumph was made possible not only because the film’s starkly anemic dialogue afforded much opportunity for massive orchestrations to take center stage, but because director John Milius brought Poledouris on board very early in production. The result makes one wonder what might be possible if modern film composers were more often given ample time (and budgets) for production of their scores.
While at least one more version of the album was printed, the Varese printing represented here is vastly superior. Every track on the album (except perhaps “Tree of Woe,” which is mostly atmospheric) is superb, and when played from beginning to end, the impression is that of an epic tone poem, a story told colorfully and brilliantly with music. Its leitmotifs representing important characters and themes are recognizable but never overly repetitive, and the work as a whole is bombastic enough to reflect the brutal warfare depicted while subtle enough to satisfy those craving sweeping melodies, complex harmonies, and caliber musicianship. Poledouris made brilliant use of Russian chord structures that gives the album a unifying coherence and also plausibly represents the fanciful locale of the story. One could almost appreciate the gist of the entire story by listening to the music alone.
“Anvil of Crom” features heavy percussion pounding out a unique rhythm in an 11/4 time signature accompanying the god-like theme played by 24 French horns! Though slightly trivialized by numerous performances of a marching band rendition, it remains one of the most memorable title tracks in film music history. The “Riddle of Steel” portion of the next track expands on the lovely Conan theme introduced in "Anvil" and which is revisited in numerous variations throughout the disc. For “Riders of Doom,” John Milius recommended Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana for inspiration, and Poledouris obliged with the most frighteningly satisfying choral depiction of warfare this reviewer has ever heard. This is “O Fortuna” to the Nth degree. What follows is track upon track of terrific music depicting Conan’s epic journey. Sweeping strings, pounding percussion, gorgeous choral passages, and triumphant brass abound. Other tracks worth mentioning include the brooding, choral “Gift of Fury,” the musically satisfying “Theology/Civilization,” the beautiful love theme stated in both “Wifeing” and “Leaving/the Search,” and of course “Kitchen/The Orgy.” In the first half of the latter track, a lush but ominous male chorus guides us through Thulsa Doom’s subterraneous kitchens. For “The Orgy,” Poledouris made use of a theme his then 9-year-old daughter Zoë made up on the recorder. The theme builds without development resulting in a slightly repetitive listen, akin perhaps to Ravel’s Boléro: hated by some, loved by others.
The main gripe with this score, if any complaint at all could be made, is that in the context of the film, the music does not always go along with the visuals. It is true, Poledouris does not employ the meticulous cueing exemplified by, say, John Williams. Really, though, it is the same kind of complaint that often accompanies Tchaikovsky’s ballets: that the music overshadows, rather than supports, the visual elements. But this was Milius’ intent all along. After all, in the first 30 minutes of the film, there is only about 3 minutes of dialogue. Thus, for Poledouris’ Conan it is an open question whether the music accompanies the film, or the film accompanies this masterpiece.
Track-by-track rating:
Track: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Stars: 5* 5* 4* 4* 3* 4* 3* 4* 3* 2* 3* 5* 3* 5* 3* 4*
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19 of 19 found this review helpful |
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Trevor Jones, Randy Edelman, Clannad - Last Of The Mohicans, The
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| You don't want to miss this ! |
| By: |
charon_
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| Date: |
29 Aug 2006 |
| Rating: |
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This is simply one of the best soundtracks I have ever listen. If you are a soundtrack fan you know what I am talking about. If you didn't listen it yet get to it ! (by the way the movie is awesome too). Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I am.
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9 of 14 found this review helpful |
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Ennio Morricone - Focus
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| DULCEE!!!! |
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One of my favorite albums. I like to make requests from this one. My favorites are "Chi mai" and "A rose among thorns", but the others are very nice too.
I like Ennio, and combined with a great singer.. well can't be much better.
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6 of 6 found this review helpful |
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