Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
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Free Music Notes for Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
Free Music Review: Top-Chart Album of the 80's That Made Classical Music Sell !!
Hit: 5 Stars
In 1984, Milos Forman's film Amadeus, based on the hit Broadway play by Peter Schaffer, made it to the big screen with resounding success nationwide. When the soundtrack was released, it was a top seller and even found itself selling as much as such popular 80's artists as Madonna. The music from this well-made film, mostly Mozart but used some Classical-Era works by Salieri, Pergolesi and Salieri- hooked young people into classical music when they might have otherwise never given it a chance.
In the film, Mozart's music is used for dramatic effect and for ambiance. Vienna in the 1780's was the home of a blooming musical scene that would later see the likes of Beethoven. This musical kingdom is well captured in the soundtrack, which features tantalizing excerpts from Mozart's most illustrious works. The film opens to the frenzied, dark strains of the 1st movement of the 25th Symphony, as a crazed Salieri is taken from his home to a mental asylum after an attempted suicide. It goes on to use the religious music of Pergolesi Ave Verum and Amen - boys chorus as Salieri contemplates a life of chastity and dedication to music if God grants him talent. Then we leave Salieri's world of spirituality and desire for fame when we are introduced to the young Mozart. The Serenade for Winds "Gran Partita" is heard - an oboe, clarinets, "like a rusty squeezebox" and fills the air with sublime serenity. This coming from a composer who began his career at the age of 4 who was already trained in piano and violin, and who in his teens composed symphonies and operas. Salieri's works are no longer heard as Mozart's brilliant music takes over the score. We hear breathaking slices of his famous operas in chronologically composed order- the German opera Abduction From The Seraglio which was composed for the soprano Katerina Cavalieri (who has a fling wit Mozart and whom Salieri desired for himself), Figaro's Wedding and Finale from Le Nozze Di Figaro and the dramatic Commandatore Dinner Scene from Don Giovanni, and lastly the Queen of the Night Aria and Papageno's Aria from his enchanting and spiritual work The Magic Flute. Further to these famous works, which also include the Piano Concerto in D No. 20- which prefigured Romantic piano concertos of Beethoven flair, and the Eine Kleine Nachtmusiz which is Mozart's most famous tune and signature theme, we are treated to rare works in Mozart's ouevre. This includes the Masonic Funeral March, a funeral piece Mozart wrote for his fellow Masons. Divertimenti is heard in a latter scene in which Mozart's wife Constanza escapes her woes with Mozart and indulges in a spa. Chamber works, the heartwarming Flute concerto and even the rare Salieri opera Axur (then considered the greatest opera ever made, according to Emperor Joseph) all make up for a great recording album. This album now exists in extended form for the Bicentennial. The movie is a perfect companion to this album.
Free Music Review: Beyond the realms of perfection.
Hit: 5 Stars
Not being particuarly knowledgeable of classical music, these are by far the most beautiful sounds ever composed. The music on this album is superb, and whenever I am feeling out-of-touch, unreached or sad I listen to this music-- it is an undying inspiration of beauty to the soul, a solid force of delicate sounds which stir the inner chords of the mind and uplift the heart to unbelievable truth, a proof of perfection, unflawed and simply breathtaking.The film itself is excellent, one of the greatest ever done in its own medium, but the music transcends even that greatness to which, by itself it stands the true pillar of genius behind all the history and story that surrounds it. Ranging from giddy and gleeful joy to feelings of ultimate loss and despair, every human emotion is here in this music, every note a tear, a laugh, and a feeling of wonder.
I cannot stop listening to Requiem mass. Also: Mass in C Minor, Kyrie. It is simply beautiful. I've never felt music so pure in emotion, it's simpliest form, reduced to beautiful sounds in such interwoven patterns, everflowing as blood in the veins: a true life everlasting. I am closest to God in such music, for only a divine power could produce something of such pure beauty, it is above all human ability.
I suggest to anyone who enjoys music in general, to give the soundtrack of Amadeus a listen: it will open your ears to sounds of pure genius and awe-inspiring beauty. I never was a fan of classical until this album. I bought it a few years ago, and occasionally it has wandered back into my life. These powerful sounds enthrall me, I am encompassed in a world of allegro and aria, so delicatley placed is each sound, it blows my mind. I allow myself to be humbled by its greatness, yet lifted by its power to inspire in such beauty.
This is the closest one will ever come to true flight, lifted upon the powerful wings of thes notes, of these sounds, ever so soft and powerful, bringing us closer to solid beauty, the manifestation of perfection, the abstract idea itself, here it lies in these notes-- this is an album that I will carry with me until my dying day, while everything else in my collection of music will come and go, it is this W.A. Mozart album that will forever stay with me, even after I have died, I am sure that I will hear his music. If I could give this ten stars, or an eternal standing ovation, I would. It deserves even more.
Free Music Review: The Divinity in the Music !
Hit: 5 Stars
The score to Amadeus is perhaps the best soundtrack in the world. Not because it's scored by a Hollywood film composer such as John Williams or James Horner. Of course, these two are talented. But everyone agrees that no one can be as perfect in music as was the prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was a genius, born to create beautiful music for the world. In Amadeus, Forman manages to put the music to the many climatic moments in the life of Mozart. He uses the Don Giovanni Overture (the first notes) to highlight the grief and terror of the death of Leopold, Mozart's father, and the devastation it took on Mozart. The Requiem is meant to emphasize the death of Mozart himself.. the glorious finale to the life of the world's grandest composer. The music is masterfully performed by the Academy of St. Martins in the Fields with conductor Marriner. He is the most virtuosic interpretor of Mozar'ts music, in the same manner that Dorati is for the music of Tchaikovsky. The film Amadeus is a marvelous celebration of Mozart's music. I hope this cd makes you go out and buy other Mozart masterpieces- Divertimenti, Piano concertos ( i recommend 20-23) the Romanza of 20 and Andante of 21 are beautiful, the Violin Sonatas and Concertos, the Flute and Oboe concertos, the 6 Horn Concertos, the Serenades, Symphonies, Operas and the religious music he wrote: Great Mass in C, Coronation Mass and Requiem. Mozart has to be the world's greatest composer. Even Salieri, his bitter and jealous archenemy, declared that Mozart was the world's greatest. It is not hard to see why. Mozart will forever be remembered as a divine composer. In fact, his music is still used today. Scientists and research has proven that Mozart's music can make a person smarter. Mozar'ts perfectly lined musical notes can line up the brain cells. The slower movements, adagios and andantes can bring a sense of calm and inner peace, his livelier music "allegro, con brio and con spirito" can bring a person out of a depression. Mozart's music heals mind, body and soul. This is why he is such a great composer, eventhough many regard his music as frivolous and not as masteful as Beethoven or great symphonists as Vaughn Williams, or Mahler. This cd is worth its price.Free Music Review: Completely transported
Hit: 5 Stars
A physicist tried to explain to his class the most complex theory in physics, something called the Unified Field Theory that Einstein passed away before solving, and no one has solved to this date. Wait, said the teacher, I have it! The instructor whipped out a CD of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and played the K 492 - Act 4: Ah Tutti Contenti. In the film Amadeus, this is the piece that F. Murray Abraham, in the character of Salieri, praises as the first kind statement of a husband to a wife in years, which explodes into a musical dialog of reconciliation.
I was thinking about this and Russian dolls when I opened a large box that arrived last week. I was expecting a CD, I thought, so what's inside this huge box? Well, 7/8 of the box was air, literally inside bubble wrap. And then the packaging of the box set itself, and then, cut into a small hole in the box set itself, was a standard size CD jewel case. Granted, the reason for the large packaging was the inclusion of a beautiful vinyl album sized collection of pictures and information from the film and track listing.
But, back to the metaphor on physics, after playing the 3 CDs in the case, I felt that no box on the planet, indeed in the whole universe, would have been big enough to contain this music.
No one can say enough about the performances of St. Martin of the Fields. I was also greatly impressed by the piano performances by all the performers, especially Imogen Cooper's playing of Mozart: Piano Concerto In D Minor, K 466 - 2. Romanza.
Also granted, as others have noted here, some of the Opera performances could have been more fully represented, and there are other renowned recordings, especially of the Operas, that are undeniably better.
But as an almost complete collection, any Mozart lover, indeed any music lover, should not be without this box set, the accompaniment to my favorite film of all time.
Free Music Review: This review is for the Bicentennial Edition 3 CD Boxed Set.
Hit: 5 Stars
This three disc set is an excellent starting point, not only for the beginning listener of Mozart, but to the beginning listener of classical music in general. That said, the selections are quite in tune with the film itself, which quite uniquely makes this soundtrack valuable both to people who loved the film as well as those who have never seen it. Perhaps 90% of the tracks are the compositions of Mozart, including the Commendatore scene of "Don Giovanni" and the Queen of the Night aria from "The Magic Flute." The remaining tracks consist of music heard during various scenes in the film, including the finale from Salieri's opera "Axur." Enough new material is here to warrant buying this set over one of the other less expensive editions of the "Amadeus" soundtrack.
In short, the music contained herein is a virtual greatest hits album of Mozart, virtual only in that it's scope must be limited to only 3 discs. On an incidental note, even the conductor and symphony orchestra performing the selections are recognized as being among the foremost interpreters of Mozart's music; yet another reason to purchase the Bicentennial Edition. It also includes a wonderful album-sized booklet detailing much of the behind the scenes work involved, as well as portions of the story. All very nicely done, especially for an average price of approximately $12 per disc. I have hundreds of Mozart's CDs in my collection, but I most often return to this, the most concise package of his music. Whether you enjoyed the film and its music, or you simply wish to widen out your musical horizons to include Mozart's music, this is the set to buy.