Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
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Free Music Notes for Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
Free Music Review: Great music, performances and packaging
Hit: 5 Stars
We loved the film and the music so much that we saw it several times in the cinema, watched it on TV and videoed it, watched it again and again, wore out the gramophone records, bought cassette copies for family members, and finally acquired this 3 CD box set.Our family is another example of folk who learnt a lot about Mozart's music from the film and the soundtrack. After buying it, we bought many complete versions of pieces that are featured here.
The accompanying booklet is well thought-out, and gives an excellent guide to the music and the film. I have often wondered whether the title of the original stage play was meant to reflect Salieri's chagrin that a man who was so coarse was loved by God [the meaning of Amadeus] and showered with his gifts, whereas a pious fellow like Salieri could recognise beauty but not create it. [This is, of course, the viewpoint of the play, and not necessarily in accordance with the historical reality.]
The music and the performances are wonderful. Some of our favourite tracks:
Bubak and Hungaricus [the gypsy music], which our children called "The Pongy Music," after the weird string sound
The magical extract from the Gran Partita, used so effectively in the scene where Salieri looks through Mozart's music
The Requiem extracts
The wind version of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik first movement
The first movement of the Symphony no 25 in G minor, used for the opening, where Salieri is rushed to hospital, after trying to do himself in
The slow movement of the D minor concerto, used for the closing titles
Free Music Review: I was in the middle of a heavy metal phase, so why this?
Hit: 5 Stars
When this cd came out, I was in the middle of an heavy metal phase and my favorite bands were Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motley Crue. So why was this the first cd I ever bought? The music is at points haunting, invigorating and daunting, and you don't even need to have seen the movie to appreciate it, although it helps at times to understand the uniqueness of Mozart's approach to music and how wide a web he cast across it (I love Salieri's explanation of how what would be known as "The Seranade For Winds" starts, with its then unconventional use of oboes and clarinets). While the third cd is mostly just music from the Volume 2 of Amadeus that was released in 1985 (and much of that music never made it into the movie itself), it helps to give a little more richness to the wide range of music Mozart not just dabbled in, but had a mastery over, including "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Nightmusic)," which was unlike much of what Mozart was doing at the time (think of Bob Dylan throwing off a top 40 "boyband" kind of song, and you get the idea). Several favorites here, including Symphony #25, the already mentioned Serenade for Winds, and of course his Requiem, but the second track on the album, Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater," is incredibly haunting in its own right and provides a little black humor in the film as well. If you ever wanted to dabble in some classical music, make this one of the frist things you buy; you'll go back to it again and again.Free Music Review: Outstanding soundtrack!
Hit: 5 Stars
I saw this movie for the first time at sixteen and was immediately captured by the music. Sure, I'd heard Mozart in the past...but never quite so well done! Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields brought the music to life on a level I've yet to hear matched.
The choice of compositions was perfect not only for those appreciating the movie, but also anyone interested in a "Greatest Hits" album. Obviously, this is a subjective assessment. But I do believe that the Amadeus soundtrack provides an excellent starting point for someone who might be new to Mozart and interested in some highlights from his amazing career. Here we have selections ranging from chamber music up to the best symphony orchestra and imperial opera.
In September of last year, I had an opportunity to hear the full Requiem performed in Amsterdam's Westerkerk and I was carried back to the first time I heard the composition in the late 1980s. The version of Requiem on this album is abbreviated, but it does represent the high points of Introitus, Dies Irae, Rex Tremendae Majestatis, Confutatis, and Lacrimosa.
This is an exceptional production all around - from the instruments, to the voices, all the way to the recording itself. Every element contributes to a finished work of sophistication and grace. Highly recommended!
Free Music Review: A true celebration of Mozart's music
Hit: 5 Stars
I think it was at age 12 when I first saw Amadeus, and I remember immediately asking for a recording of the Requiem (a bit of sombre for a 12-year old I know, but just to demonstrate the impact of the piece..), but I think it wasn't until the third time that I saw the film (at age 30, if you were wondering) that something hit me; It's hard to say why only now (maturity?), since I've always loved Mozart's music and have already owned several recordings of the Requiem, Bohm's 35-41 symphonies and Arthur Grumiaux's wonderful violin concertos with the Sinfonia Concertante. But appreciating the movie as an adult was a different experience, recognizing what a fabulous work Marriner and his Academy have done by delivering so successfully what Mozart was all about. I think that the brilliance of this recording is that it succeeds in providing Mozart's essence through emphasis on the hidden gems of his music, while avoiding being another banal "Greatest Hits" compilation; and sewing together such a diverse array of pieces so gracefully into one recording is not a trivial task, but in Marriner's case it seems completely flawless - because what holds all the pieces here together is what this music is all about - grace, beauty, humor and love.Free Music Review: This Music Added Much to the Movie
Hit: 5 Stars
This is amazing music from an amazing movie. Mozart wrote some of the best tunes in existence. That doesn't mean everything he wrote was equally enjoyable to listen to. There are many compositions by other songwriters and composer that I like better than Mozart, that give me more listening joy. But even in Mozart's less enjoyable compositions, he is very near perfection. That's what sets him apart. For example, on this soundtrack, yes I prefer Salieri's AXUR, Finale (5th track on Disc 2) to, say, the Zaide aria (7th track on Disc 2) but Salieri's gifted knack for good songwriting is still no match for Mozart's technical perfection (check out the vocal gymnastics in the Magic Flute (track 4, Disc 3). This 3 CD set has most of Mozart's most accessible and enjoyable tunes and is an incredibly breathtaking listening experience. Listen to it when you wanna chill out and relax. David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"