Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
List Price: $8.99
Our Price: $5.31
You Save: $3.68 (41%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.77 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

Music CD Cover

Composer: Thomas Newman
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Soundtrack
CD Release Date: 2004-12-07
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
  1. The Bad Beginning
  2. Chez Olaf
  3. The Baudelaire Orphans
  4. In Loco Parentis
  5. Resilience
  6. The Reptile Room
  7. An Unpleasant Incident Involving a Train
  8. Curdled Cave
  9. Puttanesca
  10. Curious Feeling of Falling
  11. Regarding the Incredibly Deadly Viper
  12. The Marvelous Marriage
  13. Lachrymose Ferry
  14. Concerning Aunt Josephine
  15. V.F.D.
  16. The Wide Window
  17. Cold As Ike
  18. Hurricane Herman
  19. Snaky Message
  20. The Regrettable Episode of the Leeches
  21. Interlude With Sailboat
  22. Verisimilitude
  23. Loverly Spring
  24. A Woeful Wedding
  25. Attack Of The Hook-Handed Man
  26. Taken By Surpreeze
  27. One Last Look
  28. The Letter That Never Came [From "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate]
  29. Drive Away (End Title)

Free Music Notes for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Free Music Review: Thomas Newman's captivating and perhaps best musical score
Hit: 5 Stars

When I watched "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," the only time I really noticed Thomas Newman's music was at the beginning and the end of the film. That is because the 2004 film starts off with the happy music of the happy world of a happy little elf of "Lovely Spring" (we only get a taste of that up top) before the harsh reality of the narrative descends upon the rest of the film ("A Bad Beginning"), and then ends with the captivating credit crawl designed by Benjamin Goldman and Todd Hemker where Newman's score accents the gorgeously stylized animation that makes for one of the best reasons to stick around and watch until the very end of a movie I have ever seen. If you want to know what music has been stuck in my head ever since when I am doing chores around the house then play the clip from "Drive Away," because that would be it.

The fact that I did not really notice the music in between the start and finish of the film, which is where most of it takes place, does not dismiss Newman's compositions. Instead, it speaks to how well integrated they are in the film. This is not a film where we get a "Count Olaf's March" or where there are individual themes for each of the Baudelaire orphans. Instead of having the music carry the moment, Newman is content to have such things suggested: the plight of the children is captured by the sound of a music box in both "Baudelaire Orphans" and "VFD" (and this is not Harry Potter's music box either, so do not go there either for your musical reference from the history of cinema directed at the wallets and pocketbooks of young children).

There are some lovely themes here, as in the piano pieces "Resilience" and "Letter That Never Came," each as subtle as the rest of the score and yet perfectly suited to the mood at those points in the narrative. If you are familiar with Newman's score for "American Beauty" or the theme song for "Six Feet Under," then you can see this work as a continuation along those same musical lines (e.g., "Hurricane Herman"). Ultimately, it is the rhythm of the music helping to move the tragic tale along that stands out most. Besides the optimistic voice at the beginning, there are no vocals, but rather a few sound effects added to spice things up (and fit into the developing rhythmic pattern of the music as well). Newman employs a variety of instruments throughout the score, such as the violin in "Verismilitude," the xylophone (?) in "Concerning Aunt Josephine," and the distorted horns of the "Woeful Wedding" and the manic accordion of "Marvelous Marriage," the latter being one of the few times that the music jumps to the forefront in the film. No wonder I was so surprised that it was not until listening to the soundtrack that I really noticed that Newman's score was so wonderful. Even more surprising given how often I play the final track that I give the rest of the album a listen.

I expect that this original motion picture score is going to be nominated for an Oscar. I thought Newman deserved to win for "Road to Perdition," a film that was basically Conrad Hall's cinematography set to Newman's music, but only the late Hall won. It would be rather ironic if Newman did win for a score that was less central but equally important in this film. But for the time being, at least, I think this is his best score. Now, I have to go back and play "Drive Away" again while I clean up the latest in an unfortunate series of messes.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Poster

The characters of Daniel Handler's popular children's book series spring to life in this playfully macabre screen adaptation from director Brad Silberling. Contemporary scoring master Thomas Newman may launch the musical proceedings with the brief, Disney-esque flourish of "The Bad Beginning," but the sound of a needle being brusquely dragged across that record brings us to the composer's true intent: a teasing romp through occasionally dark, rhythmically charged musical corners. Employing his patent take on post-modern impressionism to a greater degree than he did in Finding Nemo, Newman gives a decidedly contemporary spin to the oft-cliched concept of children's music. His score is a an inviting fusion of his tense, ever-inventive, ensemble studio concoctions and a Euro-Goth sensibility inspired by the film's visual sense. Alternately bright and brooding, with a surprise at nearly every turn (not the least of which is "Loverly Spring," a full reprise of the score's creepily saccharine opening song), Newman's score is yet another tribute to his restless, seemingly boundless creativity. --Jerry McCulley

Miscellaneous Music CDs

Music Genres
Top music charts in Miscellaneous Music CDs
Slow Fade (As Read By Will Oldham) ImageRudolph Wurlitzer - Slow Fade (As Read By Will Oldham)
Release date: 2011-05-03; Music CD
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops: $25.49
3 Fools 4 April Image3 Fools 4 April - 3 Fools 4 April
Release date: 2008-03-25; Published: 2006; Music CD
Best price: $7.09
Price in other shops: $31.98
Sing Like the Stars ImageJudy Clark - Sing Like the Stars
Release date: 2008-07-22; Published: 2008; Music CD
Best price: $23.99
Price in other shops: $33.49
Race and Win: Race Boat Crewing with Tucker Thompson ImageRace and Win: Race Boat Crewing with Tucker Thompson
Bennett; Release date: 2007-01-01; DVD
Best price: $31.25
Price in other shops: $34.95
Coming Home to our Appetite: Guided Imagery ImageRebecca Cooper - Coming Home to our Appetite: Guided Imagery
Release date: 2009-06-01; Music CD
Best price: $12.03
Price in other shops: $12.95
Bull-Jean Stories ImageSharon Bridgforth - Bull-Jean Stories
Release date: 2005-12-27; Published: 1999; Music CD
Best price: $14.74
Price in other shops: $18.99
The ABCs of Violin for the Intermediate, Book 2: Performance CD ImageJanice Tucker Rhoda - The ABCs of Violin for the Intermediate, Book 2: Performance CD
Release date: 2009-03-17; Music CD
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops: $15.95
You Can Dance - Waltz [VHS] ImageYou Can Dance - You Can Dance - Waltz [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.49
Price in other shops: $19.95
You Can Dance - Rhumba [VHS] ImageYou Can Dance - You Can Dance - Rhumba [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops: $19.95
Dino Collector's Series ImageDino - Dino Collector's Series
Benson Records; Published: 1998-07-01; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $9.13
Top Rated Albums
Edward Scissorhands: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ImageEdward Scissorhands: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
ELFMAN,DANNY; Release date: 1990-12-13; Music CD
Best price: $5.19
Price in other shops: $11.98
How To Train Your Dragon ImageHow To Train Your Dragon
Release date: 2010-03-23; Music CD
Best price: $9.30
Price in other shops: $17.98
Inception ImageInception
Release date: 2010-07-13; Music CD
Best price: $9.43
Price in other shops: $13.99
American Beauty: Original Motion Picture Score ImageAmerican Beauty: Original Motion Picture Score
TCM; Release date: 2000-01-11; Music CD
Best price: $5.59
Price in other shops: $9.98
Finding Nemo ImageFinding Nemo
Release date: 2003-05-20; Music CD
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops: $13.98
The Shawshank Redemption: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ImageThe Shawshank Redemption: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Release date: 1994-09-20; Music CD
Best price: $45.64
Little Women: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ImageLittle Women: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Release date: 1995-01-10; Music CD
Best price: $6.85
Price in other shops: $9.99
Meet Joe Black: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ImageMeet Joe Black: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
TCM; Release date: 1998-11-03; Music CD
Best price: $6.72
Price in other shops: $13.98
Road to Perdition [Music from the Motion Picture] ImageRoad to Perdition [Music from the Motion Picture]
Release date: 2002-06-25; Music CD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops: $18.98
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events ImageLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Release date: 2010-04-12; Amazon Instant Video; Movie
Best price: $9.99
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles