Memoirs of a Geisha [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
![Memoirs of a Geisha [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](/images/Memoirs-of-a-Geisha-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack-B000BJS4TO-L.jpg)
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.92 You Save: $3.07 (26%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.30 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Memoirs of a Geisha [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
Free Music Review: Every step I have taken has been to bring myself closer to you...
Hit: 5 Stars
Adversity is like a strong wind...it doesn't just hold us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward, we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be. ~Memoirs of a Geisha
John Williams has created a soundscape of haunting proportions with melancholy sweeps turning into magnificent explorations of creativity. Deep drum beats contrast with delicate instruments, all mingling into a romantic soul-stirring ancient dream with moments of intense hope and mystery.
Chiyo's Prayer is delicate in beauty and sharp contrast with Becoming a Geisha introducing more dramatic moments and concluding with an intense flourish. Finding Satsu is a heart-capturing melody interspersed with sharp sweeps and melancholy orchestral pools of sound from which danger seems to lurk.
The Chairman's Waltz featuring magical cellist Yo-Yo Ma is delicate and romantic in its sorrowful moments. Rooftops presents mystery and magical moments of suspense. The Garden Meeting is literally drenched in musical contemplation, moody, hopeful and heart wrenching all at once.
Confluence is ecstatic and spine tingling in beauty. Each musical discovery is encased in a sense of perfection and care. The moods range from comforting and romantic to dramatic and awakening. As memorable as your deepest love, as haunting as all you have left in your past.
~The Rebecca Review
Free Music Review: Magic
Hit: 5 Stars
This is it. The follow-up score to "Schindler's List" that everyone was expecting in 1994, but never got. It's passionate, beautiful, ominous, painful and features remarkable solo performances.
Countless reviews before me have mentioned it, but Williams was going for the feel of a river in this score, and it definitely translates to the listener. The music flows seamlessly from track to track, from gentle gushing and playful bouncing to deep and dark, culminating in the appropriately-titled "Confluence". But enough with the water metaphors! The two recurring themes are "Sayuri's Theme" and "The Chairman's Waltz", with the former the central idea of the score. Some tracks revolve around the theme, but in others it dips in quietly and leaves so it never feels overused. The Waltz sounds almost European - very reminiscent of "Jewish Town" from "Schindler", but it's still hauntingly beautiful. Other highlights include the extremely catchy "Going To School" and, of course, the "Yep, that's Williams" track, "Confluence". The whole score builds up to it, but it's still restrained enough to retain dignity. Though it never reaches those unchained heights from "Schindler's List", it never feels like it should have.
Like Yo-Yo Ma said in an interview, Memoirs is definitely a Williams score; not because it sounds like his other scores or he reused ideas, but because all of these worlds are a part of him, so he is a part of them. A brilliant score in an astounding year from the Maestro.
Free Music Review: Subtle, silently beautiful score
Hit: 5 Stars
I just got this soundtrack a couple of days ago and having listened to several of John Williams' scores before, I'd have to say that this ranks as one of my favorites. It's different from his other scores in that it's so beautifully quiet. I'm also a sucker for violin and cello, so my love for this score obviously increased considerably. Other than my favorie track on the soundtrack, "Confluence", Williams doesn't really get overly showy or dramatic with this score. The score is not epic and it doesn't feel like it's on a grand scale of any sort, but it's rather more of a personal, softer, more intricate work. I think that's what makes it stand out.
My favorite tracks on the album are the whimsical but somewhat sad "The Chairman's Waltz", the aforementioned "Confluence", the light and happy "Going to School", and the simply elegant "Sayuri's Theme". If these tracks are any indication of what the quality of the movie is going to be like, I'm really excited. I've watched a few clips from the movie and having seen the score set against the backdrop of the beautifully cinematography really fits. I'd recommend this soundtrack to anyone who enjoys calm, relaxing, Asian-influenced music. It's a good mix of traditionally Asian sounding instrumentals with John Williams' classic touch.
Free Music Review: A quiet trip through the far East
Hit: 5 Stars
I wasn't sure what to expect of the soundtrack to the motion picture "Memoirs of a Geisha". The film's Japanese setting leads one to expect an extremely Oriental sound and yet John Williams as the composer(major works include Star Wars and Jurassic Park) suggested a more western, epic sound. I was pleasantly surprised that both expectations were met.
Williams does a great job of mixing tradition Japanese instruments with standard orchestral pieces. The music is epic but without the bombastic flourishes that are typical of Williams' work.
Yo-Yo Ma and Perlman feature on various solos throughout the soundtrack. The two artists are perfect in that they have created a balanced tension in their work. Each artist contributes a character theme and these themes crop up throughtout the score.
Overall the soundtrack is a pleasing affair. The music is relaxing, often tracks will feature soft strings and the simple sounds of Japanese shamisen and slight taiko drums before building up into a soft wave of melody.
"Memoirs.." is a fantastic soundtrack that hints at great things for the film. RECOMMENDED!
Free Music Review: Soundtrack Worthy of the Story
Hit: 5 Stars
Some things cannot be captured with images alone. This is true of the recent film "Memoirs of a Geisha" based on the bestselling novel by Arthur Golden. Where Golden's novel relied on beautifully crafted storytelling devices and imagery, the film drew from the beautiful performances by Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanbe, and Gong Li as well as this masterful piece of music, composed and directed by John Williams.
Like his other film scores before it, William's "Memoirs" captures the culture and feel of the film with sweeping instrumentals and beautifully crafted pieces. With magnificent solos by professional musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, this album captures the power and emotion of Sayuri's life as portrayed on the silver screen. Pieces like "Journey to Hanamachi" and "Finding Satsu" rely on haunting melodies and sharp notes from the woodwinds to evoke feelings of loss, desperation, and fear while "Sayuri's Theme" and "A New Name...A New Life" draw on the talents of Ma and Perlman to convey the beauty and sadness of the geisha's life. All soundtrack collectors would do well to add this wonderful album to their libraries.