Original Soundtrack - The Prince Of Egypt: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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Free Music Notes for The Prince Of Egypt: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Free Music Review: An epic masterpiece from Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer
Hit: 5 Stars
To begin, I'd just like to say that if you have not seen The Prince of Egypt, SEE IT NOW. It is simply a masterpiece (and probably my favorite movie of all time). The pairing of composer/lyricist for this movie is just perfect. For this review, I'll go down the line of songs, pointing out favorites or making comments along the way.
Skipping number one (I'll get back to it later), is Deliver Us. WOW. This is one of the most incredible opening numbers for any film. It begins with a single trumpet playing the melody to Moses's mother's lullaby and abruptly goes into the slavery of the Hebrews. The lyrics, while sometimes difficult to understand with an entire male chorus singing, are nothing short of amazing. It soothes into a soft, touching mood for Yocheved's lullaby to Moses ("Hush now, my baby/Be still, love, don't cry/Sleep as you're rocked by the stream") and then crescendos for the dangers inflicted on Moses by the Nile. Miriam sings a soft prayer and the male choir comes back in with a resounding "Deliver us to the promised land!"
Reprimand is okay. It brings together a couple themes used throughout the movie, such as the one used for Ramses, and offers different orchestrations of them. The tempo speeds up in the latter half, offering a VERY Middle-eastern feel to it.
All I Ever Wanted (with reprise) is a decent song with great orchestration at the beginning. Lyrics are fitting at best. The queen's reprise offers a calmer contrast to Moses's version. It's not the best song on the soundtrack, but you won't be reaching for your stereo to skip the track.
Through Heaven's Eyes is an absolutely FANTASTIC song. With Jethro singing, he asks Moses how one can "measure the worth of a man." Towards the end of the song, it gives me chills. A choir in the background and an epic orchestral climax conclude the song. Throughout, a 'lai-lai' Hebrew chant is used. Definitely up there with the best songs from the film.
The Burning Bush is stunning. As another reviewer put it, to listen to this track alone IS worth a purchase of the CD. The "God theme" used here conveys so much. It's majestic yet simplistic. It's hopeful yet sorrowful. It's fit for our God. When the brass and choir build up a little while into the song, it just sends chills down my spine. I didn't know such a beautiful melody could be created, but Hans Zimmer did it (and I even heard he had nothing from the movie to watch during this scene as reference, so he had to compose it 'blind'!).
Playing with the Big Boys is okay. It begins with Hotep and Huy rhythmically saying the names of all these Egyptian gods. I don't usually listen to it, but it's actually a great 'villain'-type song.
The Plagues (and, later, the Death of the First Born), in the movie, is one of the most emotionally impacting scenes in the film. The song itself is EPIC. The choir builds from a soft "thus saith the Lord... since you refuse to free my people... throughout the land of Egypt" to a fortissimo "I send my scourge/I send my sword/Thus saith the Lord!" The counter-melody used is taken from All I Ever Wanted and alternates between Moses and Ramses. The effect of this is simply incredible. This is yet ANOTHER song that gives me chills. Stephen Schwartz should be so proud of this song, with his impeccable lyrics.
Finally, we reach When You Believe. It has to be one of the best songs written for a movie (forget that, one of the best songs EVER). It begins with a somber tone and first verse sung by Miriam, then into a more positive mood for the first chorus. Eventually, a bridge in Hebrew is sung, first by the children and then by all the Israelites. This leads up to the moving, epic, heartfelt, powerful, and majestic climax to the final chorus with an entire choir singing in the background. I don't think I need to say it again, but yet another chill-inducing song.
Red Sea is amazing. This should be the standard for all movie (not just animated) scores. It's the perfecct continuation from When You Believe. The other reviewer got it just right: if there was ever a soundtrack to go along with the parting of the Red Sea, this would be it. It's just awe-inspiring. Whenever I listen to this on my iPod, I blast the volume for full effect (probably damages my eardrums but... it's worth it).
I don't listen to any of the pop songs on this soundtrack. They either just don't fit on the soundtrack or they don't do the movie versions justice. I just have to talk about Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's version of When You Believe: no. Just no. I don't sense any emotion conveyed at all. Whitney's weird breathing in between words was awkward. Mariah tries to vocalize and do runs on everything. The bridge was okay as a replacement for the Hebrew one in the film. It just irks me when record and film companies have to pop-ify songs from movies that were originally orchestral and fine the way they were.
All in all, this is a brilliant soundtrack for a brilliant movie. I keep coming back to it for the songs and especially the score. You will not regret this purchase.
Free Music Review: An epic soundtrack featuring the range of human emotions!
Hit: 5 Stars
"The Prince of Egypt" is among my top-five favorite films of all time, and the soundtrack contributes greatly to that sentiment. I began listening to the soundtrack immediately after seeing P.O.E. on opening night, and I listened to it nearly every day for over a month. I love the drama, emotion and vocal melodies/harmonies of "Deliver Us," "All I Ever Wanted," "Plagues," and "When You Believe." "Through Heaven's Eyes" is the best 'stand alone' song of the soundtrack, and I hope to sing it for talent shows once it comes out on a karaoke accompaniment track. I've already given away three P.O.E. soundtracks as gifts, and I've taken 29 people to see the movie during my five visits to the box office. I love the orchestrations as much as his songs, most notably "The Burning Bush," and I've not grown tired of listening to the CD. My only two criticisms are that "Playing With the Big Boys" is bland compared to the other songs, and as a soundtrack purist, I was a bit offended to find that the 'pop' version of "When You Believe" with Houston & Carey got top billing on the CD. (Even Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" was placed near the end of the "Titanic" soundtrack where it belonged!) Also, I'm disappointed that the Chariot Race and the final post-Red Sea orchestration were omitted from the soundtrack in favor of adding three more 'pop' tunes to the end. I'd prefer the soundtrack to stand alone rather than be spread between the main soundtrack and the sample CD which was put out by Wal-Mart in the Christmas movie promotional (which I purchased as well). Nonetheless, the P.O.E. soundtrack remains one of my favorite ever, and I now rank Stephan Schwartz the Composer up there with John Williams ("Raiders of the Lost Ark"), James Horner ("Braveheart"), Jerry Goldsmith ("Rudy"), James Newton Howard ("The Fugitive") and Bill Conti ("Rocky"). In a word, the soundtrack to "The Prince of Egypt" inspires both awe toward God and empathy toward the real historical subjects of Exodus.Free Music Review: An epic soundtrack featuring the range of human emotions!
Hit: 5 Stars
"The Prince of Egypt" is among my top-five favorite films of all time, and the soundtrack contributes greatly to that sentiment. I began listening to the soundtrack immediately after seeing P.O.E. on opening night, and I listened to it nearly every day for over a month. I love the drama and emotion of "Deliver Us," "All I Ever Wanted," "Plagues," and "When You Believe." "Through Heaven's Eyes" is the best 'stand alone' song of the soundtrack, and I hope to sing it for talent shows once it comes out on a karaoke accompaniment track. I've already given away three P.O.E. soundtracks as gifts, and I've taken 29 people to see the movie during my five visits to the box office. I love the orchestrations as much as his songs, most notably "The Burning Bush," and I've not grown tired of listening to the CD. My only two criticisms are that "Playing With the Big Boys" is bland compared to the other songs, and as a soundtrack purist, I was a bit offended to find that the 'pop' version of "When You Believe" with Houston & Carey got top billing on the CD. (Even Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" was placed near the end of the "Titanic" soundtrack where it belonged!) Also, I'm disappointed that the Chariot Race and the final post-Red Sea orchestration were omitted from the soundtrack in favor of adding three more 'pop' tunes to the end. I'd prefer the soundtrack to stand alone rather than be spread between the main soundtrack and the sample CD which was put out by Wal-Mart in the Christmas movie promotional (which I purchased as well). Nonetheless, the P.O.E. soundtrack remains one of my favorite ever, and I now rank Stephan Schwartz the Composer up there with John Williams ("Raiders of the Lost Ark"), James Horner ("Braveheart"), Jerry Goldsmith ("Rudy"), James Newton Howard ("The Fugitive") and Bill Conti ("Rocky"). In a word, the soundtrack to "The Prince of Egypt" inspires both awe toward God and empathy toward the real historical subjects of Exodus.Free Music Review: Magical, entrancing.
Hit: 5 Stars
This music made the film what it was! The blend of the culture and rythm in the score and the moving lyrics in the songs can bring out emotion. The film-version of "When You Believe" is awe-inspiring. I must admit, though. The Carey-Houston version is getting VERY annoying. Even if you don't nkow the story of Exodus, this is a brilliant portrayal, but don't use it as a true source of the Bible. It isn't. It has been changed slightly for family audiences and for viewing pleasure. For instance, Moses didn't flee, Ramesses banished him because of his greed and jealousy. That isn't in the film. But, I am writing on behalf of the music, not the film. The song "The Plagues" is mystifying. Ralph Fiennes and Amick Byram's voices really blend. the strong, arrogantly stubborn voice of Fiennes is a clear indication of whom he portrays, you don't need the "I will not let your people go" to know that. Byram's pleading, yet equally stubborn voice also lets you know who is presenting his views. You don't need a "Let my people go" for that, either. The intensity builds from the whispers of death i the beginning right up until its climax when Fiennes and Byram simultaneously end their oral struggle. It is magic. As it is plainly obvious, this is my favorite track out of the songs, and overal the best on the CD. But it is too short. However, I fear if it was longer, it would lose its urgency. The best score piece is probably "The Death of the First Born". It is eerie, and gets the message across. It fits the sequence in the film it plays during perfecty. It adds to the suspense and horror, and isn't painfully obvious, like in DeMille's Biblically-perfect film. Other definite pluses in the cd is the film and pop version of "Through Heavens Eyes". And the film-version of "When You Believe". "Deliver Us" is simply moving. "Playing With the Big Boys" lacks the intense drama of the other pieces, but the music is something else. In other words, don't cut out the vocals on your stereo in the complete dark. BUY THIS CDFree Music Review: Simply spectacular
Hit: 5 Stars
This movie came out several years ago, and I still relish listening to the soundtrack today, particularly tracks 2, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15. I am not a fan of the junky contemporary stuff they stuck on there, but you don't have to listen to it anyway. Here's a review of my favorite tracks.
Track 2 begins softly, for the intro of the movie. Then WHOMP, Israelites slaving in the desert. Incredible music. It perfectly fits the scene: a mighty people straining to be free. The all-male choir for the Israelites is perfect, as are the lyrics. And having some of the singing in Hebrew, brilliant. The music softens for Yechebed's lullaby to Moses, intensifies as the floating cradle encounters the dangers of the Nile, and softens again as the crib is found safe by Pharaoh's daughter. It swells again into the male choir praying to God on High for...Deliverance.
Track 7 is an excellent track sung by Jethro (and no, NOT the Clampets') to Moses about his (or anybody's) meaning in life, whether he knows it or not.
Track 8 is beyond words. It's truly like the very music of Heaven is playing, a celestial choir singing the most awesome tune in the world. If any tune on earth could contain God's glory, this one could. This track alone is worth the price.
Track 14 begins slowly and builds as the Israelites are set free, and Miriam and Zipporah sing of the miracles God provided for them. A great little in-the-middle part, the Israeli children sing a praise song to Jehovah in Hebrew, which peaks in the chorus of Miracles.
Track 15 is another spectacular track. If you've ever wondered what the music could be when God divides waters for His people, this is pretty close! Another track worth listening to.
Disappointingly, the soundtrack does NOT include the score for the chariot race towards the beginning of the movie. That was a mistake not to put it on the disc.
Whether you believe in God, Moses, or the Bible or not, this is an awesome CD to buy.