Michael Kamen - Band of Brothers

When Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks collaborated on the Academy Award®-winning Saving Private Ryan, an abiding passion to further honor the young fighting soldiers of World War II was born in both men, resulting in Band of Brothers, an ambitious 10-part miniseries based on historian Stephen Ambrose's account of a 101st Airborne regiment as it fought its way across Europe. In scoring the sweeping project, Michael Kamen has eschewed much of the martial music familiar from past war epics in favor of the quiet, largely introspective sound that's informed modern battle films from Platoon through Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line. And if his reverential, often somber tones capture the dignity of the soldiers and the gravity of the events, they sometimes do so at the expense of other human dimensions--and the lively pop music of the '40s. Still, Kamen's work strikes an impressive balance, fusing the pastoral with subtle modern rhythm touches and utilizing spare piano solos, a darkly ironic use of Beethoven's String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, and a memorable, elegiac main theme. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

EF Sullivan

Michael Kamen has wrote and wonderful, moving and very enjoyable score in Band of Brothers. Some of the tracks are rousing and moving whiles others are more somber and reflective. The music reminded me of specific scenes from the series and is something I enjoy listening to over and over again. Like the series, Band of Brothers, the soundtrack will stand the test of time enjoyed and appreciated by future generations. August 16, 2007

Music to save the world by

The second track on this CD alone is worth every penny you pay for it. "Band of Brothers Suite One" is a sweeping, glorious hymn to the men who saved Western Civilization on June 6, 1944. Whether it's the actual score to the episode where Easy Company takes part in the invasion of Normandy or not, it perfectly captures the thrill and terror of the air invasion. Listening to it, one can almost see the airmen milling about, anxiously awaiting the go signal, and then the propellers starting up, the big planes lumbering down the runway and lifting off. All of that is right there in the music. It starts with a predawn whisper of hope, rises into a triumphant celebration of the courage of men taking off into the sun, headed for Europe and one of the greatest battles of the 20th century, and ends with a somber reminder that so many of them never came back. A movie about war, especially one with so unequivocal a moral foundation as the fight against the Nazis, needs at least one stirring theme for heroes, and this is one of the best ever written. Elsewhere on this CD, Kamen gives us melancholy requiems, bittersweet songs for a stillborn romance, and painful evocations of shock as a concentration camp is discovered. All these pieces are excellent, as befits a master composer, but in my opinion the violins and horns of the second track outweigh the rest of the CD. This score was a magnificent achievement for the late and much lamented Kamen, one he should be proud to be remembered by. August 10, 2007

Wrong artist!!!

It wasn't Michael Kamen who wrote the Requiem of a Soldier song. It was written originally by Amici Forever Opera for the Band of Brothers producers, by request. I think it is sad that they are putting Michael Kamen's name on this, letting him take credit for Amici's fine work. May 22, 2007

Great

If you are a fan of Band of Brothers...you'll love this. It has a good selection....it has something for everyone. March 22, 2007

Band of Brothers

I just recently saw this series on DVD. Every time a new episode started,I was treated to the excellent opening theme. This album will bring enjoyment to all that are familiar with the series and really enjoyed all the music. March 10, 2007

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