Various Artists - Before Sunset/Before Sunrise

Describes exactly a day

Obviously when you hear the soundtrack is just like "living" a bit the movie once again, both of them.
What i like the most about it is how in every single day there is a moment when you can apply one of the tracks of the cd.
Brilliant March 11, 2008

Sentimental and Honest

It had been years since watching the first film, Before Sunrise, so I rented it and watched it again before watching Before Sunset. Watching them back-to-back is the way to go...it adds to the drama and passion. Loved both films. There seemed to be some prohetic statements and ideas in the first film that actually come to pass in the second. Music was great, scenery awesome. You really WANT these characters to connect again. I was especially moved by the way they had both matured in Before Sunset. I hope there will be a 3rd installment (maybe even more) of this wonderful story. I would love to see how/if their love endures through time. September 24, 2007

Allright compliation that captures some essence of the movie..

I'm pretty sure everyone thinking about buying this is probably a fan of these cute little movies. The movies work because they are intellgent with great characaters but also because they evoke that feeling that is pretty hard to describe but easy to recognize. This soundtrack is able to capture that "essence" to some degree and it is worth owning if you are a big fan of the movies but other wise you will probaby want to steer clear.

Julie Delphy sings three songs on the album and they are all good. Like the other reviewer said "Waltz For A Night" is OK but not as good as in the movie and after watching it again I decided the actors reactions to the song are what made it great. Living Life is really catchy and maybe the best song on the disc...I'm surprised it didn't get any radio play. The classical music is pretty good as well but sometimes feels out of place mixed in with the contemporary songs. The biggest flaw of the album is how uneven it is. Honestly the last three songs are pretty much garbage. I don't even recognize them from the movie and never listen to them.

Just for the record, I classified this CD as "coffe house" under the genre section of my ipod.

Bottom Line: If you liked the movies you might really enjoy the first half of this CD. Otherwise you can probably pass on this. October 12, 2005

before sunset/before sunrise

I mainly bought this cd because I loved the song that Julie Delpy sang at the end of before sunset. Later I found out that she has made many cds. I am still glad that i bought this cd, it is full of random interesting songs. I also want to support these types of films. August 3, 2005

Not as good as the Movies

If you loved the the concoction of music that made their indelible marks in "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset", the soundtrack will come as a major let-down to you. While selective tracks were memorable and brought back fond memories of the movies' moving montages, the soundtrack which lasted a mere 34 minutes and 36 seconds was way too brief to afford the listener a chance to fully appreciate and relish the music that made these superbly-directed movies truly unforgettable.

The best tracks - "Purcell's Dido & Aeneas Overture*" (Track 5), "Bach's Andante from Sonata for Viola da Gamba in G Major" (Track 4) and "Bach's Goldberg Variations in G Major*" (Track 8) - played during the beginning and finishing sequences of "Before Sunrise" simply wasn't aired long enough, leaving one insatiated and yearning for more. The next best tracks are the ones featuring silky-voiced Julie Delpy as the solo songstress - "Je t'aime tant" (Track 1); "An Ocean Apart" (Track 6) and "A Waltz For a Night" (Track 3) - while not perfectly sung, these numbers were performed with great urgency and relevance, but sadly too few and far between.

All said, these six tracks are the sole redeeming grace of the soundtrack as it showcased Linklater's and his editors' ingenious edge in handpicking magical pieces not only in their own right (especially those chosen for "Before Sunrise") but music that worked cohesively in transcending the two movies from extraordinary to sublime. But the fact of the matter is: one inevitably feels the pinch of being ripped of and remorseful that the producers had to spoil what could have been a most tantalizing experience in owning the perfect soundtrack to the much loved movies. If only they had extended the repertoire by including Nina Simone's closing number; songs from Delpy's album (2003) or her unreleased works (either those accompanied by her guitar-playing or au naturel a cappellas would be fine); not least extended versions of the classical recordings to fill this skimpily tossed up soundtrack hastily rendered to milk the success of the movies. This would have made the soundtrack truly 5-star worthy.

*If you've enjoyed Purcell's Dido & Aeneas, one of the best renditions of the opera was performed by Christopher Hogwood's Chorus and Orchestra of The Academy of Ancient Music (Decca, 1994). For Bach's Goldberg Variations, check out Pierre Hantai's spectacular performance on the Harpsichord (Mirare, 2003). January 6, 2005

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