Dario Marianelli, Caroline Dale, Benjamin Wallfisch, William Lyons, English Chamber Orchestra, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Aidan Broadbridge - Pride & Prejudice

The year 2005 was big for Italian composer Dario Marianelli. His score for The Brothers Grimm received much applause (probably more than the film itself) and a few months later he came back with another batch of compositions for a period film. This time around, the plaudits are reversed: The film is better than the score. And that's not the only reversal: Since several of his compositions were to be performed by some of the characters on screen, Marianelli wrote parts of the music before the movie was shot, switching the order in which these things are usually done. The onscreen pieces are for solo piano, and Marianelli got a huge leg up by having them played by famed classical performer Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Marianelli was instructed by director Joe Wright to think along the lines of Beethoven (tall order!) but unlike The Brothers Grimm, which cleverly mixed and matched its classical influences, Pride & Prejudice fails to acquire a personality of its own. A few tracks, such as "Arrival at Netherfield," even border on George Winston territory. The intervention of the English Chamber Orchestra usually helps, but overall the score's palette sticks too much to a monochromatic beige. --Elisabeth Vincentelli Amazon.com

JANE AUSTEN FAN

ANYONE WHO IS A JANE AUSTEN FAN WOULD LOVE THIS VERSION. WELL-DONE IN ALL AREAS. ACTORS WELL-RECOGNIZED FOR GOOD WORKS. SCENERY IS FANTASTIC OF THAT PERIOD. THE CLASSIC LOVE STORY WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. THE MUSIC TRACK IS A MUST PURCHASE AS IT BRINGS BACK TO MEMORY THE LOVELY MOVIE. August 25, 2008

beautiful....beautiful

amazon tells me to be detailed and specific. how can anyone be specific about such beautiful music which conveys more than the broad emotional spectrum of the characters, the situations and places they are in? i find some of the tracks, like "Liz on top of the world" and "the secret life of daydreams", simply divine. they completely exceed the general outline of the film/novel, and become stand-alone music for something greater. one of the best scores ever written for a movie and my personal favorite to accompany my daydreaming. charming to listen to, never boring and goes lovely with a walk in the woods. August 18, 2008

Simple yet lovely

Dario Marianelli does a fabulous job of capturing the three eras of music that this film's setting finds itself surrounded by: Late Baroque (1700-1750), Enlightenment Era (1790-1800), and Classical Era (sometimes considered 1750-1820, sometimes 1800-1850). He also slips in some allusions to the nearing Romantic Era (1815-1910) with his Robert Schuman-like piano compositions, such as appears in the main theme. The dances borrow heavily from Henry Purcell (hence the track entitled "A Postcard to Henry Purcell"). And, of course, what musician could call himself a musician without putting some Bach influence in his music? (Theoretically, it's impossible not to, since apparently every musician since Bach is influenced by Bach whether or not he likes it!)

Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays with such elegance and grace, the soundtrack makes me wish my own inexperienced piano-playing could sound less like plunking and more like music - since he is one of the great pianists of today, who defines what "music" is when it comes to piano. Lovely.

Dario Marianelli usually writes quite dissonant, passionate music, so this album is a little out of the ordinary with its rare "tragic" episodes - yet is always a little curious and nostalgic even, if only for all of those famous composers he includes in his writing. Although the mood is entirely different than what I am accustomed to him writing, it is unmistakenly Dario Marianelli. That is evident of a great composer, and his versatility will surely serve him well in the years to come. July 13, 2008

A personality of its own

I was slightly shocked when I read Amazon.com's review of this. "A monochromatic beige"? I think not. I have bought numerous other soundtracks in the past, hoping to love it as much as the movie it provided a background for; I have been, therefore, unhappily surprised when I couldn't even remember hearing the pieces from the soundtrack from the movie. This is what, to me, defines "failing to acquire a personality of its own." However, this soundtrack, I feel, is so integral to the beautiful spirit of the movie itself, one cannot help but be drawn back into the movie when they listen to it. I think it would be safe to say, though I am certainly not trying to put down any other part of this wholly fantastic movie, that the soundtrack made this movie what it was. It made the whole movie for me. June 21, 2008

Love the music - wish there were more

I absolutely loved the music from the film, and I hardly ever buy soundtracks, but I had to have this one. The music seems too short, not that they cut any of the songs, but they are so good you wish there was more of it. It would have been nice to have all the music of the film on the track - you are just getting the original music made specifically for this film. The authentic music of the time (such as Mr. Belvedere's Maggot), most of what they dance to in the movie, are not included. June 14, 2008

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