Film Score Monthly
FSM HOME MESSAGE BOARD FSM CDs FSM ONLINE RESOURCES FUN STUFF ABOUT US  SEARCH FSM   
Search Terms: 
Search Within:   search tips 
You must log in or register to post.
  Go to page:    
 
 Posted:   Jan 24, 2014 - 4:25 PM   
 By:   beth   (Member)

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK OF “THE MONUMENTS MEN” SET FOR RELEASE ON 3 FEBRUARY 2014

MUSIC BY ALEXANDRE DESPLAT FOR A DRAMATIC ADVENTURE

Sony Music is proud to announce the release of the original motion picture soundtrack of The Monuments Men, featuring new music by the leading film composer Alexandre Desplat. Billed as “the greatest treasure hunt in history”, The Monuments Men was directed by George Clooney, who has a starring role alongside a distinguished cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, Dimitri Leonidas, and Cate Blanchett, and a cameo performance by composer Alexandre Desplat.

The French composer Alexandre Desplat burst onto the Hollywood scene in 2003 by composing a much-admired score for The Girl With the Pearl Earring. By that time he was already an experienced writer of movie music. He has contributed to over 100 films, both commercial and independent, in France and Hollywood, received five Oscar nominations, and won Golden Globe and Grammy awards. Desplat has also composed for the theatre, including the Comédie Française. He has conducted performances of his music by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as giving master classes at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Royal College of Music in London. His movie music was written for a variety of highly successful films, including Twilight Saga: New Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (parts 1 and 2), and includes five Oscar-nominated soundtracks: for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Queen, The King’s Speech, The Fantastic Mr Fox and Argo.

The compositions for The Monument Men demonstrate the full range of Desplat’s talent at creating big orchestral sounds and evoking many emotions, in this case with recurring themes and a generally upbeat mood. The opening track, “The Roosevelt Mission”, is a call to arms emphasising brass instruments, followed by an “Opening Titles” track that marches along cheerfully. “Champagne” introduces variety, with a sparkling music-box sound and waltz rhythm that gradually becomes more dramatic, while “Stokes Talks” is a beautiful little set-piece of keyboard melody over serene strings. Suspense and excitement (“Sniper”) and tenderness (“Jean-Claude Dies”) are also present. “Stahl’s Chalet” is a short burst of jolly dance music, contrasting with a nine-minute “Finale” that shows Desplat’s ability to write a prolonged piece in symphonic style. “End Titles” features a whistled tune that harks back to older war movies, and the soundtrack ends with a touching rendering by Nora Segal of the classic song “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.

Desplat's Harry Potter soundtracks released on Sony Classical reached a wide audience. The high-quality music of The Monuments Men and the attractive theme of George Clooney’s film with its all-star cast give this soundtrack, too, the potential to be extremely popular.


About the movie
Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men focuses on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by the Allies with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys – seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 gun – possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.

The film is produced by Grant Heslov and George Clooney, with a screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov, based on the book by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter.

Tracklisting
1. The Roosevelt Mission
2. Opening Titles
3. Ghent Altarpiece
4. Champagne
5. Basic Training
6. Normandy
7. Deauville
8. Stokes Talks
9. I See You Stahl
10. John Wayne
11. Sniper
12. Into Bruges
13. The Letter
14. The Nero Decree
15. Stahl's Chalet
16. Jean-Claude Dies
17. Siegen Mine
18. Claire & Granger
19. Gold!
20. Heilbronn Mine
21. Castle Art Hoard
22. To Altaussee
23. Finale
24. End Titles
25. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (performed by Nora Segal)

For more information contact: cinemediapromo@yahoo.com or @cinemediapromo on Twitter

 
 Posted:   Jan 24, 2014 - 6:11 PM   
 By:   Maleficio   (Member)

I can't wait for some samples!

 
 
 Posted:   Jan 24, 2014 - 10:09 PM   
 By:   desplatfan1   (Member)

I can't wait for some samples!

Here you go:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monuments-Men-Alexandre-Desplat/dp/B00HVQKM3Q/

It has a very old school sound. Like an hybrid between the whismical parts of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, and the action sound of Rise of the Guardians. Once again, Desplat uses the oboe and english horn, which are very rare on his scores. The last cue has a whistlers choir.

 
 
 Posted:   Jan 25, 2014 - 1:52 AM   
 By:   Willgoldnewtonbarrygrusin   (Member)

Beautiful!

Easily on my top ten list this year, I believe.

 
 
 Posted:   Jan 25, 2014 - 1:55 AM   
 By:   Luc Van der Eeken   (Member)

This will be my first 'new' score of the year. Sounds excellent!

 
 Posted:   Jan 25, 2014 - 8:44 AM   
 By:   Maleficio   (Member)

The samples sound wonderful! A traditional orchestral score with themes!!!

 
 Posted:   Jan 25, 2014 - 8:47 AM   
 By:   Shaun Rutherford   (Member)

Beautiful!

Easily on my top ten list this year, I believe.


We've not even exited the first of 12 months, man!

 
 
 Posted:   Jan 25, 2014 - 8:55 AM   
 By:   Willgoldnewtonbarrygrusin   (Member)

Beautiful!

Easily on my top ten list this year, I believe.


We've not even exited the first of 12 months, man!


True. But if I even fall in love with samples I am sure this will be exactly my cup of tea.

It definitely promises to be that kind of score films do not get anymore these days - and therefore a rarity that deserves to be treasured (by me).

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2014 - 7:45 PM   
 By:   ryankeaveney   (Member)

A fantastic score, but there's a motif in here that keeps reminding me of Djawadi's main theme from FRIGHT NIGHT (ex. 0:51 into "Jean Claude Dies.")

 
 Posted:   Mar 5, 2014 - 11:25 AM   
 By:   Tom Guernsey   (Member)

Surprised there's not been more discussion of this, absolutely terrific stuff. Funnily enough, it sounds a bit like Elmer Bernstein in martial comedy mode with hints of John Williams Americana (but only in a frame of reference kind of way rather than anything specific). And it had something I've not found in a score for ages is a theme that I remembered after only a few tracks (let alone the whole album), terrific stuff. A nice change from Desplat's slightly too frequent dip into low key drama well. Highly recommended.

 
 
 Posted:   Mar 5, 2014 - 11:47 AM   
 By:   Hurdy Gurdy   (Member)

Tom, it has been discussed and praised to the hilt quite recently, but not in this thread (and I can't find the other one, goldarnit!) wink

 
 Posted:   Mar 5, 2014 - 11:48 AM   
 By:   Anabel Boyer   (Member)

The movie opens in France in a week but i've been enjoying this exciting score for a few weeks now : i agree with the jaunty Bernstein approach. And that wink to another giant -- track 11 at 02'02' till the end -- is pure bliss.

 
 Posted:   Mar 5, 2014 - 1:29 PM   
 By:   Tom Guernsey   (Member)

Tom, it has been discussed and praised to the hilt quite recently, but not in this thread (and I can't find the other one, goldarnit!) wink

Yes, I just jumped on the first thread I saw when I searched... oops! Still, glad I've prompted a continuation of the discussion, really enjoyable and memorable stuff.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 30, 2015 - 6:22 AM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

I was given this as a stocking-filler and have just played it for the first time. Very enjoyable throughout, with a great seventies-style march as its signature. Just wanted to mention the, um, monumental track at the end - nine minutes of Desplatian greatness! When we saw the film about a year ago I noticed some string work very similar to Shostakovich's 11th symphony but had forgotten about it. There it is, in that long track, and very well used it is too. It doesn't keep that mood going, of course, because as an end credits track it reprises the other themes, some of which are softer and tinged with nostalgia and/or regret.

I know Desplat knocks them out with great regularity, but hearing something like this again reminds me why he's one of my current favourites. And now a great WW2 score to go with his other brilliant essays into other genres. Allez Alex!

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 30, 2015 - 6:22 AM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

DP!

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 30, 2015 - 6:22 AM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

TP!

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 30, 2015 - 6:22 AM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

QP!


 
You must log in or register to post.
  Go to page:    
© 2024 Film Score Monthly. All Rights Reserved.
Website maintained and powered by Veraprise and Matrimont.