Unfortunately, I have to differ. I remember buying this many years ago, expecting lyrical Morricone, but was then totally put off by the harsh dissonance. Morricone is on/off to me -- I love his lyrical side, I can't stand his particular approach to dissonance. But to each their own, as they say.
You know, I've had this score since release and I can't remember if it's lyrical or dissonant. Other than the main theme, I can't remember a single thing about it. Shows you sometimes how long you can go without listening to some scores that you practically forget them. Strange that this one has gone off radar over the years. I haven't seen the film since release either, for some reason it never seems to appear on TV. Thanks for the reminder, I'll give the CD a spin pronto!
I love it too, but its a pretty depressing listen - falls into a rather large group of 'rainy day Morricone' for me (Frantic, Casualties of War, Bloodline, Marco Polo, etc etc).
I had the LP well in advance of the arrival of the movie in cinemas and was very familiar with the music by the time it arrived. I couldn't believe how low the music level was set in the movie itself. Some sections were almost inaudible including that brilliant medieval rock piece in the youtube example above. Not a great film and the music was, by EM standards, maybe a 3.5 out of 5.
Each to their own indeed. Love the majority of Morricone's western music, but venture rarely outside the genre. A friend of mine loves The Thing for example and I couldn't remotely see the atraction.
Each to their own indeed. Love the majority of Morricone's western music, but venture rarely outside the genre. A friend of mine loves The Thing for example and I couldn't remotely see the atraction.
I found this out of print CD in Amoeba and was playing it nonstop for a whole weekend. I've always wondered why it is one of Morricone's least loved scores. Somber and subdued, with a great heaviness beftting the film's stone locations. Yes it is one of EM's works that is a meandering, maundering almost pointless landscape, not really but sort of being almost just a few tones up and a few tones down, not accurately that but very much in line with Wolf, State of Grace and most of the stuff he's done in old age now. I couldnt recommend why it's worthwhile to anyone. But. I don't know.. I have just been mesmerized and can't even pinpoint what is so beautiful about it. It seems to live inside your thoughts about it. The main theme is like a persistent knife digging around in the soul. EM's usual language is all there, it's just not intruding. I even end up keeping much of what I think about it to myself!
Have to admit I was turned off initially because it was so slow. But then I finally saw the movie it works so well with. Over the years it has grown on me.
I love this score! Though ironically, I think it is very moving and lyrical, and not first and foremost dissonant.
Moving and lyrical is right. A beautiful and dark-toned main theme, some delicate music for Ophelia and deliciously piercing and enveloping suspenseful underscore. And as per Josh’s original post, light relief in the medieval boogeying.
Even though it's not among EM's greatest I believe this is an essential score to own for Morriconian's. It's worth having alone for the heart-breakingly beautiful main theme and the foot-tapping "medieval rock" offering. As I mentioned previously it was shameful that whoever mixed this music into the movie itself had a very bad day at the office.
This Hamlet Suite performed in concert by the Beethoven Academy Orchestra is superb. Just a pity they didn't include the rock offering.
