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"ALL ART ASPIRES TO THE CONDITION OF MUSIC"   May 24, 2004

...The original score's musical reverberations suggest a beating against the hull, rather than the sound of cannons shooting-there is no sharp "crack" as might be expected with the sound of gunfire. This simplicity of deep aboriginal-like drumming is a counterpoint to the sweet complexity of the classical compositions punctuating the story...If, indeed, all art aspires to the condition of music, then the miraculous melodies in this film represents the culmination of two thousand, and more, years of unequaled European cultural achievements. Listen to it! Experience it!


Where to Find Traditional Sailors Songs   March 22, 2004
  5 out of 8 found this review helpful

Master and Commander (the book) is one of the best sea adventure to be ever put down in writing. Music as all the fans of P. O'brien's Maturin-Aubrey series know is an important integral part of his story telling. Although I was rather disappointed by the fact that the film-makers combined two separate books into one film--necessitated by the practicality of film-making--I think they did a fine job of integrating the music--the violin-cello joust between Aubrey and Maturin's charaters. As to the complaints about the soundtrack not having any "sea shanties" or old British sailors' songs, I would recommend people to look up "Roast Beef of Old England" published by ESSAY in 2000 in combination with two other titles "Musical Evening with the Captain" vol 1 & 2. The three CDs cover most of the music mentioned in the book series, including the one song "Spanish Lady" featured in the film--though not sung by the same people as in the film.


Should've won an Oscar.   March 16, 2004
  61 out of 63 found this review helpful

The use of classical music in the "Master" soundtrack is inspired.

Yo-Yo Ma's playing of the first of J.S Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suites seems perfect for the scenes on the Galapagos Islands. The snippets of Mozart's Violin Concerto # 3 and Boccherini's sublime "Musica Notturna" are well chosen as the music played by the captain and the doctor.

Those eager to hear more by Baroque composer Luigi Boccherini, whose swoon-worthy piece, "Passacalle," closes the movie, will find what seems to be the original recording of it on the CD "Respighi: Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma," by the Berlin Philharmonic, directed by Herbert Von Karajan. The last five tracks are Boccherini's "La Musica Notturna Delle Strade di Madrid" op.30 No.6, including "Passacalle." That's the danceable, contemporary-sounding number at the end of the movie, the one in which Paul Bettany and Russell Crowe pick up their instruments and strum them like guitars, and Bettany (or his counterpart in the Berlin Philharmonic)launches into a passage high on the top string.

For those who wish to hear more of Mozart's violin concertos, several great recordings are available, one by Arthur Grumiaux with the London Symphony Orchestra. Listen to the third movement for the passage used so effectively in one of the captain-doctor jam sessions.


totally Love this!   February 22, 2004
  0 out of 3 found this review helpful

I can't decide which is better the Master and Commander soundtack or the Return of the King soundtrack. The movie Master and Commander with the classic music and no noise what we listen to now days, takes you back in to another time and place where you are surrounded by water and some pretty good loking sailers (ex. Lord Blakeney)the move also shows the smallness of the ships back then and how uncomfortable it would of been. Back to the soundtrack, it is compleatly amazing and I listen to it every day at least once I reccomend that you go see the movie and then buy the sound track and hope the movie wins some Oscars. Stars: Russle Crowe and Paul Bettany who are both really good actors and I mean good.


A True Musical Delight!   January 14, 2004
  73 out of 76 found this review helpful

As I sit here listening to this soundtrack, I felt I should really add my 2 cents here.

I'm not much of a soundtrack buyer, though there are exceptions. I absolutely loved a tribal song in "Thin Red Line," and bought the soundtrack based on that one song. It was a mistake though. The rest of the soundtrack was just slow & moody - effectively building the atmosphere for the movie but depressing to listen to. (In my opinion.)

All that said, I made the same decision again for this soundtrack. I loved the last movement they played in the movie & couldn't get it out of my head. Thus, I took a plunge & went for the soundtrack.

What I found was a true musical gem. It does have some of the mood building scene pieces that "Thin Red Line" and other soundtracks employ. However, interspersed with this are some old folk melodies & delightful bits of Corelli, Bach, & Boccherini (to name a few). I was delighted to learn how much I enjoyed classical pieces highlighting the violin & cello. Most of what I listen to tends to be full orchestral pieces, but I definitely want to look more into this type of music.

All the more so, I feel deeply that the balance of mood-building pieces, folk pieces & classical pieces capture the spirit of the books & the movie in unexpected ways. It swings from low, somber tones to light & hope-filled pieces to joyful dancing tunes...effectively showing the constant triumph of the sailors' spirit over their frequent danger & despair. Yes, there were many dark times, but the same instruments that create the dark atmosphere suddenly pull together in a new score, turning around an oppressive situation. I find listening to the sound-track to be very soulful but also hopeful.

My one criticism is that they often cut short the classical pieces. Perhaps this is for the flow of the entire soundtrack, but I do long for more. Overall, however, I definitely recommend this soundtrack.