Customer Reviews

Alexander [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Alexander, King of Macedon, Captain General of the Greeks, Shahanshah of Persia, Lord of Asia, son of Zeus-Ammon, Iskander Gojastak (Alexander the Cursed), Dhu L'Kairnan (the two horned), Alexander the Great. A figure as well known as Alexander has been known by at least the proverbial ninety and nine names. Some modern historians consider him to be the worst butcher in history, others regard him as the most significant figure of the Hellenic world. All of this and more will surely reemerge with the release of Oliver Stone's film "Alexander." It seems inane to worry about what musical sound should be associated with this historical colossus. But that is exactly the task given to the famous Greek composer Vangelis. To be fair no one has any accurate idea of what music in Alexander's tent may have sounded like. Most likely it would not work well in a twenty first century film, or a club in downtown Athens. But Vangelis has been equal to the task on numerous occcasions including incredible scores for "Chariots of Fire," "Blade Runner," and "1492." But in all three of these scores there was a common strength and weakness. All three possessed outstanding main themes, but suffered with rather mundane music in other parts of the score. Thus his "greatest hits" wears much better than the entire soundtracks from these films. With "Alexander," however, we have more of a comprhensive film score. There are still references to what might be considered period music and the various exotica that ply the edges of new age cliche, and some over the top choral arrangements, but as a sountrack album this works better than earlier recordings. The main strength is still a marvelous main theme, first heard in "Titans" that transforms into percussion driven battle music with "The Drums of Gaugamela," and reappears both triumphantly and mystically in "Dream of Babylon." These are the grand higlights of this very good score. The weakness of many composers is that they hit on a good theme and then beat it to death. Here Vangelis leaves us wanting more of that main theme, or more variations on it. It is unclear how this score will work with the film itself, but as a soundtrack album this is a worthy achievement that will, no doubt, strike a solid chord with many parts of the modern audience. Nicely produced and packaged by Sony.

So glad to see Vangelis back on the scene doing soundtracks. I've been listening to his music since I was 9 years old. Remember "The Bounty" and "Bladerunner"? His non-soundtrack albums are also great: China, Heaven and Hell, etc.

Here he has immersed himself in less ethereal fare and into a more authentic sound, but still with his great musical sense. Definitely worth hearing apart from the film.

Having anticipated this movie for so long am really excited to see other works also inspired by the Alexander the Great story mentioned in other reviews of this album and so have checked out the infamous album "Alexander the Great: Posa Somata, Posa Pneumata" by newcomer Alex Kharlamov. Very, very impressive and evocative music and very recommended as well if you want to get a quality taste of dramatic music to put you in the mood for Mr. Stone's new epic.

It is a wonderful soundtrack! Cannot wait to see the movie.
I just also bought Alex Kharlamov's "Alexander the Great: Posa Somata, Posa Pneumata" and it is incredible as well.

When it comes to the movie "Alexander" the music is just about the ONLY thing worth noticing. Not only noticing, but praising. I did not hesitate to get this soundtrack when I heard only a minute or two of samples. The music itself tells a beautiful story; a story which is unique to every listener. There are elements of ambience, of power, comfort, and even the sounds of sexual appeal (Roxane's Veil comes to mind). Nothing matches the ecstasy of music which so thoroughly describes and compliments exotic places and fascinating events and settings. This score is perfect, great fun to listen to, to dance to, relax to...you name it. If you liked (or in my case, loved most immensely) the scores to such films as "Gladiator", "The Passion of the Christ" or "Troy" (which isn't a personal favourite, but is still good and in a similar style) I strongly recommend buying this soundtrack, even if you absolutely hated the film. I like to think of it as simply beautiful story music by Vangelis, a musical genius, rather than just the soundtrack to "Alexander".

First, a "quick" comment on the movie itself. I don't really understand why this portrayal of Alexander has been considered so wrong and controrvesial by so many people. I'm from Macedonia, Greece myself and I just don't see the problem. It's been made with a lot of love, research and attention to detail. Of course it's not completely objective and is partially a representation of Stone's sensitivities and imagination. This is what cinema is all about and it couldn't be made any other way since not all the facts are known about Alexander's life. I think people just expected another "Troy" short of epic and were overwhelmed by the length of it, the sheer amount of info and character development shown and how much brain power this movie actually demanded from people in order to receive the whole package offered here.

The score of the movie is, in my opinion, as brilliant and as elusive as the movie itself and the man it is trying to portray. "Majestic", "Mythical", "Overwhelming", "Beautiful" are some of the words that come to mind while listening to this score. It has some tracks, basically the tracks that accompany the battle scenes of the movie, that require you have seen the movie beforehand to get the most out of them. But the rest of the music works amazingly well even on its own, creating a fantasy of Alexander that can take you on a journey even if you havent seen the movie. The way it is orchestrated reveals a Vangelis deeply connected to his electronic roots, but also a more mature Vangelis with a more organic and human sound added to the music. It will satisfy Vangelis' fans accustomed to his previous work, while managing to show that he is still an adventurous composer willing to offer something new. People, he just doesn't compose all that much nowadays so dont miss your chance to listen to this work of genius!

Oliver Stone remains one of the few filmmakers to have a real sense of diversity in the scoring of his films. He's gone from the orchestral majesty of John Williams to outright rock n' roll (Stone filmed "The Doors" about rock legend Jim Morrison). Now Stone hires the talented hands of Vangelis to provide the melodies for his epic of world conquest. Few have actually SEEN "Alexander" since it doesn't hit theaters for another 2 weeks, but this allows us to be able to judge Vangelis' music on its own merit. After all, Vangelis' popularity comes mainly from his full-length, non-soundtrack albums. For his fans "Alexander" will be a pleasant, original surprise. The keyboards that have given Vangelis his fame are here, but they are colored with live orchestral touches that allow the music to soar and touch. The music sounds grand and epic, as expected for a film about Alexander The Great, but it doesn't sound like a retread to anything Hans Zimmer or even Williams have done, it sounds almost like a blend of the classic and ancient with sparkles of the futuristic. This feeling is especially felt in pieces like "Introduction" and "Titans" which transport us not so much to the times of the story, but the moods as well. "The Drums Of Gaugamela" marches and creates a perfect ancient battleground atmosphere with it's percussion and Greek chorus. There are passages that feel like classic Holst. Some of the stand-out pieces, or the ones that will prove most interesting to the Vangelis aficionado will be the sections filled with primitive rhythms like "Roxane's Dance," a rich slice of Middle Eastern sounds and flute, this is the same with the more strange "Bagoas' Dance" which even features animal sounds. "Eastern Path" is a beautiful duduk piece and let's us feel why Middle Eastern music is so timeless. The most beautiful track in "Alexander" is "Roxane's Dance." Featuring a solo violin performance by Vanessa Mae the song is a beautiful tapestry of sound and mood, it has a wonderful romantic heart and can be appreciated as something apart from a film score (it will be featured in Mae's new album). The moments that sound like Vangelis really going bold are very heroic such as "Across The Mountains" and "Dream Of Babylon" which feel big and awesome, the sounds are filled with splendor. "Tender Memories" has a real Greek feeling to it and closes the album nicely. It has been a good long while since Vangelis has graced the stereo speakers of the local cineplex but fans need wait no more. Stone's film is yet to be seen but already we can score a positive for the music. Those who were disappointed by James Horner's rushed "Troy" score should appreciate this one. Here's music for the ages.

There's no doubt, Vangelis is back at his best soundtracking days like in the time of Blade Runner, Chariots of Fire and 1492 - Conquest of Paradise. I finally got this album and I'm still at awe. It's just beautiful. The first time I heard it I cried almost the whole time! Because it is so intense. When I saw the movie I had already realized this: this isn't a soundtrack that blends in so much with the movie that you don't notice it (like The Lord of the Rings), this is actually one of those Hans Zimmer kind of soundtracks, that immediately stands out as a work of art on its own, independently from the movie.

The 3 introductory tracks - Introduction, Young Alexander and Titans - set the epic mood for the story and the album as well; they just stroke me like a lightning, they aim directly at one's heart.
The next theme is The Drums of Gaugamela and it's the song for the battle with the Persian army, and it is so evocative that I immediately thought of the Battle Symphony by Beethoven, because, like it happens on that composition, here the music drives in a crescendo until it reaches a point where the dramatic mood gives way to a glorious one, and that's where you can tell that the good guys - in this case, Alexander, in Beethoven's case, the english against the french - are finnally winning.
The tracks with oriental themes are absolutely awesome, rich with elegance and sensuality - Roxane's Dance and Bagoas' Dance are my personal favorites, they're the most exciting ones.
The album ends with a beautiful, sad, and calm theme, Tender Memories. It is a great ending for what has been a gigantic epic journey. These are the tracks that touched me enough to remember them now but obviously the album sounds better as a whole.

Actually, if you don't like the movie at all, you can still hear this album and build up your own idea of Alexander the Great and his life through these evocative soundscapes. It is indeed a portrait of him, on its own.

I wasn't expecting good things out of Vangelis for a movie about 'Alexander'. But I was pleasantly surprised. The music invokes the sense of time and place the movie did with a few fallouts with synthetic sounds.

The soundtrack has its disappointments. With a movie of such grandeur, I was expecting an opus or other leitmotif soundtrack that tells the story along with the music (e.g. in a LOTR or Star Wars vein). But unfortunately, it does not. The tracks are strung together out of sequence in, apparently, the best possible way for the music to flow. Few of the tracks are over 2 minutes long, though you wish they could continue longer or have more elaboration.

Reviewer Nathaniel Levisay states that he believes Alex Kharlamov had the best 'educated' idea of what music in Alexander's time sounded like, but per the production notes to 'Alexander' written by historian Robin Lane Fox:

"There was the difficult question of music...a great expert on the subject (the author does not name him) kindly agreed to meet with Stone, but he was rightly unable to give any guidance about the correct sort of music...even the Greeks' instruments are hard to reconstruct with certainty...Oliver was becoming impatient: 'Professor, I'm offering you a chance to impose your view of ancient music on millions of people...and are you trying to tell me that you do not even know what it was?'...the music was turned over to famous Greek composer Vangelis Papathanassiou for modern elaboration..."

They tried to have an educated imput to the music, but without anything to back it up, Oliver Stone decided against it.

BTW, I don't know why the critics, especially in the U.S., gave the movie such a mauling. It's not a 'blockbuster' movie with thrills and chills and 'Braveheart' type grandstanding. The movie has its flaws to be sure, but it was an ambitious attempt at a psychological profile of one man - who just happened to be a world-famous conquerer.

The movie was not for the fanboys of the sword/sorcery or sword/sandal genre. This is a movie for grownups. Alexander was a real person who happened to be extremely good at diplomacy, military strategy and CONQUERING people with all that implies.

He's not a hero. Don't expect one. He's not an Aragorn, Conan or a Maximus. Alexander was a real person who lived in a real time.

Read some history. This movie is the most historically accurate movie I've ever seen.

I must say I like this soundtrack more and more the more often I listen to it. I hated it in the cinema the first time I say the movie when it became clear that synthesized music would be prominent (well, this being Vangelis, what did I expect?), but now I think for the most part this works extremely well in the film and also as a standalone work of music.

One thing I noticed was that Vangelis seems to have taken some inspiration from composers such as Horner or Goldsmith, particularly their Star Trek scores, and I applaud that, it seems like the kind of thing that was missing from Vangelis' earlier, too-electronic scores. The tracks on the CD are:

"Introduction" this is the lush, seafaring (fitting the underwater look of the main titles) fanfare that introduces us to the symbols of Alexander and the Persian Empire. Somewhat reminiscent of James Horner's "Star Trek II" score, or maybe even "Titanic", and definitely very evocative and beautiful. Maybe not as catchy as "Chariots of Fire", but if it were it would distract from the movie too much.

"Young Alexander", which accompanies the scene of Alexander taming Bucephalus. Reminded me of Dennis McCarthy's score for "Star Trek: Generations", which had plenty of horseback riding scenes with Picard and Kirk in the 'Nexus', marked by a similar swashbuckling-melancholy atmosphere.

"Titans", for the wrestling scene in the gymnasium and the end credits. Probably the cheesiest piece, but still enjoyable, like something by Hans Zimmer for "Gladiator" perhaps. The choir singing "Glory! Glory!" all the time is a bit too much I think, this is supposed to be a film about Alexander the Great, not St Matthews' Passion!

"The Drums of Gaugamela" underscores the dramatic tension of the battle, but I don't think it's heard very well in the movie because of all the other noise. The first 30 seconds or so and maybe 3 to 4 minutes into it are very similar to Jerry Goldsmith's "Star Trek Nemesis" score, then it gains a more ethnic note.

"One Morning at Pella" is a nice and quiet piece, supposedly representing a flute playing with a lyre or cithara (which Alexander himself played by the way). Simple and beautiful.

"Roxane's Dance" is one of the high points of the album: percussive and repetitive, both seductive and annoying at the same time -- just as Roxane herself, so it's a perfect match. The metallic whirring at the beginning probably foreshadows her apparent obsession with knives ("Now I *khil* you!" she growls during her wedding night). Of course if you look at the musicians in the background of the scene, they don't remotely seem to play the piece...

"Eastern Path" is not too memorable, I don't even know where this turns up in the movie. Alexander getting drawn towards the eastern ways of life apparently. Very archaic-sounding, suggesting mourning, a bit like parts of the "Troy" soundtrack by Horner.

"Gardens of Delight" is also more atmospheric than musical, but "Roxane's Veil" is another standout piece, although I'm not even sure it this is used in the movie itself. Vanessa Mae's violin is used surprisingly effectively. There's a slightly Chinese-sounding downtempo sensibility to it ("The Last Emperor" goes Pop), but again, this is Vanessa Mae, so what did I expect? The choir in the second half seems extraneous, though. Sometimes less is more.

"Bagoas' Dance" is a bit disappointing, because when you hear it alone you realize it's mostly percussion. In the movie it seemed more musical.

"The Charge": Alexander on Bucephalus trying to attack an Indian war elephant, which turns out not to be a very good idea. Very effective use of the choir, a little like "Carmina Burana" maybe. Works nicely for the goosebumpy shot at the end of the horse and the elephant rising up on their hind legs at the same time.

"Preparation" for the Battle of Gaugamela. Well, somehow I find the scene in "Spartacus" with the Roman troops slowly assuming battle positions in an enormous wide shot far more eerie and scary as a lead in to a battle scene. But this cue works nicely for Alexander's rousing speech.

"Across the Mountains" might easily be called the signature piece of the movie, as it perfectly sums up all of Alexander's thirst for knowledge and exploration, as symbolized by the Hindu Kush in the scene. So Alexander is at his zenith here both in his career and geographically. Sweeping, bold, and majestic, a bit like the "1492" theme.

"Chant" -- Gregorian chants in Ancient Greece? Oh well.

"Immortality" -- Alexander's life flashes past before him. Eerie yet somehow angelically comforting.

"Dream of Babylon": Alexander's entrance to Babylon. Very evocative and fitting the grandeur of the visuals. The synthesized choir sounds like something out of "Titanic".

"Eternal Alexander": almost a reprise of "Across the Mountains", for wrapping things up apparently, so the melody goes lower instead of higher and higher.

"Tender Memories": I don't know where this appears in the movie, probably in the scene with Alexander as a child in his mother's rooms, but the cue sounds a bit too obviously synthesized for my taste, which is probably not so noticeable in the movie because Angelina Jolie is talking over it anyway.

Like another reviewer wrote it's too bad some cues are missing, most notably the music for the "We're going home" scene and Ptolemy's concluding monolog. The pieces are also blended together without gaps for the most part, which seems unusual for a soundtrack album, but works well unless you want to change the order of the songs in iTunes. But on the whole this soundtrack is a winner!

Alexander is a grand and powerful CD. It is composed by Vangelis who won an Academy Award for Chariots of Fire. The music of Alexander has many different influences such as middle eastern and Indian. I'm not going to go into specific tracks but I am going to review the cd as a whole complete work. The CD is brilliant. Every track is a standout. The opening track starts out low like your preparing to be taken on a grand journey. And then your thrust into marches and battle tracks that bristle with enthusiasm and energy. I'm sure Alexanders personality must've been alot like this music because the music moves you. You can't help but be caught up in the fervor and majesty of the music.

Alexander is a must have for anyone who enjoys the music of Vangelis and if you are looking for an introduction to his music I would suggest you purchase this or 1492 Conquest Of Paradise or Bladerunner.