Ararat

Mychael Danna | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 8, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: CreateSpace
• ASIN: B00006YXE5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,993 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best film scores to come out in a long time., September 22, 2004

By 

Moses Alexander (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ararat (Audio CD)

The score for "Ararat" is one of the better film scores to come out in several years. While some of it definately "sounds like movie music," a lot of it is original sounding and could easily make the leap to the concert platform with a few tweaks (or if you got some Armenian folk musicians to sit in!)

Composer Mychael Danna incorporated Armenian folk & sacred music into the more traditional score for western orchestra. The results are absolutely spellbinding. The duduk (somewhat similar to an oboe, but that's just to give an idea) and the kanune combine well with orchestra, and at times take on a "concerto-like" relationship to the orchestra.

Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian's voice is spellbinding (her solo CDs are also amazing and worth picking up.) At times, her voice, combined with Danna's music make it hard to choke back the tears. The music is just that powerful in places.

Most of the music is somber, yet hopeful...but one would expect somber music from a movie dealing with such a tough subject.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music bursting with emotions, Reminisence of The Gladiator, May 11, 2003

By 

Sevan Tutunciyan (Alameda, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ararat (Audio CD)

Spectacular ! There are two reasons why I will recommend this CD. First, as it is related to my heritage, Armenian, this soundtrack does a wonderful job of representing Ararat, a movie about how Armenian Genocide performed by Turks affected an Armenian family whose members are trying to come to terms with their painful past in their own ways. The music is so emotional and passionate that it almost tells a story by itself, it's hard not be captured by it.

Those of you who are fond of the legendary movie The Gladiator and its music will appreciate this CD as it has the same instrument (it's called duduk) that makes the wind voice and shares certain characteristics. Also, there are other instruments that orchestral and convential of Armenian heritage, all of which are quite soothing.
If you loved the Gladiator music, you'll love this too !

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, December 5, 2002

By 

Sebo Hamamah (Venice, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ararat (Audio CD)

This album offers the best mix of orchestral and ethnic Armenian music I've ever heard. Mychael Danna did a superb job in composing this soundtrack. Soundtracks, in my opinion, are what make or break a movie, and in this case, it made a very well done movie even more outstanding.

What makes this album even more special is the use of ethnic instruments along with orchestral ones, plus a choir. The sound quality is remarkable. It's so good, in fact, that I was surprised when I read that the choir recording was actually done in a 6th century stone church in Armenia under poor conditions.

Both movie and soundtrack were very well done. My most sincere appreciation to both Mychael Danna and Atom Egoyan.

If you haven't seen the movie or bought the soundtrack, what are you waiting for?