Customer Reviews

Ararat

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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 !

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?

I'd like to say that the movie is very contemporary movie and so is the soundtrack. I rate this movie as the best movie for me!
Unfortunately I saw a mistake made by Amazon.com which has shown the composer of Groonk as Mychael Danna. I'd like to announce that the composer of Groonk or Krounk which in armenian means a Bird is composed by Komitas, Danna has just impovized the music, which is also very great work. Groonk, originaly writen by Komitas, is about an armenian immigrant who asks the Groonk, the bird, about his mother land, his country, which he has not seen for a while and where he can't be anymore.
Anyway, I'd recommend you to listen this works, they speak of a nation that has lost its mother land.

Quite simply one of the most effective and affecting film soundtracks I have ever heard. Bravo Egoyan and Danna.

The music on the CD is truly great!
"irabes khentanalik"!!!
If ever you need to recharge your Armenian spirit from time to time, this would be a quick way of doing it.
It is a truly heartwarming cd. Go out and buy it. You won't regret it.
Most of the songs and melodies are quite soft, and very fun to listen to.

Mychael Danna is one of my most favorite composers. Whatever he touches, turns to gold. He can take any ethnicity of music and create pieces that make your soul ache. Kudos to Danna and Egoyan for their collaboration on this amazing soundtrack.

If you like this type of music, you might also like another artist who plays the duduk, Djivan Gasparyan.

Quite literally one of the greatest movie scores ever composed.

Great job Danna & Egoyan.

Sevag

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?

The music on the CD is truly great!
"irabes khentanalik"!!!
If ever you need to recharge your Armenian spirit from time to time, this would be a quick way of doing it.
It is a truly heartwarming cd. Go out and buy it. You won't regret it.
Most of the songs and melodies are quite soft, and very fun to listen to.