Balto (1995 Film) [Soundtrack]

James Horner | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 5, 1995)
• Original Release Date: December 5, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B000002OZ7
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,590 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Reach For The Light (Theme From Balto) - Steve Winwood

2. Main Title/ Balto's Story Unfolds

3. The Dogsled Race

4. Rosy Goes To The Doctor

5. Boris And Balto

6. The Journey Begins

7. Grizzly Bear

8. Jenna/Telegraphing The News

9. Steele's Treachery

10. The Epidemic's Toll

11. Heritage Of The Wolf

12. Balto Brings The Medicine!

13. Reach For The Light(Theme From Balto)Long Version - Steve Winwood

Editorial Reviews

Track Listings 1. Reach For The Light (Theme From Balto) - Steve Winwood 2. Main Title/ Balto's Story Unfolds 3. The Dogsled Race 4. Rosy Goes To The Doctor 5. Boris And Balto 6. The Journey Begins 7. Grizzly Bear 8. Jenna/Telegraphing The News 9. Steele's Treachery 10. The Epidemic's Toll 11. Heritage Of The Wolf 12. Balto Brings The Medicine! 13. Reach For The Light(Theme From Balto)Long Version - Steve Winwood

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little-known soundtrack for a little-known movie, March 16, 2005

By 

Kyle Scharnhorst - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balto (1995 Film) (Audio CD)

James Horner has composed an incredible soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's animated masterpiece, Balto. Easily as good as some of his other works, such as The Land Before Time and An American Tail, this soundtrack uses very emotional and very minor-pitch themes to paint a vivid picture of the Alaskan wilderness.

Some of the better tracks on the CD:

2. Main Title / Balto's Story Unfolds -- This is where you hear Balto's theme for the first time. Sad and beautiful, it appears for a short time and then changes into more cheerful music. Later on in the track, as the story switches to the dogsled race, the tension in the music builds and finally explodes into a long section of heart-pounding action music.

6. The Journey Begins -- From the very beginning, this track alternates between driving energy and reflective, emotional sections. Balto's theme is heard halfway through the track in possibly one of the most sorrowful and moving variations in the entire soundtrack.

8. Jenna / Telegraphing the News -- Jenna's theme, played here in its entirety, is a very beautiful blend of strings and woodwinds. Her theme transitions into one of the most powerful moments in the movie: the desperate telegraph for help. To create a musical version of Morse code, James Horner used flutes and violins to play literal "dots" and "dashes" which then builds into the powerful cello/horn-driven Balto's theme.

11. Heritage of the Wolf -- Corresponding to the famous "White Wolf Scene" from the movie, this track starts off very mournfully and builds into the spine-tingling choral passage of the Northern Lights. The next section is easily the most climactic music on the entire soundtrack. A quiet melody starting with the chorus and a few strings gradually adds more instruments and grows in intensity until it breaks out into Balto's theme in all of its tragic beauty. It is almost impossible to listen to this passage without feelings chills of some kind, or even tearing up. It is very similar in climactic style to track 13 ("Breakout") on the Dinosaur soundtrack.

12. Balto Brings the Medicine! -- Somehow, James Horner is able to take all of the mournful and tragic themes from the soundtrack and weave them together to make a triumphant and victorious celebration. Balto's theme grows from beautiful simplicity in the middle of the track to an emotional full orchestra and chorus at the end. At the end of the celebratory music, it climaxes with the choral finale of the Northern Lights, leaving the listener breathless.

Unfortunately, this soundtrack is out-of-print and not very well known, but this doesn't detract from the fact that Balto is easily one of the most powerful examples of a minor-key soundtrack that contains some of the most emotional music ever written.

5 stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Truly Amazing!!, November 12, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Balto (1995 Film) (Audio CD)

Wow..... Just wow. Never have I felt such a power explosion of music on a CD (With the exception of the Angel Sanctuary CDs). My favorite song HAS to be Heritage of the Wolf, its amazing and kind of makes me cry in the beginning, since I know where this song takes place. Then in the middle i pretend to be Balto and Howl up a storm. Hehe....Reach for the Light is in a close #2, I love the chourus and music, and how the kids actually sound good when they join in. Only three words for this album; ITS TRULY AMAZING!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Fantastic, July 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Balto (1995 Film) (Audio CD)

After the movie came out and there was no corresponding CD, I almost cried! I would watch the movie over and over again just to listen to the music (the movie is excellent as well). I also kept watching for a CD release after the fact and when I finally did see it - it was not available. I had to get it on Ebay and it was worth the continued search! Fantastic beyond your imagination - what a composer James Horner is (he also did the music for Titanic which is excellent)!