Customer Reviews

A Beautiful Mind [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [SACD]

5 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I saw this movie and was very impressed with it. Russel Crowe and Jennifer Connelly put on wonderful performances. Although one of the best parts of this movie is the haunting soundtrack. There is a bit of mathematical precision to the music and because of the multichannel aspect of the SACD, the room is filled with music. One of the things I like about this format is the fuzzyness of the music. You can hear the reverberations and things and they aren't cleaned out by the clipping. Given all the interplay on this soundtrack, this is probably the best format to hear it on.

This soundtrack is one of the most powerful soundtracks I've ever listen to. I believe Howard Shore won an Oscar for his soundtrack to Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring the same year that A Beautiful Mind came out... unfortunately, Horner was robbed that year, although I also too love Shore's score.

Horner opens with "A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics." It comepletely draws the listener, or watcher (if viewing the movie), in. The music literally sounds like a Kaleidoscope, as if one could litterally HEAR the different colors ... and yet not randomly, but in a cohesive mathimatical way. And then, approximately one and a half minutes into the piece, a sobering, more pensive movement, yet colored again with the interesting flurishes abundant in the first minute and a half.

I've never reviewed music before, but have been an avid listener to scores and soundtracks for years. This, along with the single piece from Castaway by Alan Silvestri, and both the scores from Empire of the Sun and Hook by John Williams, TOPS the list of all time favorites. Check 'em out!

Like The Sixth Sense and Braveheart, this ranks among James Horner's best scores. This one, however, has the distinct advantage of the vastly superior medium known to us audiophiles as Sony's Super Audio CD. This medium does require specific equipment that I would be happy to explain to anyone in need of an explanation, so no more complaining...please :)

James Horner achieved something quite unique with this soundtrack because much of what we witness in the story actually takes place within the mind of the protagonist. Action sequences commonly approached with some form of driving music or another are here scored to illustrate John Nash's heightened state of fear from being completely out of his depths. Other music from the score is engaging in an almost classical American sort of way. While many film scores suffer from an inordinate effort to remain innocuous, this score is forceful, breaks film score conventions, and, even, acts at times as a portal into the listener's mind.

Audiophiles will relish the unearthly clarity of this complete Direct Stream Digital recording. And the bass performance of this disc is second to none! I know because I use two HSU RESEARCH subwoofers, one of which is dedicated to frequencies from 50Hz to 80Hz positioned directly behind me while my miracle of modern monstrosity handles everything below 50Hz from a distant corner of the room. This SACD has some of the most beautiful bass I have ever heard recorded. Quite unexpectedly, A Beautiful Mind has become one of the most pleasant suprises in my ongoing search for Super Audio CDs.

Strangely, and not by design, this CD is playing in the background as I write. I often play it as a soothing background. I also play it while fighting evil in the World of Warcraft, who's musical score was also done by James Horner. It is my opinion that James Horner's scoring is nearly half of what makes World of Warcraft so popular.

"A Beautiful Mind" is one of James Horner's most accomplished scores. I salute his ability to subtley and powerfully express the fine line between sanity and insanity. Most composers would overdo it, but not Horner. He seemingly strolls through difficult scenes with just exactly the right mixture of foreshadow and crescendo, and much breadth of feeling in all that lies between those extremes. James Horner also scored "Braveheart", "Titanic", "Ledgends of the Fall" and countless other award-winning movies. I believe James Horner's scores are timeless.

Most of this particular CD "A Beautiful Mind" is instrumental, with only one song having vocals: "All Love Can Be", which is a beautiful love song. Makes great meditational music as well.

Can you wear a CD out? I guess I'll find out, as I enjoy this one immensely.

This soundtrack is like LOTR in that you can put it on in the background and play it over and over.
Highly recommended!

I did not know I had to buy a special Cd player for this 16 dollar cd. They range from 300-500 dollers.

My bad. I guess I had to read the FINE PRINT.

bad description, especially when this cd format is not widely known.

Amazon sent me some kind of funky CD "enhanced" version that did not play in a normal CD player. When I wrote about it some person made it very clear the it was my error -- I guess I should know that I am not very knowledgable. Of course they say that they will return it but they charged me for shipping. I know they will print this becuase they don't read anything that I send them. rob k in St. Thoams USVI