Customer Reviews

Becoming Jane [Original Score]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For Becoming Jane, Adrian Johnston delivers an elegant score that perfectly captures the poignant and bittersweet, utterly romantic tone of the film. Johnston was given permission to study the surviving music books that once belonged to the Austen family in preparation for scoring the film, and that study shows. By weaving music from the period throughout the score, he gives this highly speculative "biopic" a genuinely authentic feel. Particularly notable is the inclusion of themes from "The Irishman" in the tracks "Bond Street Airs" and "A Letter." Also noteworthy are the tracks "The Basingstoke Assembly," featuring "The Recruiting Officer," and "Laverton Fair," featuring "Softly good Tummas" - both pieces of source music by Kynaston/Walsh and arranged by Johnston sparkle with energy. Track after track of the score features cues of music positively dripping with the sound of delicate strings and exquisite piano solos. This is music to think, to read, to write, to DREAM by - it encourages a quiet, reflective mood (perfectly suited to curling up with one of Austen's novels and a cup of tea). In this respect Johnston's work follows in the tradition of scores for previous Austen pictures such as Pride & Prejudice, Emma: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture, and Sense and Sensibility: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995 Film) - all of the aforementioned films feature music that perfectly compliments the on-screen action, but taken by themselves the scores stand on their own as polished, unforgettable musical works of art.

After watching Becoming Jane at the movies this past March, I had mixed feelings about the production. The music by Adrian Johnston is just amazing. I enjoy listening to it and my friends have asked me what music is playing when they are over.
If you enjoy soundtracks from P&P, Emma, Nicholas Nickleby, Little Women, Miss Potter, Sense And Sensibility just to name a few. You will enjoy this wonderful soundtrack.
Buy it you will be glad that you have.

Composer Adrian Johnston's superb, predominantly neo-Classical score, intertwined with fragments of Mozart's and late 18th/early 19th Century English "popular" music, underscores the bittersweet romance which forms the heart of "Becoming Jane", in which actors James McAvoy and Anne Hathaway give remarkable, quite riveting, performances as Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen. It is replete with fine violin and cello solos from a small chamber session orchestra whose musicians I have never heard of before, but whose playing truly rivals the best I have heard from some of the world's great chamber ensembles both in live performances and on recordings. Quite simply, the musicians have wrought a memorable soundtrack recording that's most noteworthy for the delicate, almost transparent, rhapsodic playing of the strings, and some refined playing by a solo pianist too. Johnston's original score is a richly textured musical palette which evokes Baroque as well as Classical music in some of the melodies. Much to his credit, from studying the surviving music books belonging to the Austen family, Johnston has conjured up in music, the sights and sounds of Jane Austen's beloved Hampshire, England, and has rendered a most vivid musical tribute to her life and work as one of Great Britain's finest authors of fiction.

Having read the other reviews, I have to agree: this is a wonderful, well studied, emotionally charged CD. However, there seems to be something missing: the pivotal dance song where, after looking for Tom like Elizabeth looks for Wickham in P&P, Tom suddenly pops into view and your heart simply stops. Other songs seem to be missing too, but this one is the most important one in the movie! For this reason, I give the cd 4 stars. I like to use it for lulling my daughter off to sleep.

The soundtrack to "Becoming Jane" brings the wonderful movie starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy to life. It is sweeping, emotional, romantic and stirring. There is not one track in this soundtrack that I do not like and most of them I truly love. I keep this CD on constant play at home and in my car. It soothes and calms me, even as I listen to it at work or while sitting in traffic in my car.

My favorite tracks are "First Impressions," "To the Ball," "Rose Garden," and "Runaways" but in all honesty I love them all. Adrian Johnston has done a brilliant job of creating such beautiful music.

If you love the film, then this soundtrack is a must have. It is that perfect background music to listen to as you cuddle up to a book or as you enjoy a quiet afternoon indoors. And if you enjoyed other romantic soundtracks such Dario Marianelli's "Pride & Prejudice," Gabriel Yared's "The English Patient" and Patrick Doyle's "Sense & Sensibility," then this would be a wonderful addition to your collection. It is a stunning piece of work and something I know I will enjoy listening to for years to come.

I absolutely LOVED this movie. Made me cry... TWICE! Anyhoo, just
wanted to let everybody know out there that the song that's missing
from the soundtrack (Grr!) is "Hole in the Wall" by Henry Purcell.

I was a big fan of the movie despite the fact i knew how it would end. the soundtrack was great because it had all the music from the movie and i hate when they don't include all the music on soundtracks. also the music was beautiful because it brought me back to the movie.

Great movie and absolutely beautiful music. Great to listen to any time or while working since there are no words. Well worth the money.

This CD only has 23 tracks, but the digital version contains 29, including the dance at Lady Gresham's Ball entitled "Hole in the Wall." A few reviewers were disappointed that it was missing on the CD. Check the digital version for the six extra bonus tracks!

Beautiful music to accompany an excellent movie. If you enjoyed the music during the movie, you will love this soundtrack. It's easy listening, great music to relax to.