Customer Reviews

Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro): The Original Sound Track From The Film

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The scene in the movie when the village boys sing "Samba de Orfeo" is a transcendently beautiful religious moment. If the boys don't sing, the sun might not rise! Bonfa's samba lives up to the burden of the occasion -- joyous, passionate, unstoppable. The rest of the soundtrack, if you can believe it, lives up to THAT. Bonfa's lovely "Morning of the Carnival"; several of Jobim's lovely, sophisticated compositions in sparkling, minimal arrangements; and the awesome street Carnival percussion and singing.

This "soundtrack recording" is a work of art in its own right. There are many details here that I don't remember from the movie. For instance, Manha de Carnaval begins with a long instrumental with tropical bird songs - very beautiful (like a jungle orchestra), but the birdsong wasn't that noticeable in the movie. Likewise, there is a reprise of it sung by Euridyce, something I certainly don't remember.

No matter, it works very beautifully this way, And it's useful to hear the music presented for its own sake - so you should have both the movie and the soundtrack. Forget about this thing stating the bossa nova fad, it's gorgeous just for itself.

If you enjoy this, you'll probably enjoy Forest of the Amazon (by Villa-Lobos).

This is the album that helped launch bossa nova as an international phenomenon. If you haven't seen the movie yet, it's a truly moving experience. The soundtrack has some inconsistent points, and the recording quality isn't terribly great, but the beauty of Jobim and Bonfa's compositions overcomes it all. Best tracks: "Manha de Carnaval," "O Nosso Amor," and of course "A Felicidade."

Save your money. I love the movie very much, and to watch it and to listen it is an experience like none other. However, if you look for the music from this movie, do not look here. This is just the movie, except without video. I have great respect for Bonfa and Jobim's work on this music, but they do not get glorified truly since the tracks change so quickly and the movie sounds play such a large role in the soundtrack cd. Listen to Trio da Paz and their Black Orpheus album and see how it compares, and even though it is not the original Jobim or Bonfa, it pays more homage to them than this original soundtrack. Verve took the wrong route with this one. Yes the music is landmark in evolving Samba/Bossa Nova, but this cd does not depict truly how wonderful the music is.

I liked very much the film Black Orpheus, but when I bought this record I hoped to listen the music, not the movie. Most of the tracks has sounds of the movie overimposed to the songs, as would be heard in the movie. Then why not buying the movie? When I listen a cd I care about music, that is contaminated in this record.
And doesn't help neither that songs are changed abruptly frequently.
Besides, the art of the cover is very poor, dishonors the movie, and the written comments claim that the sounds of the movie are a plus, recalling the scenes of the movie were the sounds appear, improperly: the "Oh No!" sound of "Frevo" that is commented does not apear in the movie as said.
As a summary, Verve did wonderfull editions of jazz, but this edition falls far behind the standards of both Verve and the film; clearly, Brazilian music doesn't seems to be Verve territory judging buy this edition.

I love Brazilian music and the many artists who wrote it. I have heard the music from this CD performed on other CDs and live. However, this CD is not good. It is filled with as much movie soundtrack background noise as music. You would be much better off seeking this music from other sources.

It's wonderful to have a new recording of the sound track from the movie Black Orpheus. The movie was one of my favorites but I played my old record of the sound track so many times (and put it through so many moves) it was scratched and no longer enjoyable to listen to. Now everytime I listen to my CD version I am transported to the time and space of the movie and the time and space of the early sixties when I first heard it. The little bonus addition at the end of the CD is fun too.

It is filled with as much movie soundtrack background sounds as music; why do think they called it a soundtrack?? From the opening scene 'til the movie's last sunrise, this is Rio, and at Carnival Time, and what is at the very heart of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa's music that rocked Jazz in the early 1960s - and in not so different a way as what the British Invasion did to American pop and R&B in about the same time period. The "Bosa Nova" introduced through the international film scene via Black Orpheus changed forever how jazz was to be defined; Ken Burns didn't say so, but it's nonetheless true. This 1959 (film) soundtrack and the film itself is as fresh today as it was nearly a half century ago. This is real desert island stuff. If I could have only two CDs or DVDs to take with me, the soundtrack to Black Orpheus would be one, and George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh would be the other.

I like Manha De Carnaval so much that I listened to Domingo, Nana Mouskouri, Carly Simon and Luis Miguel's versions borrowed from the libraries. I like the original song in track 6 by Luiz Bonfa. Track 8 guitar playing is also beautiful. Track 11 female vocal is wonderful, spontaneous and second to none. The sound quality is excellent.

J'étudie la musique et nous devons jouer du Louis Bonfa. J'adore ses samba et ses bossa-nova. C'est vraiment excellent. La pièce que je préfère est Gentle rain. J'ai toujours un plaisir fou à la jouer à la guitare. Je conseille du Bonfa à tous!!!