Customer Reviews

The Civil War - Traditional American Songs And Instrumental Music Featured In The Film By Ken Burns: Original Soundtrack Recording

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When I watched The Civil War, Ken Burns' epic documentary, on PBS 13 years ago, I was not only moved by the mix of period paintings, photographs, voiceovers by great actors and David McCullough's wonderful narration, but I was captivated by the music in the soundtrack. From the poignant "Ashokan Farewell" (the signature theme of the film) to a beautiful choral presentation of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," the songs and military marches from the period added their powerful emotional content to an already engrossing television event.

The Civil War: Traditional American Songs and Instrumental Music Featured in the Film By Ken Burns is a treasure trove of musical gold. Its 28 tracks contain almost a full hour of military marches ("Parade," "Bonnie Blue Flag," "Palmyra Scottische"), sentimental songs ("Lorena," "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier") and patriotic songs ("Dixie," "The Battle Cry of Freedom") that were popular in both North and South in the 1860s.

Of course, the track most listeners associate with both the documentary is the haunting "Ashokan Farewell," composed by Jay Ungar and performed by Ungar with Evan Stover, Matt Glaser, Molly Mason and Russ Barenger. It is a beautiful modern folk composition (originally heard in Fiddle Fever's "Waltz of the Wind" album) that reflects the tragic split between North and South that resulted in America's ugliest and bloodiest war. It is presented twice on this album, first in its entirety (track 3) and closes the CD along with a reading of Sullivan Ballou's last letter to his wife shortly before his death at the first battle of Bull Run.

What strikes me after all these years is the creativity and care taken by the producers to make this a worthwhile listening experience. While some of the marches and patriotic songs are played by bands with brass and percussion instruments, others are played to great effect by unexpected instruments. "The Battle Cry of Freedom," one of the great marching songs in the Northern repertoire and normally performed bombastically by bands or choruses, is played here by pianist Jacqueline Schwab with delicate sensibility and simplicity. In a similar vein, "Marching Through Georgia" is heard as both a triumphant fiddle romp performed by Fiddle Fever to underscore the mood of Sherman's army, then it is a lament played mournfully by pianist Schwab to reflect the feelings of loss and defeat by Georgians caught in the path of the "March to the Sea." It is a devastatingly effective use of music, and it draws the listener's ears, heart and mind into the drama and tragedy of the Civil War era.

While visiting relatives in Virginia and spending a moving day on the battle field of First Manassas (or Bull Run if you prefer) my interest in the Civil War was well and truly sparked. I had heard so much about the film of the war by Ken Burns that when it became available in England (only in late 1999) I bought it on video. Purchasing this CD was the next step. Ken Burns himself suggests that "Music, songs are a kind of glue that holds our history together and binds the present with the past to form out most important memories." This recording does exactly that, it enables the listener to gain an insight into the musical sounds of the war and by doing so to understand at a deeper level the motivations behind it. There is a wide representation of styles from the spiritual to the march from simple acoustic guitar to the lamenting fiddle. For most people who know the Burns film `Ashokan Farewell' quite rightly stands out. The music is beautiful in itself but when it is combined, as it is on this CD, with a letter sent home a week before his death at First Manassas by Major Sullivan Ballou, it becomes quite the most moving piece of music and narrative I have ever heard.

I bought this CD along with `Songs of the Civil War' (co-produced by Ken Burns) and both are splendid examples of Civil War music, I recommend both to you.

There's a fair chance this CD's sales will spike every time PBS shows Ken Burn's film.

Why? It is great music, most of which can only be heard on indie internet radio folk and bluegrass stations. Maybe you can hear a cut or two on your community college public radio station, or played a more sophisticated DJ.

But, thanks to Burns, the TV-watching world is exposed to "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" and classics like, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." You might know some of these tunes from way back when, but more than likely, they are new.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this music, and found Burn's presentation of it in his mini-series documentary well done.

I fully recommend "The Civil War." Billboard hits long before there was Billboard.

Anthony Trendl

I'll get the bad news out of the way first: my one gripe is that this CD did not include the rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in which the little-used third verse is sung:

"I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel/ As ye deal with My contemners, so with ye My grace shall deal/ Let the Hero born of Woman crush the serpent with his heel/ Since my God is marching on/"

To be fair, the only album on which I HAVE heard this verse is Lee Greenwood's rendition on his "American Patriot" CD; unfortunately, Lee in turns short-changes the listener by skipping the 5th verse of "Battle Hymn," i.e. "In the beauty of the lillies Christ was born across the sea . . ."

But enough kvetching! This is an excellent CD! The main reason I bought is is that I fell in love with "The Battle Cry of Freedom" from watching the mini-series . . .but for the longest time I didn't know what the corrrect title of the song was! Anyway, I was tickeld pink to see that there's two "Battle Cry" tracks on the CD . . . and I fell in love with all the other tracks on the CD as well.

ESPECIALLY the final track, the Letter of Major Sullivan Ballou to his wife Sarah (Sara?) with "The Ashokan Farewell" in the background. Sheer elogance of writing, almost poetic and lyrical, a thing of beauty. Statistics supposedly tell us that the present-day literacy rate in the U.S. supersedes the literacy rate of "back then," yet letters like Maj Ballou's seem to say to otherwise.

God bless this great Nation and all those who defend her, past and present.

My husband is a Civil War buff, and we truly enjoyed this series and masterful soundtrack. Ken Burns is a genius with his choice of songs. The song "Ashokan Farewell" is one you can't get off your mind. It is tender and emotional and very representative of the time. Another beautiful rendition of this song is on the CD "Common Chord". I wish they would show this series again. I like to put the scenes with the music. They fit so well.

I bought this after seeing the entire Civl War series by Ken Burns.

The music is performed in a variety of styles; fiddle, brass band, gospel voice and piano are among the styles presented.

Each song is played with the skill and style befitting its setting and mood. Rather than an album that strictly reproduces what one might have heard during the Civil War, artists have been chosen who play it so it *feels* and sounds right.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a Civil War buff, or who merely needs some excellent, reflective listening music.

As beautiful as this music was as background to The Civil War documentary, to hear it by itself is moving beyond words. The CD is brilliantly arranged, the musicianship exquisite and the sound quality outstanding.

I bought this CD from amazon.com after reading all of the wonderful reviews, and now I can add one of my own. This CD truly is as good as everybody says. The music is varied, with instrumental and vocal pieces, upbeat and slower pieces, and everything in between -- but all of it perfectly in tune with the spirit of the Civil War era. And Sullivan Ballou's beautiful letter to his wife is alone worth the price of the CD -- I listened to it with my grandfather one evening and both of us were moved to honest tears. So many good reviews have been written that I don't need to repeat them. Let me just assure you that if you purchase this CD, you will not regret it.

What Ken Burns seems to have found in his work on THE CIVIL WAR is a deep and heartfelt sorrow; a real sadness for a country that tore itself apart, transforming itself from an 18th century agrarian culture to a 20th century industrial Republic in 4 years of unbelievably bloody war. The music of THE CIVIL WAR reflects that sadness and sense of loss.

"Ashokan Farewell" is the best-known piece here, but it is the piano pieces--"Battle Cry Of Freedom," "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier," "All Quiet On The Potomac," "Flag Of Columbia," "Marching Through Georgia"--and the piano and cello version of "Shenandoah" which most eloquently speak of the grandeur, and the horror, that the American Civil War visited upon its people.

Any study of the Civil War needs to include the music of the time. This is a very good collection of music to invoke the feel of America at an extremely difficult time.Young people need to hear the music of the 1860`s to more fully experience the struggle.We can read books, watch movies,look at pictures of the Civil War, but we need the music to make it real. This collection should be considered for all to appreciate.