Customer Reviews

First Knight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are certain film composers--Goldsmith, Bernstein, Williams, Horner--whose CD's I buy whether I've seen the movie or not (more usually not, given the movies they make nowadays, but I digress). This one is a prime example of why Jerry G. is on that list. No one but John Williams does brassy, triumphant, lift-you-out-of-your-chair music better. Almost every track here is filled with the kind of music that evokes the pride and pageantry of knightly times. Yet he can also deliver moments of poignancy, as in the contemplative "Village Ruins." If you don't know Goldsmith's work, this is a great CD to start with. If you do, you won't be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong. This is not a bad soundtrack, and I like it. But when you have around 50 soundtracks, some have to rate higher than others, and this one is not as great as a number of them. The main theme for it is beautiful and moving, and the romantic theme is nice as well. However, some of the action cues are a bit to intense for easy listening. A lot of banging and clanging, and not much melody. But overall, I would still say this is a worthwhile CD, although as almost all Varese Sarabande soundtracks, it's short (A little over 30 mins.). Plus, if you are a Goldsmith fan in general, this is a must have. So like I said, not as low as three, but not as high as a four.

Jerry Goldsmith precisely shows his love for brass instruments in his score for "First Knight". This soundtrack made the movie very enjoyable, and in some ways, the spectacular music even has a touch of patriotism. From track one through ten, you can purely tell that "First Knight" was written by Jerry Goldsmith. (and in many ways, it reminds me of "Air Force One") "First Knight" is not a complex score at all, yet very inspiring and uplifting. Track one, "Arthur's Fanfare", is a repetitive, short track in which brass instruments have a moment all to their own while drums can be heard thundering in the background. This track is good, but it only has a full playing time of 45 seconds. Track two is where it is easy to distinguish parts of "Air Force One". Snare drums playing in march beat start the music off, and brass introduce themselves in a gorgeous and enlightening theme, which is followed by French horns and peaceful strings. During the middle section of this track, a piano can be heard whispering in the distance while strings and woodwinds have the melody (At this point, it now sounds like "Rudy") The music ends much the same way it began. Steady drums, bold brass, and quiet strings, which together give the music a sense of pride. Throughout "First Knight", bits and pieces of this same type of music is often heard. I would say that this soundtrack sounds like a good mix between "Air Force One", "Medal of Honor", (especially the tense moments) and many of John Williams' works, do to his often use of the brass section. If you are a heavy Jerry Goldsmith collector, "First Knight" is a must get.

Jerry Goldsmith's score for the most recent film version of the story of King Arthur is a towering acheivement, a blazingly colourful tribute to the best of golden age film composers such as Miklos Rosza. It is especcially welcome in a time when film music generally seems to be getting fairly dull, & uninteresting. Some powerful brass playing starts the album of majestically with the short fanfare for Arthur, but there is much more to the score than this. The love music for Guinevere is wonderfully old fashioned, amazingly beautiful to listen to, conjuring up feelings of passion from nowhere. There are also a number of fierce & thrilling action cues, of which the staggering 'Night Battle' is undoubtedly the highlight, with drivingly powerful orchestral rhythms, & frantic brass playing making this one of the best action cues of the decade. There is yet more, as the penultimate cue sees the sudden dramatic appearance of a large choir, who supply some thrilling & dramatic chanting for a truly spine-tingling battle sequence. The finale binds all the scores' elements together in a noble & most satisfying way. This masterful tribute to the golden age of film scoring is an unfailing treat, reminding you just how good great film music is.

This is definitely one of my favorite Goldsmith scores. It has everything you expect from the maestro, ranging from full-blown brass fanfares, exciting, thunderous action music, as well as a delightful love theme and a heroic main theme. Goldsmith always keeps things interesting in each cue so that the listener does not get bored.
"Arthur's Fanfare" opens the soundtrack with a 6-note trumpet fanfare along with horn counterpoint. It is bold and dynamic, but is featured in much better full-scale performances in later tracks. The love theme, which is a great one, is found in "Promise Me", among others and features lovely string and woodwind performances. The best music on the album is without a doubt, the action music, of which Goldsmith excels beyond expectations.
Tracks such as "Raid on Leonesse", "Night Battle", and "Arthur's Farewell" are epic in scope with strident brass, pounding percussion, and a blaring chorus in the latter of the 3 tracks mentioned. "Camelot Lives" concludes the soundtrack with a final, awe-inspiring performance of the main theme complete with full orchestra and chorus. It definitely will produce goosebumps, I promise you that, especially when turned up real loud with a great surround sound system.
It is sad that Goldsmith is no longer with us, but he is without a doubt, a legendary composer, capable of composing in any genre of film, and this is that type of genre in which he excels. Do NOT pass this one up!!

First Knight is one of the late Jerry Goldsmith's most successful scores. In the movie it makes the film much more compelling and helps the movie to rise above a mediocre script, and as a cd it makes for a great if short listening experience. It is among the top scores composed by Goldsmith and one of the most recent to contain no electronic instruments. Anyway, I highly recommend this music to anyone who enjoys a good score ;).

This is a great soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith. Great variety of songs from love songs to action music.
Many of the songs I can only label as good, but my favorite track is probably "Promise Me" - This has the beautiful love theme strongly found within it.
It also enjoyed "Arthur's Farewell", which has the wonderfull sound of the final battle between good and evil.
A couple good versus evil style battle songs in other movies:
-"Duel of the Fates" from "StarWars Episode I" by Williams
-"Final Battle" from "Highlander" by Michael Kamen (sort of)

I would just like to say that our marching band, The 1999 Pride of Pendleton Marching Band, a high school in South Carolina, would like to say that this music is really wonderful. Not only that but it also made us #1 in the upper-state. This is a definite cd in my collection.

"First Knight" is one of the most triumphant scores ever written by Jerry Goldsmith. The theme for Arthur -or Camelot, according to the way you want to put it -is spectacular, touching, and catchy. The love theme is bittersweet, yet very romantic.
But what makes me give this album four stars is its length. At forty minutes, you get to hear Arthur's theme triumphantly, together with the love theme, in 'Camelot Lives' and 'Promise Me', and a piece of spectacular battle music for orchestra and chorus in 'Arthur's Farewell'. However, there is music missing in the album, you feel like kinda incomplete. This is a great Jerry Goldsmith composition that truly deserves an expanded edition.

This is my favorite CD in my collection. The music is so moving. My favorite piece is the battle song, "Arthur's Farewell". If you like medieval fantasy music you'll love this CD.