The Godfather Trilogy: I, II & III [Soundtrack]

Carmine Coppola (Composer), Nino Rota (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Carmine Coppola, Nino Rota
• Audio CD (March 13, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Silva America
• ASIN: B000059LEY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,784 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Godfather saga may have its roots in pulp fiction, but the vision of director Francis Ford Coppola turned the story of Don Vito Corleone into an epic, multigenerational metaphor for modern American society and its place in the world. Coppola's musical choices were equally sage; aged Italian scoring legend Nino Rota's mournful solo trumpet theme ("Godfather Waltz") would become both a crucial, emotional link in all three films and an enduring modern icon on a par with the themes to Star Wars and Jaws.

This compendium gathers key themes from the Godfather trilogy in modern rerecordings, by conductor Paul Bateman and the Prague Philharmonic, that are sonically pristine and faithful to the originals. Utilizing the rich musical heritage of his native Italy (and occasionally evoking memories of his great collaborations with Fellini), Rota's Godfather music would ultimately net him his only Oscar^®, for Godfather II. Carmine Coppola, the director's father, supplements Rota's work with music that's more distinctly ethnic, while the prelude from Italian classical composer Pietro Mascagani's masterful opera Cavalleria Rusticana becomes a crucial element in Godfather III, filling the void left by Rota's passing in 1979. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Do not confuse music you love with rendition you won't, November 10, 2003

By 

Andrius Uzkalnis (Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Godfather Trilogy: I, II & III (Audio CD)

I would not like to repeat what another reviewer said there: this is no original soundtrack. It is a very professional - and very uninspired - job by Prague Philarmonic who might have followed the music sheet but they lost the magic.

Yes, the tunes are memorable and, right from the first movements, they evoke the ghosts of complex cinematic imagery that are so deeply ingrained in the mind of anyone who loves this film. But the magic is gone. You know it's not THE soundtrack, and you've heard the real thing so many times.

The truth is that if you had Pavarotti to sing classic songs of The Rolling Stones, you would be disappointed with the result - despite the fact that Luciano has a much better voice than Mick Jagger.

Those artists who recorded the original soundtrack 30 years ago in Hollywood - and who remembers their names today? - were probably not as accomplished as the Prague Philarmonic. But they created the real thing, and therefore this cover disc will forever be no more than nice background music. That's all I use it for.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing performance of classic Godfather music..., January 8, 2003

By 

Laura (Goleta, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Godfather Trilogy: I, II & III (Audio CD)

I am a die-hard Godfather afficianado and I was terribly disappointed in this CD. When I purchased it, I didn't realize it was not a recording of the original soundtrack from the movie. Instead, it is a reproduction of the songs by The City of Prague Philharmonic. The performance is technically accurate, but does not at *all* convey the emotion of the movie's moments. It's as if the musicians studied the score, but never saw the movie. In track after track, the rhythms are not quite right, the mood is not set, etc, which is jarring for someone who knows the movies well. If you just want to hear some pleasing music, buy this CD. If you intend to buy a CD of The Godfather soundtrack in order to re-experience the magic of the Godfather movies themselves, look elsewhere.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS CD, June 2, 2002

By 

ChickLitGurrl™ "Shonell Bacon" (Lake Charles, LA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Godfather Trilogy: I, II & III (Audio CD)

As a LOVER of The Godfather trilogy, it was obvious that I would soon pick up this cd, and I am so glad that I did. There's something about this music that resonates in your chest, that makes you feel, makes something inside of you spark up.

It's the perfect music to have on while you're writing or cleaning or just relaxing.

It's definitely in my top 3 cds, and it's one I keep around me at all times.

If you love beautiful, classical music, you need to pick this up.