Customer Reviews

K-19 the Widowmaker

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

 

 

Before I watched K-19, I had never heard of Klaus Badelt, even forgetting that he contributed to my co-favorite soundtrack "Gladiator". I could not breathe properly at the end of the movie, when "Reunion" reveberated throughout the theater.

For me, the highlights of the score are #3 Allegro, #7 Journey, #8 Vostrikov suite and #11 Reunion. However, this is the only CD in my extensive collection with the exception of "Beyond Rangoon", "Crimson Tide" and "Gladiator" in which ALL songs are worth listening to. The influence of Hans Zimmer is evident throughout the movie - you can't help but remember "The Peacemaker" and "Crimson Tide". The choir just makes this work hauntingly beautiful and chillingly good. It helped make the movie a very good one.

Klaus Badelt has a very bright future ahead. I haven't heard his other work, but I intend to. I cannot recommend this CD enough.

My favorite one in my movie soundtrack collection! The music of K-19 made the movie even more moving. If you are looking for great music pieces for a "every goes wrong" russian submarine, and I mean the feel of the waves, tensions on board and the heroic efforts, this is "the" soundtrack. I have to admit, even thought I loved the movie, it`s wouldn`t been as great without the real struggling russian submarine music effect that Klaus Badelt created. The music moves me everytime I hear it...I close my eyes and I can see myself on board of this boat peeking out of the waves with the cold winds on my cheeks.

After his tremendous success with The Time Machine, Klaus Badelt returns once again with another great score to K-19: The Widowmaker. With an outstanding performance by The Kirov Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of conductor Valery Gergiev, Badelt proves that once again, he is one of the hottest new composers out there. Badelt starts with "Suite for Orchestra and Chorus in G Minor" which is a classical piece that he wrote which the score's main themes were developed. "Fear - Largo" contains a militaristic theme that reoccurs throughout the score several times. "Fate - Adagio" contains a dark string crescendo that resorts to a lovely piece of music. "War - Allegro" is an action cue that contains some excellent and difficult horn parts. "Soul - Mysterioso" is the best of the 4 with the themes occurring again in full force with the orchestra and chorus. The rest of the score is derived from these first 4 tracks and contains different versions of those themes each time you hear them, so they never get boring. "Home" is a waltz version of the theme heard in "Fear - Largo" and "Heroes" gives us the theme again in full force. "Journey" contains a male chorus chanting the main theme in Russian, much like Basil Poledouris used a chorus in The Hunt For Red October. "Missile Launch - The Rescue" is a long action cue that sounds a lot like "War - Allegro" with the difficult horn parts. "Reunion" ends the score in an excellent fashion with the main themes occurring one more time sending the listener off with great melodies. "Reactor - Selections from Voices of Light" is a low key piece composed by Richard Einhorn that fits in nicely with the score, but is nowhere near as good. I was hoping to give this score 5 stars, but for me, it just lacked that one little thing that makes it an outstanding score that you want to hear over and over again. It is a great score with a wonderful sound and great themes, however, and Klaus Badelt impresses me once again.

I heard a clip of the music on this CD in a K-19 trailer--and I walked out the door that very minute and bought it. I've never seen the movie-I heard it didn't do well-but the music is definitely worth the money.

The four-part movement at the beginning probably presents the best tracks in the whole score. This new guy, Klaus Badelt, has the distinct talent of presenting a flowing climax in his music, and also writing soft, smooth, but distinct melodies that are quite catchy. (I felt that this was something "Gladiator" failed to do.) The music also captured the music from all over Russia, ranging from and Italian flare with a mandolin to even a Chinese pentatonic style! And, as Russian music is, all the songs are in a minor key. Nice.

There are several distinct tracks that stand out on this one. First and foremost, track 3, "War", is the song featured on the trailer--and the most adventurous-sounding. Very intense. I loved it. Second, track 2 and 4, which feature soft, flowing, catchy, (did I say these songs are catchy? Well, they are.) and beautful melodies. These first 4 songs are fairly short, about 5 minutes each.

The other songs on the CD are probably a bit too long, ranging from 7 minutes to 11. A lot of the intense Russian chanting, featured on track 7, isn't heard until about 5 minutes into it, and then it's just bits and pieces. Track 8 establishes track 4 and 3 mixed together, but slower (it's actually quite pretty) and track 5 is track 4, but a bit more up tempo. So you can see that a lot of these tracks just play around a bit with the variations of the 4-part movement.

One track that was very different? Track 10. It sounded a bit like---John Cage goes to China. Okay, it wasn't that weird. (More like Hindemeth goes to China.) It starts out with an opera solo, then is joined by another soprano. They sing along the pentatonic scale and don't seem to resolve very often. Still, it's pretty, and I enjoyed listening to it. It had an exotic flare.

Overall, this CD is certainly worth owning. It generally features soft, sweet, lyrical music that is perfect for relaxing to. I hope to hear more music from this composer. Kudos, Mr. Badelt.

Klaus Badelt is another wonderful artist who can make the music be the movie. Rich with themes that fit the russian genre. The last track 'reunion' brings tears to my eyes picturing scenes from the movie. This music grabs you emotionally! Wonderful score.

For decades there has been a fine line between classical based orchestral film score music and the true classical masters. Well for K-19 Klaus Badelt has become Tchaikovsky reincarnated. This is the most classical based score I have heard for many years (Horner does a fine Ralph Vaughn -Williams) and this is one the Russian master would be proud of. The first four tracks are even called "Suites for Orchestra and Chorus". Badelt has again shown that his first hit "Time Machine" was no one hit wonder story. Klaus Badelt has proven to be the new "wunderkind" of film scores and his music for the forthcoming "Ned Kelly" again proves that.But for now enjoy this one if you love both submarine scores "Hunt for Red October" and "Crimson Tide". K-19 makes it a fine trio.

This album is filled with music that the early master composers would be proud to claim as their own. The first six tracks are pure, sweet, pasionate Russian classical orchestra music, befitting any of the symphonic works of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and even more so, Rachmaniov. Klaus Badelt has written music which would please the Gods. My heartfelt thanks as a simple listener, for this musical treat.

At first I though I was listening to the beginning of Yanni's "Standing in Motion" with the first instrument echoing in the first track, Fear-Largo. Instead, this was intended to be paced as a slower theme for the score.

A familiar Gladiator battle theme jumped in the 3rd track, named appropriately War-Allegro, and again in the 8th and 9th track.

The chorus in 6-Heroes and 8-Capt. Alexi Vostrikov reprises a simliar emotion heard much earlier in Basil Poledouris' The Hunt for Red October.

There are other parts of the score that sails through the slow moments in tracks 4-Soul thru 6-Heroes. On 7-Journey, the theme is complete and powerful. Then it is revived in track 11.

I was impressed by Klaus especially when it was executed with an orchestra and chorus, instead of a synthesized soundtrack.

The way the K-19's theme echoes and reflects the movie was a reminder of how Hans Zimmer's Crimson Tide empowered its own film.

I have almost forgotton how much appreciation I had for Klaus Badelt's work. I am glad I was not disappointed for getting this score.

The score for this movie is very fitting. Yes, at times it does sound a bit like Gladiator, but instead of the image of Romans on the battle field, you think of the sailors running through the bulkheads. The young nuclear reactor officer, struggling with all his might to weld the pipes together while sitting waist high in radioactive water. The decisions that the captain has to make, the men that sacrifice all. From the booming basses to the emotional violins, this score ranks high on the list of inspiring soundtracks. It is definately a must have for any and all who love a score that makes you feel like you are the one on that submarine.

Klaus Badelt has clearly shown he can score a film. With his second solo score (in addition to The Time Machine), Badelt has taken his project seriously with styles deeply rooted in traditional Russian orchestral music, from the occasional robust of Prokofiev, to the sombre melancholy of Tchaikovsky. Some have denounced this album as boring, with little to keep the listener interested through the 68+ minutes of underscore. Given, it is somewhat repitituous and not complex in terms of structure, but what he has presented includes clear, definate themes and a sad beauty that is prominent throughout the score and makes it great. For example, the use of orchestral bells and solo voices in the reactor sequence is simply spine-tingling. In my opinion, strong themes such as these are something of a rarity nowadays. All in all, even with its lengthy segments of underscore, this is very recommended, as is the film (which is nothing short of amazing). This powerful and emotional score is a clear statement that the next generation of film composers shows true promise.