Customer Reviews

To Kill a Mockingbird

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The movie and the score for "To Kill a Mockingbird"have deep resonance for me. As a youngster, I played the originalsoundtrack until it was paper thin. Years later, there was a new recording which I got and was very disappointed. When I saw this latest recording, I got it with trepidation, but was thrilled to hear how closely it matches the original, down to the smallest nuance. The score is not typical of Elmer Bernstein, although it does contain some very recognizeable signature motifs. Yet it remains his most subtle and compelling work, in complete keeping with the movie itself. The opening title music alone is enough to evoke both the film and the time it captures so eloquently. As someone who cannot possibly appreciate the score without associating it with the movie, I played it for a friend who has never actually seen the film, and he was as mesmerized by it as I have ever been. And that is the word for it: mesmerizing. And brilliant. One of the true classics.

This is a brilliant score! If you've ever seen this movie than you should know that the music definitely stood out. Bernstein has created some beautiful themes for this score and weaves them in and out of different tracks. The first and last tracks are pure magic. On these tracks you can hear the main theme played by the full orchestra. In between these tracks Bernstein has the main theme played by the softer parts of the orchestra. Not only is the main theme great to listen to but this album also has great secondary themes. My favorite is the theme for Boo Radley. This theme can be heard at its fullest on track 13. This score is excellent and I highly recommend it to any film music collector or a fan of Elmer Bernstein. Buy this CD and trust me, you won't be sorry you bought it.

We had a chance to watch this movie from a DVD a while back. About three seconds in, during the opening credits, I made a note to myself to get the soundtrack. This is one of those perfect examples of really good music that complements the movie rather than upstaging it.

Just watch Mockingbird's opening credits in widescreen. It's amazing how well the music establishes the tone of the whole film in a split second. The southern setting, the tension of the plot, the coming-of-age theme... it's good work.

the music is a stylistic blend of copland, bartok & satie. a
large orchestral arrangement does not compliment the music.
the origional sound track was for a smaller ensemble & was beautifully restrained. it fit the music better & fit the movie
better. would someone PLEASE RE-ISSUE the origional sound track on
CD!! i know this is america where bigger is better but not in this
case..

This has to be one of the most enjoyable and one of the best gems you could ever get your hands on. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great score. One of the best of all time. "Main Title" is a true delight. "Atticus Accepts the Case/Roll in the Tire", "Creepy Caper/Peek-a-Boo", "Tree Treasure", "Lynch Mob", "Foosteps in the Dark", "Boo Who?" and the "End Title" are all great. It has so many elements working for it. It is warm, curious, impressionistic, and occassionaly nightmarish. And it's very child-like in nature. Get this soundtrack for your collection. You will not regret it!

This is one of the most sensitive American scores ever written for a motion picture. The " Main Title" is so beautiful and so touching it makes my eyes glow and tear up when I listen to it. This is such a multi-faceted score full of Americana, childlike fear and wonder and magic.

Consider yourself a serious film score collector? If so, there are certain film scores which must be in your collection. This is one of them. Not only does this score contain one of the most beautiful melodies ever written for film, it is also Elmer Bernstein's greatest work. In TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Bernstein does an incredible thing. He imagines a world through the eyes of a child and skillfully succeeds in bringing it to life. This is not, necessarily, childhood the way it is but more childhood the way we remember it; with all it's joy and sadness, playfullness and pain. In the history of film music, rarely, if ever, has anyone written such an emotionally resonant work. This is truly a masterpiece. You are not allowed to miss it.

I am very fond of this score & recommend it highly. However, I've come to believe that much of the hoopla has to do with the quality & message of the movie itself. This score is loaded with musical signatures that appear throughout Bernstein's work & is not a stylistic departure or major advance for him. I suggest that fans of this score try to find a copy of the original sountrack on AVA or a subsequent reissue. The orchestra is smaller & the score treated with less classical reverence. It better captures the small southern town ambience of the film.

Bob Rixon, WFMU-FM

I have had the pleasure to listen to many a musical score. This is one of the best - if not THE best that I have ever heard. The best way to listen to this piece is in a darkened room with your eyes closed - as at the first few notes, you are transported into another world filled with emotion and hautingly beautiful melody. Never has a musical piece affected me more "physically" than the music of "To Kill A Mockingbird". As I lay in the dark with my eyes closed, transported to that other world, I felt the power of the music in my soul. The feeling was that of having the air sucked out of your lungs - but not the normal uncomfortable experience. This is a similar feeling I experienced after viewing the film for the first time and every time after that. I truly recommend this music to anyone who has a love and appreciation for this score and for the movie that it was made for. This is a true classic that should never be lost......

I have been familiar with this music for 30 years from the time that I bought the original Ava LP release. It is a wonderful score score, both deeply evocative and musically excellent. That is, it can serve as a reminder of the film and stand on its own as a composition. I am not a great admirer of the film, but this score has haunted me since I orginally purchased the LP.

I have to say that this release, while happily restoring all the cues (and keeping music that I believe was added into the LP for the title track), is what I consider "overproduced". The LP had a "smaller" more intimate sound. The re-recording is a "bigger", fuller sound which I feel does not always serve the music as well. I have this CD and will probably also look at the CD re-release of the LP.