Customer Reviews

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina

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How many times have you exulted to the music in a film only to find that the pieces, songs, etc. that thrilled you were omitted from the soundtrack? This is such a case. The piece that can rightfully be described as "the love theme" was not included on this disc. When Anna wakes in the middle of the night pining for Vronsky--Rachmaninoff. When she has lost her child (granted, a major departure from the book), the same Rachmaninoff. When she finally leaves Vronsky in despair--you guessed it: Rachmaninoff. The haunting chords that float over the horse race? Rachmaninoff. We've all heard Tchaikovsky to death; the works featured by Rachmaninoff (save the sonata) are likely new to many listeners and are treasures in their own right. Save yourself some anguish: buy Trio Elegiaque and Howard Shelley's recording of Morceaux de Fantaisie, which includes the haunting "Elegie," the "love theme." Stay away from Ruth Laredo's version of Elegie; it's too spare and cold to be satisfying. Shelley's version was used in the movie.

Fascinating soundtrack for a fascinating story!
One can travel through the Imperial Russia and the experience the best of Russian music by well known composers such as Tchaikovsky. This soundtrack of Anna Karenina is as good as the dramatic story of Tolstoy's, including works of the Might Five conducted by reknown Sir Georg Solti. High quality music for the funs of the romatic era.