Of Love and Hope: Music and Poetry from Beauty and the Beast [Soundtrack]

Lee Holdridge (Composer), Ron Perlman (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ron Perlman
• Composer: Lee Holdridge
• Audio CD (November 8, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B000BLI3BG
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,840 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Beauty and the Beast, television series theme

2. Acquainted with the Night, poem

3. Laura's Theme

4. Margaret's Theme (with reading of Matthew Arnold's "Longing")

5. On Her Own (with reading of Lord Byron George Gordon "She Walks in Beau

6. Night of Beauty

7. A Single Night (with reading of Rainer Maria Rilke's "Love-Song")

8. Angel's Theme

9. Devin's Theme (with reading of Percy Bysshe Shelley's "I Arise from Dre

10. A Promise Remembered

11. Journey's End (with reading of William Shakespear's 116th Sonnet)

12. Dancing Light (with reading of William Shakespear's 29th Sonnet)

13. The Quest (with reading of an excerpt from Rainer Maira Rilke's "Letter

14. Fear

15. You darkness, that I come from, poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

16. Father Remembers (with reading of William Wordsworth's "Composed on Wes

17. The Return

18. Broken Dreams (with reading of an excerpt of William Wordsworth's Ode:

19. To Cast All Else Aside

20. Riches, Not Gold

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

An oft-requested re-release of the long out-of-print soundtrack to the hit CBS TV series starring Linda Hamilton (Terminator) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy). The program’s unique mixture of romance and magic created a huge cult fanbase which remains active. This re-mastered CD features 24 tracks including music and poetry from the show, as read by Perlman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Romantics Take Heed, February 27, 2006

By 

Marcus Bailey "Marc 'grailwolf' Bailey" (Darnestown, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Of Love and Hope: Music and Poetry from Beauty and the Beast (Audio CD)

I am not a soundtrack junkie. I have a select few soundtrack albums, but since I am a vocalist I rarely listen to them, preferring music that I can sing along with.

I, like many others, bought this album on tape years ago. I sat and just listened so many times that I wore out the tape. As soon as that happened I realized that I should have gotten the CD and I went straight to the store, but they were sold out. I never saw the disc again except for as much as $50 or $60 on Ebay. I didn't even hear that it was being released again until I happened on a copy at my local store. I couldn't really afford it, but I bought it anyway and listened to it the very moment I got it home. It was everything I remembered.

For those who don't know, this is the soundtrack for the late 80's TV series "Beauty and the Beast." In the series, Ron Perlman (Hellboy) played the lion-like Vincent, the beast with the heart of a poet. For this soundtrack, Perlman reads some of the most lovely poetry ever written, sometimes over/with the beautiful orchestral music, sometimes between the pieces. But this is Ron Perlman completely in character. It is not the actor reading some pretty words, but the character of Vincent reading those words to his love, and you can feel that in every word. Perlman even got so much into character that he wore Vincent's prosthetic fangs in the studio so that his voice would sound the same as it did on the show.

The end result is a disc that will make you alternately smile and weep. It is the perfect company for a winter night, and a beautiful gift to share with the one you love. Whether or not you are a fan of the series, or of soundtracks in general, I cannot recommend this CD too highly.

You will NOT regret this purchase.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, dulcet tones..., February 6, 2006

By 

Isabelle "isabellec" (Burbank, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Of Love and Hope: Music and Poetry from Beauty and the Beast (Audio CD)

I actually shrieked out loud when I discovered this had finally been re-released on CD. Fans of the show have been waiting such a long long time. Like many others, I had the audiotape version I bought way back when, and kept it when I had gotten rid of most of my other tapes. The quality of CD is ripe for this kind of classical music and voice over. Some selections bring me to tears for all their life and nostalgia. How many of us Beasties don't tear up when they hear that haunting theme played?

Please, anyone listening--release the series on dvds! Coupled with this musical comforter for the soul, that would simply be perfection.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Love and STILL Hopeful, March 20, 2007

By 

Pamela F. Williams "Nightstar" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Of Love and Hope: Music and Poetry from Beauty and the Beast (Audio CD)

I have one of the few Of Love and Hope cassette tapes signed by Ron Perlman during one of the way too few conventions I attended several years ago. I was also fortunate to meet Lee Holdridge at another BATB con, so this is very personal for me. The tape is nearly untouched, because I couldn't bear to wear it out, so to listen to the music, the tracks were recorded and saved on my computer. How wonderful to see it appearing again on CD. Now I can listen to Vincent's words and the music without worrying about wearing it out. My intention is to take the new CD to work and subtly introduce it to my co-workers so they get a chance to hear Vincent's voice and the music that still haunts my dreams. Thank you for offering Of Love and Hope. And, yes, I'm still hopeful for a return of Beauty and the Beast, if only in reruns on TV. With all the junk out there now, this magnificently written and acted series and the music deserve a comeback!