Customer Reviews

Match Point [Music from the Motion Picture]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This music has haunted me ever since I saw the film a few days ago. So sad, plaintive and beautiful, the old recording, complete with "tape hiss" is just perfectly appropriate. In fact, I think older pre-digital recordings capture the full tonal range of the human voice better even if they aren't as "clean". And with the great Caruso's voice, who could want more?

The track from The Pearl Fishers, "mi par d'udir aspro" is just stunning. Try if you can to only listen to it once! Just as good is the first track, "una furtiva lagrima" . The lyrics translate to mean this in English:

One secret tear welled up in her eye:
she seemed to envy those carefree girls:
why should I look any further?
why should I look any further?
She loves me, yes, she loves me,
I can see it, I can see it.

For just one moment to feel the beating of her dear heart!
To blend my sighs for a little with hers!
The heartbeat, to feel the heartbeat!
To blend my sighs with hers.
Heavens, I could die;
I ask for nothing more, for nothing.
Ah, heavens, I could die;
I ask for nothing more,
I could die, I could die of love.

AAArrrrgh, just chilling in the context of the film's story. Perfect.

This soundtrack is a fun little exercise in discovery for those who loved the film MATCH POINT and want to know more about the music that accompanied the story in such an integrated way. It is also a terrific souvenir for opera fans who do not yet own the recordings of the legendary Enrico Caruso!

Woody Allen created his character Chris as a lover of opera and integrated that love for opera into the family of wealth he 'enters'. The story is so well written and Allen is so well versed in opera that his selections for excerpts greatly added to the depth of the film.

Here are the old recordings of Enrico Caruso singing arias from 'Il Trovatore', 'Salvator Rosa', 'Les Pecheurs de perles', 'Macbeth', and 'L'elisir d'amore'. In addition to these are excerpts from contemporary singers performing arias form 'La Traviata' (performed by Monika Krause and Georg Tichy), 'Rigoletto' (sung by Alida Ferrarini with Alexander Rahbari conducting), 'William Tell' and 'Otello' (performed by Igor Morozov and Janez Lotric with Johannes Wildner conducting the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra). Probably copyright laws prevented the use of the 'live performances' at Covent Garden we heard in the film with very fine young singers, here substituted with Slovak recording artists. But the mood is still there.

This soundtrack recording makes for nice reminiscing about a fine film while adding a bit of flavor to the usual classical music collection! Grady Harp, April 06

Found this quite by accident while browsing a bin for the soundtrack of "Manhattan," but what a find! Woody Allen's taste in classic (which is to say, really old) opera recordings is at least as good as his selection of jazz and swing numbers in his other movies. Don't listen to these for the sterophonic hi- etc. etc. but for the stunning performances. I haven't been able to get this CD off my set for days.

This film is a departure for Woody Allen in more ways than one: London instead of New York City; all-youthful main characters instead of the older man/younger woman and vice versa type of relationships; and most pertinent to the soundtrack, scoring a film with operatic arias instead of swing/jazz.

Opera and classical music have been elements in Allen's films, but none before has featured opera so front-and-center. Apparently Allen knows his opera music well: the selections are top notch.

Most incredible is Enrico Caruso's rendition of Donizetti's "Una furtive lagrima:" the title song, if you will, for the film. I have a recording of Pavarotti's performance, and even with an orchestra accompanying, it does not compare favorably with Caruso's. In the film's version, replete with hisses and scratches, Caruso's golden voice, expressions, and dramatic timing can choke up even the most jaded listener.

The other standout track to my ears: track #5, Caruso in "Mi par d'udir ancora" from Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers."

If you've seen the film and liked it, this soundtrack will burn the scenes in your mind for a long time after the credits rolled by.

Bravo, Woody!

I love everything that has to do with this film at the moment, and the soundtrack is NO exception. Woody Allen has a knack for picking just the right songs to compliment his films, and while watching the WONDERFUL Match Point you can't help but be drawn into the music that laces each scene like delicate embrodery placed only to embelish each frame and make it all the more impressive. This is a soundtrack to enjoy OVER AND OVER again. Each track, although there aren't many, is a joy in itself, but the best track is 'Una Furtive Lagrima' which serves as the theme song of sorts. Seriously though, even though I'm reviewing the soundtrack and not the film, I can't stress enough how brilliant this film really is, and the soundtrack is the perfect companion to the film. They go together hand in hand and should be enjoyed time and time again.

I am no expert. I just like listening to arias that have the capacity to bring me into the music. For me, the songs are like oxygen and taking deep breaths lowers my heart rate and helps me get my mind off everything but the soulfullnes and beauty of the human voice instument.

I tried multiple times to download this item into Itunes on my computer; no soap, Doc. I then tried twice to play it on a regular stereo. Also, no dice. It flat-out doesn't work. I then went back online to see if I could return it and either get a replacement or my money back. I found nothing that showed me how to do either. I would NOT recommend this vendor to ANYONE.

The music in the movie Match Point made a huge impression on me. I finally decided to get the cd. Enrico Caruso at his best. I am usually not a big opera fan(there are of course some exceptions), but I can listen to this cd over and over again.

Saw the movie and had to have the soundtrack. Early Caruso opera at its best.

Okay, my title is misleading. Nothing has been reinvented here -- it doesn't have to be. These wonderful peices by Operatic greats can make an opera lover out of anyone. Alternately emotionally appealing and tormenting, the album is stragely wonderful as a CD to drive to. I love Woody Allen so take this as a prejudiced review -- I collect his sound tracks. Some are better than other. None are better than this.