The Matrix: Original Motion Picture Score [Soundtrack]

Don Davis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 4, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B00000IPSD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,957 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 30 Minutes of Modern Orchestral Power, May 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Matrix: Original Motion Picture Score (Audio CD)

Don Davis's score to "The Matrix" is fantastic -- a modern, challenging, exciting work that's reminiscent of the work of Elliot Goldenthal ("Demolition Man" and "Interview With A Vampire" come to mind), and John Adams ("Harmonielehre," especially the horn clusters.) If you're not afraid of some modern orchestral dissonance, then it's a dynamite listen.

(FYI... Yes, the CD is short, but bear in mind that the 30-minute length is caused largely by the high score re-use rates charged by the American Federation of Musicians. For film scores recorded in the U.S. by union orchestras, you have to buy music in 15-minute blocks, and pay each member of the orchestra a specific rate, per block of music. For big, U.S.-recorded scores, it adds up quickly, and unless the score is "Titanic" or "Star Wars," it's difficult for record companies to recoup their costs, since there aren't that many hard-core film music collectors in the world. Just be thankful that the CD is a nice representation of the score as heard in the film. If you couple it with Tracks 2, 4, 6 and 13 from "The Matrix" song album, and the Enigma track used in the trailer, you have a solid representation of the music from the film.)

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short but sweet, January 14, 2000

By 

Christopher M Davis (Winchester, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Matrix: Original Motion Picture Score (Audio CD)

Love it or hate it, Don Davis' rousing score for the 1999 megahit "The Matrix" definitely makes a statement, as well as raises the standard by which other scores in this genre will henceforth be judged. Utilizing the so-called "minimalist" technique, Davis has created a nearly perfect musical landscape for the film, managing to run the full gamut from all-out action music to soft, almost haunting, passages, his seeming fondness for the occasional use of blaring, dischordant instruments providing a fitting musical expression of the strange and nightmarish realities of the Matrix. The only real complaint I have about the score album is its length (30 minutes of music from a 2-hour movie?), plus the fact that several of the better cues are conspicuously absent. Indeed, the overall presentation of this CD suggests that it was a largely obligatory release, which is unfortunate considering what a remarkable score this is. Hopefully Warner Bros. will consider a more comprehensive release in the future. Bottom line: if you can get this CD at a price befitting its 30-minute length, it'll make a solid - if somewhat incomplete - addition to your collection.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD Score! Listen to Demo Tracks!, February 4, 2000

By 

Christian Graves (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Matrix: Original Motion Picture Score (Audio CD)

This is a great CD Score.. Ignore all the other idiots that purchased the wrong cd, and wrote a bad rating because of their mistake. This is a very intense CD containing GREAT tracks. The composer did a splended job at creating the music masterpiece that was part of the thrill of The Matrix! I would recommend to anyone!