Customer Reviews

Murder on the Orient Express (Original Soundtrack)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, Richard Rodney Bennett could have arranged a 1930's pastiche score and left it at that. Instead, he created an entirely original score, by turns melodious and atonal, to enhance the classic murder mystery on screen. The Overture certainly does, to quote Bennett himself, "give one the sense of excitement and anticipation that one felt in the theatre, as a child, before the curtain went up," while the main theme of "The Orient Express" combines a joyous waltz with an ominous woodwind motif that tells of dark deeds to come. "The Reenactment" and "The Murder" consist of some of the eeriest music ever heard in a film (as frightening - if not more so - as much of Bernard Herrmann's score for PSYCHO). At other times, the score is impressionistically beautiful, as in the Puccini-esque "Stamboul Ferry." Bennett impressively handles both music under dialogue (in "The Orient Express," for example, or "Princess Dragomiroff") and leitmotifs (the nervous string motif associated with the villain of the piece, acted by Richard Widmark). In short, this is a brilliant score. But what truly raises the soundtrack to the highest level is the grandly scaled playing of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, led by Marcus Dods. The 1974 recording matches the orchestra in quality, with each instrument clearly audible. Thus, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is a remarkable original soundtrack recording in more ways than one.

Back in the mid seventies my parents bought the soundtrack album of this great film. I immediately liked the music and played that record over and over again, along such contemporary soundtracks as Ammarcord, Papillon, Earthquake, King Kong and Jaws!

That old and fairly worn out record is now mine and to be able to play it (among some other few titles that have never been released on CD) had been one of the reasons why I've kept my old phonograph in good condition.

Now, I've just found out that it has finally been released on CD and that brings me immense joy! It contains really beautiful music, so much so that I think that it should be rated as one of the best soundtracks of the seventies!...I can't hardly wait to buy it!!!

Now I will only have to wait for the DVD to be released too!

I have collected many sound track aboums over the years on vinyl. I've looked in stores for this on on CD for 20 years! The music is superb, and this CD transfer is prefect! I first thought this was a re-recording of the original score beccause the recording sounded too good. A quick comparision with the original vinyl album comfirmed this is the real McCoy. This is a soundtrack worth having in your collection.

This film is perfect; and one of its undeniable virtues was precisely his admirable soundtrack. Exquisite in all the extension of the word. Absolutely gratifying and recommended.

"Murder on the Orient Express" was the one that really started the whole Agatha Christie craze at the movies, but none can top this one. I really love this soundtrack; it captures the real mood of this movie. From the excellent mood piece, "Kidnapping" to the majestic "The Orient Express", this soundtrack has just about everything for the lover of this movie. On most soundtracks you listen to some cuts and skip the others, but this one has such a variety of mood music that you'll want to hear it all.

I remember enjoying the movie when it first came out, as a matter of fact, it was the first movie on VCR I purchased; I guess that makes me really old! I loved the soundtrack, and you can almost hear the steam engine being fired, as it prepares to leave Paris. My vinyl copy has been gone for years, so I was delighted to stumble across it here. I have played it a number of times in the two weeks I have had it, and copied it to my MP3 player also. It is a great recording!

This music was produced for the extremely successful and star studded production of Murder On the Orient Express in the 70's, with Albert Finney in the lead role as Hercule Poirot. The atmosphere is straight out of the 1930's and this work matches the scenes to make for an enjoyable experience. Any fan of the film will love this CD. Agatha Christie approved of the film and she usually did not like the way some of her fiction was handled when brought to movie or play status. This was the exception. Well done! and two words for you "Daisy Armstrong".

The soundtrack is great just as the movie! When you listen to the musical score you see the movie again in your mind. A wonderful cast of stars to go along with the music.

I found the music in the movie very beautiful, especially the 1936 Austria-Hungarian waltz, so I bought the CD. I agree that I thought the music would not be as authentic as the original score. I was suprised! The CD sounds just the same and has all the music from the movie. I suggest this soundtrack to anyone who likes the movie score.

I am so happy this was re-released on CD! My phonograph copy is very worn. The movie is a classic and the music gave the movie a haunting tone (especially in the Daisy flashbacks). I have really enjoyed this CD.