Customer Reviews

Music from the Soundtrack "New York": A Documentary Film

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If historical New York could be put to music any better, I haven't heard it. The music that you expect is here on the CD (i.e., Gershwin, Bernstein, Ellington, etc.), and Brian Keane's "City Of Dreams" is, as Caryn James reviewed in the New York Times, "piercingly beautiful".

This is perhaps the most-played (since 1999) CD in my collection, and the reason is simple: Brian Keane has written and compiled the most elegant and moving music that celebrates the greatest city in the world, my city, New York. Each original piece carries palpable gravity or soars with weightlessness, depending on the historic moment being illustrated.

"Hamilton's Theme/Hamilton Returns" captures the splendid pride all New Yorkers should feel for one of its greatest citizens, Alexander Hamilton.

"Transformation" is a haunting piece, filled with anticipation and caution: a perfect combination to express the changes that have occurred on this little island, sometimes subtly, sometimes not.

A deceptively simple piece, and most great pieces of music are, "Trouble" simmers with dread.

To capture some of the most terrible events that occurred in New York, like the Triangle disaster or the Draft Riots, "Dark History Theme" is a gut-wrenching composition of melancholy and tragedy that befits the catastrophes.

A counterpart to "Dark History Theme" is "Dark History Waltz". Although lighter in feel, "Dark History Waltz" is more heartbreaking in a way. The soaring strings toward the end of the piece sound like piercing human cries, and yet there is a beauty to it that would bring tears to the hardest heart.

Then, of course, is "City of Dreams". No other piece that I can think of best evokes the hopes, desires, and ambitions that people invest in Gotham, whether they are new to the town or have grown up here all their lives. But I think it is especially true for the former group: the newcomers came here to create better lives for themselves, better opportunities. In my imagination, this is the piece they might hear in their hearts the second they see the skyline, especially at night, for the first time.

As if these original pieces were not enough, Keane reaches into the vast catalog of songs about New York, and pulls out all the gems. Here's a sampling: "Take the A Train," "Rhapsody in Blue", and "Anything Goes". To me there is one glaring omission, and that is the tune that the documentary itself declares to be the most famous song about New York: "The Sidewalks of New York". (By the way, does anyone know who sang the beautiful rendition of this song on the documentary? I would love to get my hands on it!) But this oversight does not have any negative impact on my opinion of this wonderful CD. The liner notes and essays are marvelous, and the illustrations in the booklet are perfect. By all means, if you have ever been touched by the dreams and beauty of New York, buy this CD.

The New York documentary by Ric Burns lured me in and I was glued to my chair for five nights in a row. In the course of watching the series on television, I was haunted by the music and bought the CD. Now the CD never seems to leave the CD player. Great series and great CD!

NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILM by Ric Burns and scored by Brian Keane contains some beautiful music. Some of Keane's main themes and melodies are full of melancholy and brooding. Others are uplifting and sweet. So why only three stars? Well, this soundtrack aspires to be everything for everyone. There is a healthy dose of oldies in here-thrown in for effect to trigger the audio/visual cues in those of us who watched the film. For my taste, the soundtrack would have been stronger had it aspired to one or the other; either all original compositions or period pieces. It loses some of its strength when the two are mixed together. I'm sure this is the exact reason others will cite for enjoying this soundtrack. Keep in mind that I'm not saying I don't enjoy it; I think it's quite good, just not what it could have been.

I don't agree with the first review I read on this site. Although this is not the best Brian Keane soundtrack CD in my collection, and I somewhat agree that the concept of the CD is a bit spread out, it still is a very good soundtrack, with more memorable melodies than the last 5 soundtracks I've bought combined. "Back To The Apple" and "Dark History" are stand-outs, and "City Of Dreams" is quite beautiful and moving. Just the fact that RCA, PBS, and Ric Burns (the director) feel that Brian Keane can hang on the same soundtrack with Gershwin, Bernstein, and Ellington should tell you something about the quality of his writing.

however,brian keane and ric burns forgot one of the best songs from the documentary:"east side,west side".keanes orchestra does one of the finest renditions i have ever heard.

I have the bulk of this disc on my computer at work and whenever it comes up I'm transported. Keane's "City of Dreams" is simply one of the two or three most gorgeous melodies presented to the public during the past 20 years. At the time I first heard this music, I was making a meager living as a music teacher. I transcribed the guitar duet rendition of "City of Dreams" by ear and for a couple of years would play through it together with my intermediate to advanced students. It never failed to move them - ever.

Of the other Keane pieces here, "Dark History" is regal and beautiful, also. "Hamilton's Theme" is slower to impress but worth the wait. I like the way it develops over the course of the disc, filling out harmonically and picking up detail with each reprise. The simple piano performance of Kern's "Just the Way You Look Tonight" which closes the disc is my favorite recording of that song.

I've listened through several other of Keane's PBS soundtrack albums, but they've not moved me as this one has. To my mind, this is the one to have.

I watched the PBS series for the socond time after September 11, and I found that just listening to "City of Dreams" brought tears to my eyes. The music captures the very essence of living in this wonderful city.

The New York documentary by Ric Burns is an outstanding achievement on so many levels. The information presented is dramatically conveyed by David Ogden Stiers, leaving you informed, impressed, saddened at times, and ultimately lifted by the resiliance of the city itself. The documentary is approxiamtely 15 hours long. The soundtrack is what carries you effortlessly through this seemingly long series. All of the elements work fluidly here and help to romantically express the history of this relatively young city. The music is a must-have for all who view this terrific documentary.

Each of these 24 selections (the list on this website is abridged) is perfectly fine in itself, but as a whole nothing seems to belong. So they are going to be heard on the soundtrack of an up-coming documentary about New York. Fine. Not having seen it, I find this CD a potpourri of melodies ranging from Puccini to Duke Ellington with no obvious connection, thematic or otherwise. Actually, I am very tempted to see how all this is going to fit in with the visual aspects of this "event"; but as it stands, this jumble of selections is pretty meaningless. Well played, mind you--but without a context, still meaningless. And after the telecast, I wonder how many will be panting for a momento of it. But such is the nature of the modern record business that any filmed or telecast product must have an accompanying CD. Perhaps there will also be a "New York" platic cup at some local fast food chain. To each his own.