Customer Reviews

Notes on a Scandal: Original Soundtrack

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Glass strikes again. Another Oscar nomination for Philip Glass with his score to "Notes on a Scandal". Well-deserved, Glass may have an Oscar award to add to his award collection on February 25th! Glass has already won the Critics' Choice Award for his score for "The Illusionist" and also won the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Glass writes for strings like no other- every note on this CD is flawless. Glass smartly decided that the music should serve as the inner voice of the film's main character, Barbara (Judi Dench). A great decision indeed!

This score is a masterpiece of controlled writing, dramatic scoring, and beautiful musical logic- for instance, at the start of the last track on the CD, you will not find better writing for strings than this.

Some conservative critics thought the music was too intrusive in the movie and "over the top"- I wholeheartedly disagree. After all, Dench's performance was what was over the top! Glass's music added an element of tension and perfectly complemented the drama of the film, and did NOT distract from the story. The music is beautiful, original, and powerful. I find it going through my mind all the time- very memorable. Glass is truly a genius and musical phenomenon!

Further kudos goes to the performance, recording, and engineering on this CD- probably the best-sounding Glass orchestral CD yet (and I have them all).

The amazing thing to me about this score is its' clarity and sophistication at the same time, and beautiful harmonic language- far beyond what one normally hears in film scores.

BRAVO Philip Glass- the greatest composer in the world.

Another 5 star soundtrack for a 5 star movie. Beautiful and yet haunting music that sets the perfect tone for the movie. Philip Glass is an epic composer. Not since Hitchcock's Psycho have I ever heard such music that creates the ultimate mood of the movie. It just made sense and fit the script perfectly, as movie music should. It's music that you'll be thinking about soon after the credits roll by. If you are a fan of such classical strings, add this CD to your collection today.

This is one of Philip Glass's best soundtracks since The Hours and is an enjoyment to listen to, even outside of the context of a movie soundtrack. If you have not listened to Glass before, some of his music is quite esoteric. Start with the Hours and then try Notes on a Scandal. Both should please the general auditory palate.

"funky kingston" by toots & the maytals is the song they dance to

Sheba and her young lover are in her 'lair / studio' in the back yard?

This score makes the film. It is also varied, non-repetitive and seems to tell a story all its own. I have dozens of soundtracks I listen to while I work (write) and consider this one of the best for the dramatic genre. Better than the Illusionist (by the same composer).

Knowing it was nominated for Best Musical Score and after being entranced by his music to The Illusionist, I eagerly looked forward to Glass' music to Notes on a Scandal. After repeated listenings it falls short of my expectations. There just isn't enough to it. It seems somewhat spartan and uninspired. Themes are understated but pleasant. It almost feels like simple background music that does not have much power to lift or color a scene. The Illusionist is far better, nearly hypnotic, and should have been nominated for an Oscar for Best Musical Score.

I like Philip Glass music. This sound track has some parts of moody deep string sections which I enjoy.

Philip Glass is a good composer. I can't say i hated all of the soundtrack. When he doesn't go back to the minimalist patterns there are some moments of beauty. But most of the time i must say the music was too melodramatic and moving when the film didn't ask for such texture.
This CD might be something nice to hear on your free "I love philip Glass" time.
But as a Soundtrack i think it made the film more romantic than it is.
I must say the hours worked better.

I just wanted to know does anybody know the song Sheba's family is dancing to the first time they invite the old lady over for dinner?