Customer Reviews

Wilde (Original Soundtrack Recording)

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

 

 

This is a beautiful CD that perfectly mirrors the artifice and surface beauty of the Victorian age in which Oscar Wilde lived. Yet underneath, there is a current of secretive discord. This album portrays the double-standard of life with majestically orchestrated string pieces and desolate solo pieces arranged for piano and oboe.

The main themes running throughout (the Constance/home life, the Bosie "Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine", the desolation/trial theme) all return intermixed with each other, creating a fantastic panorama of sound.

Why four stars? Ms. Wiseman's work is wonderful, yet towards the end becomes a bit repetitive. However, for any fan of the movie "Wilde," this soundtrack is a must have!

I like this CD much more than I actually like the film. This musical score is highly appropriate for the historical setting of WILDE and for the un-ending discussion about beauty, aesthetics, and art [the essence of Oscar Wilde's life-long search, after all]. It is nice to put this CD on, simply to relax and to encounter beauty one more time.

Oscar Wilde deserved better in his time. It is a wonderful tribute to him that a soundtrack of such beautiful music is named in his honor. An excellent film, the Wilde soundtrack is truly my favorite soundtrack of all time.

I saw the film "Wilde" when it came out a few years ago but I did not acquire the soundtrack until recently. What I recall of the music, with the passage of time, was that it was highly regarded and it fit the film very well. Listening to it now, the music is very compelling. Debbie Wiseman, like many film composers, has a couple of evocative themes that are repeated with slight variation throughout the film, so the title music at the beginning of the film is essentially the same as the exit music. This music is elegiac and nostalgic, as if to remember a better time during a period of trial and desperation. There is a beauty to this music that is compelling: you get caught up in it without noticing, and the underlying sadness of the melody is unforgettable and very applicable to Oscar Wilde's life.

The film, of course, had demands beyond evoking Oscar Wilde's tragedy. Track 2, "Wild West" nicely provides the atmosphere for Wilde's lecture to a group of miners and track 3, "I Do Need An Audience," sounds Handelian with the use of valveless trumpets.

When I first saw Stephen Fry (playing Jeeves on television) I though he looked remarkably like Oscar Wilde, so the making of this film had special interest for me. Oscar Wilde's life is looked at in a dispassionate way, simply telling the story of his life. I can think of no one whose life was more tragic, particularly in the Greek sense of hubris.

I highly recommend this disc, not only if one has an interest in the man behind the film but as beautiful film music.

A sweet music that keeps the superficial beauty of the Victorian era while giving it deepness and sensitivity... It works very well with Wilde's works ! Bravo...

The words that come to mind are: Pleasant, compelling, enriching, melodious...this talented composer is definitely one of the select few in line for when John Williams "passes the torch" to the next generation of artists.
Although I've never seen this film (and have no immediate plans to do so), the music here, beyond its high quality, also has the effect of immersing the listener in the period represented by the film. That's not to say that it's "period music", it just has a great period "vibe". Of course, the subject matter (the life of Oscar Wilde) can be beautiful AND tragic- and the music succeeds in conveying both of these emotions perfectly. This is a truly excellent film score, in that it has the ability to stand alone as a dramatic piece of music ( a tough trick indeed!), and the orchestra and soloists are top-notch. The production values are clean and intimate- not over-processed or hyped in any way- which really completes the package for me. In summary: The music presented here is beautiful and compelling, the performances are superb, and the sound quality/production technique is excellent.

This score is certainly one of Wiseman's finest (if not the very best, then at least in the top three with Arsene Lupin and Haunted). Wiseman said that she wanted to write music for the film that was really beautiful because Oscar Wilde was obsessed with beauty. She did exactly that with this score. The themes are lovely and powerful. The only possible problem with the album is that it seems a little long and the themes, wonderful though they are, are maybe a little overplayed. That is not a big enough gripe for me not to recommend this score to anyone who likes movie music. You won't be sorry.

It is no exaggeration to suggest that some of the tracks on this soundtrack are among the best ever created for the screen. Debbie Wiseman's other sountrack music is more or less memorable, but she really outdid herself with this one. Clearly very inspired. The pathos in some of these harmony themes is absolutely soul-shaking.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"