The Scarlet Letter (1995 Film) [Soundtrack]

John Barry | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 31, 1995)
• Original Release Date: October 31, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BE2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,877 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty in many different fields of interest., April 18, 2000

By 

D. Litton (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Scarlet Letter (1995 Film) (Audio CD)

This soundtrack, while not from the best movie ever made, could just as well be a contender for that category. Combining Native American rhythms with naturistic compositions and soft, mellow themes, The Scarlet Letter soundtrack, composed by John Barry, is a breathtaking mix of beauty. Native American influences can be heard in numerous tracks throughout, most significantly in the beginning song and the dark themes related to Roger Chillingworth. Nature's beauty can be felt in track three, entitled "The Bird-The Swimmer," as the composer uses percussion instruments, strings, and a boy's choir to bring the forest to life. The more suspenseful music, evident in tracks nineteen and twenty-one, use forceful drums, horns and strings to accompany the ending scenes. Although the movie has been hailed as a total disaster, it is a far cry from that of its soundtrack, which is nothing short of amazing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passionate Beauty, November 14, 2003

By 

W. Pender "honuscat" (Cathedral City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Scarlet Letter (1995 Film) (Audio CD)

John Barry hits a jackpot yet again with this beautiful score that stirs you right to the heart. The film was so-so, but it's worth watching if only to see how Barry performs his magic with a perfect marriage of music/film. I am somewhat partial to Barry, but I'm serious.... this is one of his very finest.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 1/2 Stars!, October 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Scarlet Letter (1995 Film) (Audio CD)

This is one of the best soundtracks I have heard in ages! John Barry once again captures the very essence of the human heart in this sondtrack. It is a bit redundant at times (tracks 4, 5, 8, 12, and 23 are all the exact same theme, only with slightly different instumentation), but this can be excused because the theme is so lush and passionate that I actually wanted to hear it over and over. Also included are several dark, brooding themes related to Chillingworth (track 14), the Elders (track 9, et. al.), and the Indian attack (track 21). I particularly favor scaffold-scene tracks 13 and 20 ("She Will Not Speak" and "I am the Father of Her Child") and the beautiful vocal arrangement of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings (track 6).