Customer Reviews

The Twilight Saga: New Moon - The Score

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I must say first that I am stunned by the negative reviews for this score and the calls to bring Carter Burwell back (and to the reviewer hawking her own music while negatively reviewing this one...is this to give you more cred or what? It made me dismiss your review out-of-hand). Burwell did a nice score for Twilight and it was fine for that movie (although rather repetitive and insubstantial), but Alexandre Desplat brings the score for New Moon to a whole new level. This is a gorgeous score that gripped me from the opening title of the movie to the very end. I agree with those who state it is haunting - it is. It beautifully accents the sadness of love lost in this movie. When I first listened to the soundtrack and heard Desplat's "The Meadow (New Moon)" I was thrilled he was scoring this movie. BTW, in keeping with the soundtrack's goal to have all the songs unique to that album, "The Meadow" is not repeated on this one but the beautiful theme certainly is.

New Moon is a very different movie experience than Twilight, and Desplat elected not to listen to Burwell's score and just treat this score as its own entity. Do I wish he had listened to Burwell's work to use a theme or two? Not really. While I am curious how he would've improved "Bella's Lullaby" (which is pretty, but NOT an incredible piece of music) I don't think it is a detraction from this score that he didn't carry on with the themes. Yes, these movies are part of a series, but as they have different directors for each one with different visions I don't find it a problem that they have different composers with different visions either. Chris Weitz went with a dramatic, epic romance feel to the film and Desplat followed through with that in the music.

This score is incredibly lovely and has enough variation that it stays interesting. The "Edward Leaves" track is especially notable, as is "Romeo and Juliet," "To Volterra" and the full romantic themes of "New Moon" and "Full Moon." You always know when the Volturi are on screen, as their waltz theme plays through their scenes. I have yet to understand why people complain about the "Edward Leaves" track overpowering the scene in the movie, though. It starts out very delicately and slowly builds until you get the full orchestra as Bella tries to follow Edward into the trees. Powerful? Yes. Overpowering? Definitely not!

I'm actually nervous about the composer on Eclipse (as I'm very nervous about David Slade's vision of the film), so I am anxious to hear who is chosen - I am sure it will be someone unique to that vision as well. I do hope, however, that Weitz and Desplat end up bringing Breaking Dawn to the big screen because this is one of the most beautiful, faithful adaptations of a book I have ever seen and this score definitely enhanced that experience for me - I think they would do a fantastic job adapting Breaking Dawn. I listen to this CD everyday and highly recommend it.

The New Moon score is much more complex, more traditionally classical than Twilight's score. Alexandre Desplat really tells the story of New Moon and brings the emotions of Bella, Edward, and Jacob to life through his music. "Volturi Waltz" is disturbing, as it should be. "Bella Dreams" and "Victoria" are particularly moving. "Full Moon" in particular really brings the anticipation, anguish, hope, and love of the story together. The other reviews were correct to call this score haunting.

I don't know what to say... But I'll try anyways. Every so often, a piece of music comes along that's so special... so beautiful and so provocative that it falls into the uppermost echelon of music I call "classic" or even "timeless." A few (of the many) examples are "The Time Machine" by Klaus Badelt "The Empire Strikes Back" by John Williams "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" by Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman and "Braveheart" by James Horner. Well, it's time to add another one to the list... Twilight: New Moon.

Although this score is VERY unlike the superb original by Carter Burwell, it more than manages to hold it's own. Drawing from a rich and passionate well of romantic orchestra, Desplat makes good on creating a gothic soundscape not unlike the life-force of the "Twilight" series itself. The themes presented here of meaty, full of emotion and orchestrated in perfect balance. I'm a film composer and an orchestrator, and nothing in 2009 has inspired me to pay more attention to tone color and harmonic density more than this gem.

What can I say? This music is special... That's all there is to it.

When I heard the instrumental piece The Meadow on the New Moon Soundtrack I was impressed and looked forward to hearing the rest of the original score. However, after listening to the other tracks, I was disappointed as they didn't seem to fit with the Twilight theme at all. Carter Burwell's original score for the first movie was incredibly different and distinctive, you could picture the exact part of the movie that each track related to when listening to them, whereas the New Moon score seems like it should be for another movie it just doesn't seem to fit in at all. It's not to say that the music is terrible, it's not, it's just no where near as enjoyable to listen to or as memorable as the first time around.

This is by far the best of the three scores that have been presented for the Twilight series. Unlike Twilight and Eclipse this is a stand alone album that you can listen to and enjoy as beautiful music.

I loved the soundtracks for Twilight and Eclipse but the scores were just background music with the exception of Bella's Lullaby (Twilight) and Jacob's Theme (Eclipse) which you could obtain from purchasing the movie soundtracks.

Alexandre Desplat has done a exceptional job on the New Moon score and should be given the chance to score the final two movies in the Twilight Saga series.

I'm surprised at other people's reviews for this score. I thought it was perfect for this movie. The Twilight score was, of course, more fast-paced and surprising because that movie is all about her learning about Edward and discovering that he's a vampire. New Moon, on the other hand, is all about her life without him. Obviously the score for this one is slower and more thoughtful, as it should be.

I think Alexandre Desplat did an outstanding job. The overall mood of the movie was perfectly captured, and the score fit well.

I really have enjoyed this score. I like it much better than the Twilight Score. One of my favorites is "New Moon." I recommend any fans that enjoyed the movie to purchase this also! This score has so much emotion in it...very moving.

If you are a real score afficionado, don't pay any attention to all the bad reviews of this musical score. I've tried to listen the songs cd, and after three songs I have to turn off my cd player because they were so annoying and shallow as the script of this disaster of a book/movies saga.

Nothing to do with the magnificent work of mr.Alexandre Desplat. With practicly nothing to work with, he has been able to touch me deeply with this haunting music, without the need of any reference at all to the film. The score is brilliant, hugely romantic, with lots of lyricism and the capability of touching anyone with at least a little bit of sensibility in his body. The whole cd remind me a lot the best works of the Master of romantic scoring, mister John Barry. And on top of that, it's one of that few score works that can be heard a lot of times without any sensation of tiredness.

5 stars for the original score of New Moon, far superior to the previous mediocre work of Carter Burwell. 2 stars for the movie, one for Mr. Desplat and another fot the new looks of Taylor Lautner. The rest, completely dispensable.

Alexandre Desplat`s version is so wondefull and I can listen to it over & over again!

Alexandre Desplat really dug deep into this story and produced the most beautiful score that I have ever heard. It is emotional, edgy, and it tugs at the heart-strings like no other. It stands alone - even if you haven't seen New Moon, you will still love this album.