War Horse [Soundtrack]

John Williams | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony Masterworks
• ASIN: B005LK8NSK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,129 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Dartmoor, 1912

2. The Auction

3. Bringing Joey Home, and Bonding

4. Learning the Call

5. Seeding, and Horse vs. Car

6. Plowing

7. Ruined Crop, and Going to War

8. The Charge and Capture

9. The Desertion

10. Joey s New Friends

11. Pulling the Cannon

12. The Death of Topthorn

13. No Man s Land

14. The Reunion

15. Remembering Emilie, and Finale

16. The Homecoming

Editorial Reviews

The dramatic countryside of Dartmoor has inspired John Williams to compose a score of such beauty and quiet majesty that one might think the earth was speaking through him, much as the heavens have done for nearly five decades. When I first heard John s sketches of the four central themes for War Horse, I didn t need my memories of the film to underscore the feelings I was having. The music was a stand-alone experience and it affected me deeply, as have so many of John s scores during our nearly 40-year collaboration. I feel that John has made a special gift to me of this music, which was inspired not only by my film but also by many of the picturesque settings of the poet William Wordsworth, whose vivid descriptions of the British landscape inspired much of what you are going to hear.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen and the Music Will Tell You All You Need to Know... November 21, 2011

By AbinadiWitness

Format:MP3 Music

This is a soundtrack that reaches out and grabs one's soul at the first listening; in a very good way it is so very different than most of the music produced for film(s) in recent years: this is music that soars even without having the benefit of the film's imagery to support it - this is the craft of a master-composer in his medium.

John Williams has crafted a score that captures the spirit of this area of the world very well; the orchestrations are so very rich and sweepingly beautiful when describing the pastoral scenes of the Dartmoor area in World War I times, including the use of ethnically specific melodic ideas throughout the score. Soon the lush strings transition into the looming threat of war and John Williams provides us with multiple solid action cues that put the listener right in the battle's fray in ever-increasing intensity until the pounding fury of "No Man's Land" shatters the ominous stillness that precedes it, though we never travel too far away from the beauiful string texture that really characterizes this work as we taste the horrors of war and feel the triumph of the spirit through it all.

Most of this soundtrack is purely beautiful, simply-stirring music that soars from the media-source into the soul; but one is definitely exposed to the tension and terror of the war and its effect upon the land and people involved in this tale.

There are moments of lightness, thrilling action, and beauty and tenderness such as I have not heard in a soundtrack in years.

This is a soundtrack for people who love powerful music - this is not an "only buy if you're a fan of John Williams" score, this is sincerely passionate and soulful music which everyone should treat themselves to.

Recommended without reservation!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-rounded, emotional musical experience December 15, 2011

By R S

Format:Audio CD

I first became a real John Williams fan in 2005, which is probably the worst time I could have done so because starting that year, he would be taking a 6 year hiatus from film scoring, aside from doing one sequel score for Indiana Jones and Crystal Skull. That's why I've been eagerly anticipating his scores for War Horse and Adventures of Tintin ever since they were announced, and I'm so happy to say that these scores do not disappoint. At the age of 79 and after several years of retirement from his usual level of film scoring, Williams can still weave his trademark magic into his music. Amazing.

"War Horse" isn't the type of action or fantasy-type score that I became a fan of Williams for, but I still found it a thoroughly enjoyable musical experience. Although I haven't seen the film yet and don't know too much about the plot, I can tell the album really tells a heartfelt story with music alone, and at times, I started to recognize and fall in love with musical motifs or sound qualities the same way I would do with characters in a movie (and the track titles also gave me some clues as to what was going on in the real story).

The first track "Dartmoor, 1912" starts off with a mysterious-sounding, winding flute solo that quickly gives way to a lush string melody. By the end of the track, the brass section jumps in, and this sets the tone for most of the first half of the soundtrack. A couple of the score's major themes are also introduced. One of them is usually played in the low strings strings and makes quick, successive jumps up the octave until it reaches the high strings. The next theme is immediately introduced and is played by woodwinds, and Williams frequently reuses it in other tracks by itself or through counterpoint.

The gorgeous music heard in the trailer for the movie is heard in full on track 3 and serves as another major theme for the score. It's easy for Williams to reference it frequently, just using the simple three-note rising progression.

Track #5 "Seeding, and Horse vs. Car" is exhilarating and probably one of my favorites on the albums. It steadily builds to a triumphant climax in the last minute, providing exciting statements of the major themes already set in place. I'm sure it will be mixed prominently in the film and will serve the scene very well.

The album makes a tone shift around track #6, and especially in track #8 "The Charge and Capture" with a lonely, ominous trumpet solo. This gives way to a ripping snare rhythm and dissonant brass drones. The latter half of the soundtrack features many tracks that sound like they will be exciting action cues for the album. One of the highlights from this section is track #11 "Pulling the Cannon", featuring dramatic high strings, brass, and percussion.

The story seems to start wrapping up in track #14 "Reunion", where the flowing string theme from track #3 makes a return and just about melted my heart. It's mixed to be more somber (or maybe it just seemed that way to me because of the music that had preceeded it) and it's absolutely poignant in its effects on the listener.The theme is played again in the track by horns, and then violins, and I imagine people in the film's audience will be shedding happy tears by this point.

What good words haven't I already used about this music? Track #15 "Remembering Emilie, and Finale" is a beautiful finale, but it's not even a finale...the best track on the album is #16 and nothing could have prepared me for it. Just as I thought I was finishing up the soundtrack, it turns out track #16 "The Homecoming" is an 8-minute long epic track of high quality classical writing. It's like a self-contained piece on its own, that borrows the thematic material that's been developed over the course of the soundtrack, and reminds me of the music of Ralph Vaughn Williams. I think "The Homecoming" could easily serve as a concertpiece for an ensemble wanting to perform the music of "War Horse."

Overall, I found the soundtrack to "War Horse" to be an emotionally powerful musical experience. The album tells a story and has all the trademarks of Williams' best writing. It's worth the full listen for those reasons.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Williams is back with elegance and style November 21, 2011

By D. Redfeld

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

War Horse is a gorgeous score and a mesmerizing listen. Intricate and beautifully crafted music with echoes of Vaughan Williams and Walton. Deftly orchestrated as always. So nice to have new music by one of the greatest living American composers. As a fellow composer working in Los Angeles, I can say there are few like him. There are moments in this score which harken back to Far and Away as well as earlier works such as Born on the Fourth of July and The Reivers. The harmonic and melodic surprises never cease to amaze me. Highly recommended to anyone craving a MUSICAL experience rather than the current trend of bland, ambient whole-notes permeating the film world.