House of Flying Daggers [SOUNDTRACK]

Shigeru Umebayashi (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 30, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0006HC0R8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,981 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The films of director Zhang Yimou have a panoramic sweep to them that deftly creates a fantastical vision of ancient Chinese culture for the screen. Yimou's eye for color and sense of drama demands a score that conveys the emotion, tradition and action of his movies. Here Shigeru Umebayashi tells each part of the story with a mix of traditional flute, drums, string instruments and, to a lesser degree, orchestra and moody-sounding synthesizers. The lilting melody of "Lovers" is particularly effective, simmering with a passion that leaves no doubt about the tone of the scene; it comes back to dramatic effect at other times in the film as well--the soundtrack closes with a soaring version of it by soprano Kathleen Battle. Similar to but not as heavy as Tan Dun's occasionally overbearing work on Yimou’s film Hero, Umebayashi leans toward the subtle for this love story, and the film is better for it. – Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best soundtracks I own, January 14, 2005

By	Missy Lee "Missy Lee" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

As like Crouching Tiger and Hero, the impressive impact and emotion of the movie is be attributed a large deal to the score, but I think House of Flying Daggers offers the best one yet.
Tan Dun's Crouching Tiger was beautiful, very traditional and emotional, with some epic sounds thrown in for the desert scenes. Hero tried to follow suit, but I think it sounded way too much like Crouching Tiger, and thus became extremely repetitive. House of Flying Daggers on the other hand offered something entirely new. It has a more contemporary sound than the other two, and is one of the least repetitive soundtracks I've heard.
The running theme of 'Lovers' is extremely moving, whether it be in the melancholy Er-hu solo in track 10, the operatic title song by Kathleen Battle (with a beautiful piano opening) or track 8, the soaring 'Lovers - Flower Garden', where the heart of the soundtrack lies (and which is also my favourite track!)
There are also other elements in the score, such as the middle-eastern sounding 'Battle in the Forest'(after a serene intro), the epic orchestra in 'No Way Out', and the rhythmic strings in 'Farewell'.
The HOFD soundtrack is so multifaceted it's hard to get tired of listening to it. A must for your record collection!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Music from a Great Film, June 3, 2005

By	R. T. "robert2323" (GA) - See all my reviews

This soundtrack is a wonderful mix of classical oriental music and modern film score symphonics, a taste of the far east that's accessible to everyone. The Chinese flute and stringed instruments are blended with modern synthesizers and orchestra instruments to create a moody, elegant and very romantic soundtrack. Most of the pieces are very short, around two minutes long, but there are several longer pieces as well and all of the works seem to flow together so when listening to the entire album you feel a sense of continuity. I would recommend this album to anyone who loved the movie or to anyone who enjoys oriental or new age music.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Gets Boring, December 25, 2005

By	Sharon Preiss (Phoenix, Az, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This album has everything good music needs. It's driving, subtle, powerful and soft. It is a truly amazing work of art. It gets the emotions of the characters and the events of the story out perfectly. A ballet could be performed to this score.