Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella) [SOUNDTRACK]

Nicola Piovani

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 20, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00000DCES
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,774 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
One of 1998's better soundtracks also follows the most simple of formulas. Nicola Piovani's score for Life Is Beautiful is an impressionistic soundtrack at its finest--a delicious mix that sounds inspired by both simple folk melodies and Morricone's Cinema Paradiso score. Throughout, Piovani's themes are like a kid in candy store: bright-eyed and innocent. Tension is gradually introduced on tracks like "Il Treno Nel Buio," but ultimately this score is light and pleasant. The lone vocal cut, Monserrat Caballe singing on "Barcarolle," just makes this disc seem all the more Italian. Piovani hasn't created an epic score, but he has accentuated the difficult themes of Life Is Beautiful exceptionally well. --James Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Charming and Memorable, December 26, 2001

By	Robert Pollock (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

Before I listened to this, I held Edward Scissorhands in high esteem as the most beautiful score of all time. Life is Beautiful proved otherwise. Nicola Piovani made a charming score with heartfelt themes while still retaining the Italian nature of the film and its controversial subject. There are two innocent-sounding main themes that make up the film, one which is a deep somber theme for the theme of the film, and the other which is a light-hearted charming theme for Benigni's character. Both are used equally in the film and with great effect. Besides listening to the wonderful themes, I enjoyed listening to the Italian-influenced music, such as "Grand Hotel Valse" or "Grand Hotel Fox", which create the time and place of the movie without being intrusive. The music throughout the film is happy but tracks such as "La Notte Di Fuga", "Il Treno Nel Buio", and "Il Gioco Di Giosue" still remind the listener of the Holocaust-influence in the film. After the dark music, the CD ends with an absolutely moving rendition of the main theme, the best rendition of it in the whole film. Anyone who holds foreign films and their music in disregard should see Life is Beautiful. It's the perfect marriage between music and visuals, and it is not the same without Piovani's wonderful score.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life does not getmore beautfil than this!!!, September 14, 1999

By A Customer

The musical score form the movie, 'Life is Beautiful', is something to be treasured. I bought this CD only 3 days after I saw the film. The music has a way of envoking such powerful emotions, and it truly does make you(well me atleast)feel that life is beautiful.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Married to it!, September 30, 1999

By A Customer

I was so moved by the film & the music that I chose to walk down the aisle to Bon Giorno Principessa. Its a beautiful piece of music