A Beautiful Mind: Original Motion Picture Score [ENHANCED] [SOUNDTRACK]

James Horner (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 11, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Soundtrack
• Label: Decca U.S.
• ASIN: B00005TPFV
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,521 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This Ron Howard film parlays the troubled story of Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr., a gifted Princeton mathematics professor tormented for decades by paranoid schizophrenia, into something considerably richer than typical Hollywood triumph-against-all-odds fare. Howard has teamed here again with frequent collaborator James Horner, and it's the composer who deftly shades the film's difficult emotional landscape and helps impart a compelling humanity. Horner's first task is not inconsiderable: musically portraying the arcane realm of mathematical theorems that are the story's backdrop. In doing so, the composer leans heavily on modern minimalist technique, bright flourishes that recur briefly throughout an orchestral score that increasingly reflects Nash's bleak inner landscape in its quietly somber and brooding tones. And while Horner has frequently been accused of excessively repeating himself in his scores, the neo-minimalist gambit employed on this reflectively pastoral, postmodernist soundscape neatly nips such criticism in the bud. Nash's triumph is ultimately an intensely personal one, well reflected in Welsh soprano Charlotte Church's lilting performance of the Horner/Will Jennings ballad "All Love Can Be." This enhanced CD also features notes by the director and composer, as well as exclusive photos and the film's trailer. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, January 11, 2002

By	Emily Todd (USA) - See all my reviews

'A Beautiful Mind' is one of the most heartwrenching, deeply emotional and moving films that I have ever seen. To fit a film such as this, the music had to enhance and create emotions, set the mood, ultimately fine-tune the film. James Horner does just that with this deeply stirring and emotional score. 'A Beautiful Mind's' score is most defintely one of Horner's finest. Well known for his composing in films such as Academy Award Winner 'Titanic', 'Braveheart', 'Apollo 13', 'Aliens', 'The Rocketeer', 'Field of Dreams', and many more.

James Horner incorporates an exquisite blend of vocals (provided by the lovely soprano, Charlotte Church) into his music. It's simply stunning to listen too. During 'A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics', the music reaches such a high level of emotion, you are stunned and deeply moved. Themes from 'A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics' are continuously used throughout the other pieces and seamlessly blended together with other themes. Another strong theme emerges in 'The Car Chase', one of my personal favorites in this score. Below I have given my brief opinion on a few of the most memorable pieces, tough I thoroughly enjoyed all of them.

~A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics~ Unforgettable and deeply moving, my favorite piece, I loved Charlottle Church's vocals. Stunning.

~Creating "Governing Dynamics"~ Resuses themes from 'A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics'. Lovely.

~Cracking the Russian codes~ More beautiful vocals from Charlottle Church.

~Nash Descends into Parcher's World~ Dark and powerful piece.

~First Drop-Off, First Kiss~ Beautiful, gentle, and inspiring.

~The Car Chase~ Excellent themes here. Intense, keeps you on your toes.

~All Love Can Be~ An intoxicating and stunningly beautiful song by Charlotte Chruch. Lyrics by WillJennings, music by James Horner.

'A Beautiful Mind' is a must-see and defintely one of the best films of 2001 and one of my favorite films of all time. As an avid movie soundtrack collector, I must say that this is one of my personal favorites. The soundtrack is just as haunting, mesmerizing, and intoxicating as the film. A must-own.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great book, good picture, good musical score, March 19, 2008

By	Michael R. Chernick "statman31147" (Holland PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

They took some liberties with the story the drama was well done and apparently was satisfactory to the Nash's. At first I was infuriated because the scenes with the CIA agent seemed so real that you thought Howard was suggesting that some of Nash's illusions were real. But far into the story you learn that the best friend character and the CIA agent are imaginary.
Very good actimg by Russell Crowe. This is enjoyable even for those who don't have an interest in mathematics. I took my children (10 and 12) and they enjoyed it also with the help of some adult explanations. The music was excellent also.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Soundtrack!, December 11, 2001

By	"dilinator" (Lansing, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

James Horner has done it again! But depending on what you think of him, that is either good or bad. For those who love Horner's soft, sensitive, and introspective scores, and don't mind the similarities between this and other Horner scores, this is a great soundtrack! But for those who despise the Horner "Self Rip-Offs", then this scoundtrack will probably incense you like none has before. Horner has taken three great scores, "Sneakers", "Searching for Bobby Fischer", and especially "Bicentennial Man", used highlights of them and added some new variations, and come up with "A Beautiful Mind". This will be fairly noticable to anybody familiar with those scores mentioned.

Now is this a soundtrack that you will want to buy? I would say that unless you are one of those who really cannot stand Horner scores that "re-use" a lot of material from other scores of his, then you will probably find this cd very beautiful and moving. I personally have anticipated this score ever since I heard Horner was going to compose thise movie. Just from the title, I knew that it would be another opportunity for Horner to do what he does best, compose heartfelt and introspective scores, that are as much felt as they are heard. Horner has mastered that genre, and pretty much monopolized it, as no other composer can even come close to doing.

"Bicentennial Man", was an amazingly deep and moving score, covering many emotions, mostly happy and a few sad. "A Beautiful Mind" is another such score, although this time around, Horner delves into another type of emotion, that of dark and confusing uncertainty. The movie deals with a genius, and the theme to represent this aspect is played to great extent at the beginning of the score, and is almost exactly the same as the "Machine Age" track from "Bicentennial Man". This theme is now brought to the forefront after it's small usage in the aforementiond score, as well as "Searching for Bobby Fischer", and is a main theme used to represent the intellectual side of the main character, Steve Nash. He is married, and has a happy life, and this is represented in the second theme, which is new, although still very Horner-like. It is a pleasant and slightly romantic theme. However, Nash is also schitzophrentic, and has a dark side. This side is well represented in the middle portion of the score, where the main themes slowly turn darker and more foreboding, and the introspective side of the score conveys the feeling of somebody who has gotten lost in despair and is searching for a way out. However, all this is done in such a way that is not a bad listen. In fact, a complete listening of the cd will flow very smoothly from one stage of Nash's life to another. Towards the latter third of the cd, the tracks come back to the more positive nature, and present hope for the future. The closing track does a good job of showcasing all these sides of Nash in a nutshell, including a brief period of the dark score, to remind us that while Nash's life has turned better again, he is still haunted by his dark side from time to time.

Something new Horner has brought to this soundtrack as well, is the use of renowned soprano Charlotte Church. She does all the vocals in the score, and is excellent. Her vocals really help set the mood as well, and present a picture of the soaring accomplishments of Nash, sort of saying "The sky's the limit" for his capacity. Church also adds a song near the end up the cd which is very melencholy and flows with the score very well. But her vocals are really the highlight of her contributions to this album.

So in closing, I say again that if you didn't like "Bicentennial Man", don't touch this one with a ten foot pole. However, if you like a very beautiful, yet introspective score, and don't mind "Hornerisms", then this will be a prized addition to your colection. I know it sure is to mine!

P.S. If you are a fan of Charlotte Church's music, but don't normally listen to soundtracks, this may still be one for you to check out, as her voice is put to great use here.