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 | Title : Amelie: Original Soundtrack Recording
Author : Yann Tiersen
Release Date : 20011106
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $18.98
Amazon.com Price : $13.49
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Editorial Reviews :
This sunny comic fable from idiosyncratic director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (City of Lost Children, Alien Resurrection, Delicatessen) boasts any number of intimate charms, not the least of which is Yann Tiersen's warmly inviting score. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tiersen's work and training may have masterfully encompassed classical, pop, and rock, but his delightful Amélie music proves he is slave to none. In this, his fourth soundtrack, Tiersen displays an impressive command of idiom and melodic subtlety that's rightfully drawn comparisons to the great Nino Rota. With a Paris-set story driven by blossoming love, the composer frequently leans on the familiar Parisian street accordion motif as a starting point. If that sounds clichéd, it's anything but; Tiersen's delicate touch incorporates Gypsy flourishes, classical string ensembles, electronics, stark and lovely solo piano, and even minimalist technique--often in the same charming cue. The result is music that manages to sound variously breezy, fresh, and contemporary, yet somehow comfortably familiar. Amélie is a warm, postmodernist score that never forgets where its heart lies.
Buyer Reviews :
This is more of a music/movie review. Amelie (by Jean-Pierre Juenet) is truly one of the best films I have ever seen. I bought the soundtrack specifically because I wanted to relive the general emotion and life of the movie. But now that I have the soundtrack itself, it has begun to have a life of it's own apart from the movie itself-it's that good!
Amelie is arranged and written by French composer Yann Tiersen. Tiersen truly is a composer in that the music is 'composed' not strummed blindly, or synthisized mechanically. The music is so vibrant and alive that you can't help but listen. What makes this soundtrack stand out is that it is a great album in and of itself, apart from the movie. There is such great variety in the each of the different pieces. If you've ever listened to other soundtracks, like Braveheart, Gladiator, Amistad, or the like, you notice that the songs are all done with the same instruments, and have the same sound, just different tempos, and you end up being very tired of it by the third or forth song. This just isn't true of Amelie. It is also not like 'pop' soundtracks which are just a compilation of popular songs cleverly placed in the movie. The music is written specifically to describe Amelie herself and therefore the songs are quite diverse and yet distinctive. The music is like France itself, it is like Amelie's character. One French critic instucted all Americans, like an international diplomat, to see the movie 'now!' because it gives one new optimism, passion for life, and love. How can I explain that the soundtrack does all of these things as well?
Admittedly, Tiersen somewhat plagerizes his own work by using the melody of some of his works (Les Jours Tristes) from his solo album (L'Absente, 2001) for this soundtrack. In L'Absente there is an introspective darkness which is also very stimulating but in a more experimental fashion. But, in Amelie, the music is optimistic without naiveté, uplifting without melodrama, inspiring without losing reality; like skipping stones on the ripples of the Thames.
If you are a conesour of world music, Amelie also has an eccelictic range of instruments including the toy piano (for the child in us all), carillon, banjo, mandolin and accordion (without which it would not be French music), harpsichord, vibraphone, and melodica. Together these make a somewhat modern, neo-classical, uniquely French sound that is great study music, party music, and yet, still somewhat singable (as my shower head can attest to!).
In the end, there are very few things in life that all people recognize as truly wonderful and Amelie may just be one of them. But in my mind, we would all do well to learn from the life and passion of Amelie the movie as well as the music of Yann Tiersen.
(by Matt Cromwell)
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