Featuring original music composed by Alberto Iglesias. Adapted from the best-seller John le Carre's romantic thriller, two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz head the cast of "The Constant Gardener."... more » In a remote area of northern Kenya, the dedicated activist Tessa Quayle (Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Her travelling companion, a local doctor, appears to have fled the scene and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Sandy Woodrow (Danny Huston), Sir Bernard Pellegrin (Bill Nighy), and other member of the British High Commission assume that Tessa's widower, their mild-mannered colleague Justin Quayle (Fiennes) will leave the matter to their discretion. They could not be more wrong... Featuring music performed by acclaimed Kenyan percussionist and Real World recording artist Ayub Ogada, Alberto Iglesias' ("La Mala Educacion," "The Dancer Upstairs," "Todo Sobre Mi Madre") lush score evokes the film's compelling African and European landscapes.« less
Featuring original music composed by Alberto Iglesias. Adapted from the best-seller John le Carre's romantic thriller, two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz head the cast of "The Constant Gardener." In a remote area of northern Kenya, the dedicated activist Tessa Quayle (Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Her travelling companion, a local doctor, appears to have fled the scene and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Sandy Woodrow (Danny Huston), Sir Bernard Pellegrin (Bill Nighy), and other member of the British High Commission assume that Tessa's widower, their mild-mannered colleague Justin Quayle (Fiennes) will leave the matter to their discretion. They could not be more wrong... Featuring music performed by acclaimed Kenyan percussionist and Real World recording artist Ayub Ogada, Alberto Iglesias' ("La Mala Educacion," "The Dancer Upstairs," "Todo Sobre Mi Madre") lush score evokes the film's compelling African and European landscapes.
Jennifer Cassone | Los Angeles, CA United States | 03/27/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Some soundtracks I hear in films sound worthy of the purchase once I leave the theater, yet when I get the cd home I think to myself "Come on! What a waste". Not so with this one...the music is just as moving in my car or on my Ipod as it was in the theater.
The Constant Gardener was a truly amazing film, and Alberto Iglesias certainly had a challenge in matching such a diverse and gorgeous work with music that could be equally powerful. Iglesias rose to that challenge and delivers a true work of art. An added bonus in this soundtrack are two songs by Ayub Ogada. If anyone is looking for some music that's different and beautiful, he is the answer.
The only weird thing on this soundtrack is that the songs don't appear in the order they did during the film. It works out however, since they flow perfectly on the cd together."
WoW!
Randy Smith | Portland, OR United States | 09/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The soundtrack is in turn joyous, haunting, boisterous, and sad. The movie is a tour de force, and the soundtrack is too! Highly recommended!"
Graspy and quite dramatic
Julio Lopez | Santiago, Chile | 07/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias has created the music for several movies by Pedro Almodovar, being the latest ones for "La Mala Educación" and "Volver". He's always been succesful with Almodovar and now he gives the musical background for a foreign movie. Once again, he succeeds in this most fascinating score by creating the right atmosphere to the drama in the movie. The interesting thing is that the music has the same dramatic power even if you're not watching the movie. Some themes are magnificent, such as "Tessa's Death" which opens the album. I would recommend this CD to:
1. Alberto Iglesias'admirers.
2. Audience who saw the movie and enjoyed it.
3. Listeners who enjoy a well-crafted movie score, intelligently executed and brilliantly produced.
4. Refined soundtrack collectors.
5. Followers of New Age music.
I wouldn't recommend it to:
1. Rap admirers.
2. Hard-rock fans.
3. Spectators who go to the cinema and believe that the only thing there's in to see (and listen) in a picture is sex, blood and violence."
CD Review
Roharris | Atl, GA USA | 03/20/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The film was excellent and I liked the soundtrack. On later playing the CD. I found the music to be as good as the time I watched the film."