Search - Alexandre Desplat, The London Symphony Orchestra :: Hostage

"Phenomenal"

Frank Pandel | USA | 07/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alexandre Desplat is a composer to be reckoned with. This is the unconditional standard by which all others can be judged. Mr. Desplat is the composer as well as conductor for this spectacular movie and score. Played with precision by the London Symphony Orchestra. I suspect it is his daughter or wife who shares with us her beautiful voice.

You can almost consider this work a symphonic synthesis in 24 "spectacular" movements. I can not imagine why any filmakers consider Hans Zimmer for composing, pretending to make his synthesizer sound like an orchestra.

I don`t recall any soundtrack before this that can compare on all counts.

Highly Recommended!



Frank Pandel

musicologist reviews"

"Outstanding score"

F. M. Swensen | Santa Ana, California | 10/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Truly a remarkable achievement. There are lyrical moments, but the score impresses with its powerful expressiveness and fascinating orchestration. Alexandre Desplat is undoubtedly France's best-known and most successful composer of music for films in recent years. His work outside of France has included music for "The Luzhin Defense", "Girl with a Pearl Ear-Ring", and "Birth", although he has an extensive list of film credits to his name at home and has just won the top award at the International Film Festival in Berlin for his score to "De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté". The present recording is an excellent example of his work as composer, orchestrator and conductor, as well as producer, since the music is presented in such a way as to form a cohesive emotional symphonic experience. Even if you have not seen the film, and even if you are not necessarily interested in film music, you will enjoy this fascinating score, beautifully played and recorded."