A Variation on SCOTTY TAILS MADELINE by Shigeru Umebayashi
CARLOS by Shigeru Umebayashi
LA WALLY by Miriam Gauci
STORMY WEATHER by Etta James
GREEN ONIONS by Booker T. & The MGs
BLUE MOON by Jo Stafford
SWIMMING by Abel Korzeniowski
AND JUST LIKE THAT by Abel Korzeniowski
GEORGE S WALTZ (II) by Shigeru Umebayashi
SUNSET (Bonus Track) by Abel Korzeniowski
CLOCK TICK (Bonus Track) by Abel Korzeniowski
A Single Man is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, it is the story of a British college professor (Colin Firth) who is strug... more »gling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner. The story is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.« less
A Single Man is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, it is the story of a British college professor (Colin Firth) who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner. The story is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.
CD Reviews
Minimalist, beautiful
Jon Broxton | Thousand Oaks, CA | 01/17/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A Single Man is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, and marks the directorial debut of writer/director and former fashion designer Tom Ford. Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, it tells the story of a British college professor George (Colin Firth) who, following the death of his long-time homosexual partner, struggles to find meaning in his life. The film is already a critical success, with Colin Firth tipped to receive his first Academy Award nomination for his performance, and has also seen recognition for the score by 37-year-old Polish composer Abel Korzeniowski, who received a Golden Globe nomination for his work.
Korzeniowski's score is best described as a combination of the string-based classicism of Michael Nyman and the minimalism of Philip Glass, albeit with much more beautiful themes and a warmer, more inviting tone than either men usually produce. By far the most notable piece is the lush and opulent second cue, "Drowning", which opens with a mesmerizing harp glissando, before launching into a glorious waltz theme, full of rich harmonies, dancing violins, and velvety cello chords that are simply magnificent. Later, cues such as the graceful "The Stillness of Mind", "Snow", "Daydreams", the joyous "Swimming", the unbearably poignant "And Just Like That", the expressive "Sunset", and the stark, rhythmic "Clock Tick" feature some truly wonderful string writing, often prominently featuring gorgeous cellos, and are based around repeated motivic cells of recurring material, over which the main solo instrumental melody is laid. It's an enticing, thoroughly engrossing sound, which is technically minimalist, but reaches far beyond the staid sterility that some minimalist pieces can have.
Other cues, notably "Becoming George", "Mescaline" and "Going Somewhere", replace the strings with a lilting piano line to equally positive effect, although more often than not the piano is not meant to be romantic, but to be somewhat more introspective. In addition to Korzeniowski's score, the album also features three cues from Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, best known to audiences in the west for his score to House of Flying Daggers in 2004. Umebayashi's main contributions are beautiful "George's Waltz" cues, delicate pieces full of weeping violins and a stately, refined air. His other major contribution, the cue "Carlos", is no less beautiful, and features another sumptuous cello performance that simply shines. The album is rounded out by several source music cuts from artists as varied as Etta James, Booker T. & The MG's and even an opera track from Catalani's La Wally performed by Miriam Gauci, all of which are fine, but this is all about the score. With this score, and the animated sci-fi film Battle for Terra earlier in the year, Abel Korzeniowski has announced himself to the film music world in the loudest possible voice, and I can't wait to hear what he does next."
Amazingness
Brian R. Tucker | Valdosta, GA | 01/03/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Absolutely the best soundtrack I've heard in several years. The songs are haunting, yet they invite you in to listen to each and every one of them. I listened to clips from the movie's website before I saw the film, and appreciated the soundtrack more while viewing it. The song from the swimming scene is especially powerful. If this doesn't win the Oscar for Best Soundtrack, I don't know what will. Thank you, Tom Ford, for insisting on a great soundtrack for your directorial debut."
Best Soundtrack of the year
Tom Liebengood | 01/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is such a beautiful soundtrack which captures the mood and undertone of Tom Ford's stylistic directorial debut wonderfully and insightfully with a moving, melancholy score. The score's effect is similar to another beautiful soundtrack, Pollock. I highly recommend the film and the soundtrack."
And then there is the music
Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/02/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So often when viewing a film as fine as A SINGLE MAN the components that add to the story and the acting and the direction, if they are truly well done, go unnoticed. And perhaps that is the real mark of a fine musical score: it underscores the mood and propels the story along without calling attention to itself. But after repeated viewings of this particular film on DVD the music finally can be appreciated for what it is.
The personality of George, so very shattered by the news that opens the film, is captured by the beauty of Abel Korzeniowski: he understands when to use silences, when to meld the aqueous memories of swimming underwater with the solitary moments of this stoic man who have just been notified that his partner of 16 years has been killed. He turns to his own music (Miriam Gauci singing the beautiful aria "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" from Catalani's opera LA WALLY - a song about leaving home for the last time - just the right aria for a man who is planning his suicide), and as his mind remembers the beautiful times with his love Jim the music becomes impossibly beautiful - a mixture of full orchestra with interludes of piano alone.
The story, being set in the 1960s, also makes use of old standards form Jo Stafford ('Blue Moon'), Etta James ('Stormy Weather') and the fun of George dancing the twist with Charley (Charlotte) to the tune of 'Green Onions' by Booker T. and the MGs. In addition to the subtleties of Korzeniowski's score, there are moments with the brief but eloquent music of Shigeru Umebayashi is introduced as contrast. Overall the mixing and the musical foundation fits the magic of this superb film and offers the sound forum for the acting gifts of Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, and Nicholas Hoult. A fine CD all by itself - for memory's sake. Grady Harp, August 10"
Enticing music
Paris Huang | Washington, DC United States | 01/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Great combination of the atomsphere of "In The Mood for Love", european films, and 60's music. Very enticing and melancholy, really brings out the state of mind of the characters in the movie."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1