Man Who Wasnt There [Soundtrack]

I am not afraid that I must disagree with whomever contests that expecting only perfection, we are never disapointed. On the contrary, high hopes and high expectations lead mostly to disapointment, as anyone who has expected this much from anything could tell you.

The soundtrack has the flavor of noir, that mysterious, twisted edginess and allure. Burwell's contributions stand out. While acting as critic, please don't make the mistake of comparing this soundtrack to purely classical renderings. To do this would be like comparing great tea and excellent coffee and complaining that tea makes a horrible cup of joe. Classical musicians make their money by interpreting others' pieces and playing them with precision. This is not the case when arranging pieces and composing your own score. Hats off to Burwell.

If you enjoy the novelty of original and compelling music, buy this album now. Conventional classical enthusiasts beware.

While nearly half of this cd focuses on some songs by Mozart and Beethoven, the score is solid. You will hear the main theme played four different ways on this score but they are all splendid, a melody that is somewhere between the description of relaxing, beautiful, and dark.

Another Burwell cd I highly recommend is Hamlet. Hope you enjoy either of these cd's if you pick them up in the future. I know I have. Enjoy!

To be fair, there is some very interesting music on this CD, especially the brief pieces specifically written for the movie by Carter Burwell. I found the songs compelling and beautiful. However I was very disappointed with the classical pieces interspersed throughout the album. I'm a bit of a completist when it comes to classical music, and because I'm so familiar with them, I found the Beethoven pieces distracting when they didn't transition into the next movements. One track infuriated me because it was cut off in mid-movement! Even if it didn't play all the way through in the movie, that's no reason to cut it short on a CD!

Also, since I'm being critical: I didn't find the phrasing or playing of the piano pieces especially moving. I guess I've been spoiled by far superior versions by Brendal, Kissin and others that I own. Again, why settle for less than the best?

Five stars for the music written by Carter, but minus three stars for the sound quality, editing and performances of the classical works. Look to THE RED VIOLIN, 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY or even AMADAUS for a lesson on how classical music should be used in a movie soundtrack.