What is there left to say about this musical, deservedly one of the most famous in the canon? Created by what lyricist Stephen Sondheim described as "a unique concatenation of people" (Leonard Bernstein, Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins), the show remains as explosively vibrant, daring, and modern as it was decades ago. Bernstein integrated Latin percussion and jazz into his electrifying ...
Out of the dozens of high-profile film composers to have appeared in the 1980s, Michael Nyman has retained his unique voice like no other. This two-disc collection proves that with generous selections from a 20-year period. From the early Peter Greenaway works (The Falls, Drowning by Numbers, Prospero's Books) through to Hollywood dabblings (Gattaca, Ravenous), ...
Given that it's largely credited with reinventing Hollywood--or at least fostering its overweening box office expectations--it's hard to imagine that the genesis of George Lucas' sprawling, multi-billion dollar Star Wars franchise was once considered a risky studio proposition at best. But Lucas himself has wisely singled out the robust, retro-romantic music of composer John Williams as ...
You can always rely on Danny Boyle's movies to have decent music and The Beach doesn't disappoint even if it's unlikely to connect as extensively as the Trainspotting soundtrack. Musical co-ordinator Pete Tong has pulled out all the stops to secure exclusive tracks from major artists, and no less than seven of the numbers here have never been released before, while those that ...
Originally released in 1971, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory was an imaginative film that drew as much inspiration from the leftover vibes (and drugs) of the psychedelic '60s as it did from Roald Dahl's fanciful children's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you doubt it, check out this special 25th anniversary edition of the original soundtrack album, which features lyrics and music ...
Michael Nyman came of age as a classical composer in the radical London of the late '60s. His work embraces multiple vernaculars (jazz, avant garde, conceptual art) and helped cement the foundation of what came to be known as minimalism. Decades into his career, Nyman's score to Jane Campion's film The Piano made him a star. The movie's themes of colonialism and silence (its protagonist, ...