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, ...
Manufacturer: EMI
Manufacturer: Virgin TV
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), ...
Manufacturer: Venture
Moving On, the solo debut from Myleene Klass, finds the former Hearsay vocalist performing piano arrangements of contemporary pop and classical numbers. It includes the themes from Braveheart, Gladiator and The Piano plus her interpretation of the number one single by Daniel Bedingfield, "If You're Not the One".
Manufacturer: UCJ
The only thing wrong with this compilation is the title: "Chillout" hardly seems the right word to describe such a well-balanced collection which, while it includes such relaxing music as Debussy's Clair de lune and Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, also has pieces as wired as Steve Reich's exciting Nagoya Marimbas and Simon Jeffes' Perpetuum Mobile. All the ...
Manufacturer: Universal Classics
Manufacturer: Argo
Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
The music here may not be as colourful as the gaudy packaging and film, but it's certainly further proof of a maturing filmic style from Nyman. Like Gattaca there's a lot of reliance on strings within the Band. It makes for a sense of melancholia that lasts the 40-minute running time. "Molly" to "Franklyn" is a gentle ride. They both feature Nyman on piano leading his endearing rolling ...
