One of my favorite soundtracks of all time
Mark Welsh | Mayberry, NC USA | 05/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My mother bought the album shortly after the movie debuted in winter of 1963 and our entire family fell in love with it immediately. Being only eight when the movie was released, I did not see it until the early 1970's and was not disappointed. Like a prior reviewer, I do agree that "The Drip-Dry Waltz" and its accompanying sequence were a low-point in an otherwise stellar and entertaining movie and soundtrack. I'm not too fond of "Goodbye, Charlie", either.
My favorites are the three versions of the title track, the best being the instrumental played over the opening credits. Also the beautiful "Latin Snowfall", the romantic "Bateau Mouche", the energetic "Orange Tamoure" and the joyful "Bistro". The soundtrack and the movie are a snapshot of more innocent times, which were shattered by the assassination of JFK by the time the film was released. This was Cary Grant's swan song as leading man, this last time to the beautiful Audrey Hepburn, and this film was a true last gasp of the romance and sophistication of old Paris, and the death of a pre-Beatlemania world where cultural standards were still set by adults. The soundtrack is a fitting tribute to this world, soon to vanish, and stands on its own as not only a great soundtrack, but one of the final great mood music albums."
Excellent
William R. Nicholas | Mahwah, NJ USA | 02/22/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Of the great 1960s film composers, Lalo Shifrin, Jerry Goldsmith, Quincy Jones, a stack of others, Henry Mancini may have been the most well rounded. He was actually retro: a lot of his work is based on tangos, waltzes, and orchestral music/
But Mancini had a gift of making music square in lesser hands swing, and on Cherade, this is starkly and delightfully highlighted.
Cherade was a light thriller--basically a more comic Wait Until Dark where Audry Hepburn can see and is being chased by themes. For the score, Mancini uses a lot of tango, and some orchestral tracks.
But even in 2010, this music never sounds dated. The melodies hold up so well, and the orchestrations are kept so tasteful, this works where a Percy Faith track would date terribly. As jazz and orchestral, will get into your skin with its undenialble Mancini charm"
Cocktail party time!
Malena | Soquel, CA | 04/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is great cocktail party music. I don't know what it is about it, but it just reminds me of martinis and cosmopolitans. I just love this soundtrack. Every track is unique and zippy with lots of flair with probably the exception being the "Drip Dry Waltz" which wasn't one of my favorite parts of the movie either.
Latin Snowfall is particularly appealing to me and be sure to go back and watch the scene of Audrey Hepburn skiing in France to enjoy the track along with the movie.
"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1