Search - Carter Burwell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman :: The Hudsucker Proxy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

THE HUDSUCKER PROXY: 5-star-worthy music, but it's too short

Bruce Aguilar | 10/27/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"THE HUDSUCKER PROXY soundtrack is a wonderful mix of Carter Burwell's original score and his arrangements of some of Russian composer Aram Khachaturian's most famous themes. Burwell's achingly beautiful original music and his arrangements perfectly match the mix of silly and sharply satirical elements of the film. I highly recommend it. The first three tracks aptly illustrate the main elements of the film and the music. "Prologue" uses Khachaturian's adagio from his ballet SPARTACUS. It immediately sets the dreamlike quality of the film with its sparse orchestration which slowly builds and thickens to a full, grand orchestral swell. It's a very good adaptation of the work. "Norville's Suite" illustrates the character's friendly, naive personality. Happy-go-lucky in style, it shows the exuberance of his youth. "Waring's Descent" gives an idea of Burwell's lush approach to the dramatic scenes of this film. The frantic sound in the soprano's voice add an urgency as the track progresses and closes. You won't be disappointed by the quality of Burwell's work on this album. The only reason I didn't grace this album with five stars is because of its length. However, the approximate half hour of music that is on the album is more than worth the purchase price!"

Much to enjoy

Bruce Aguilar | Hollywood, CA | 02/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I loved the film and so I had to get the soundtrack. It does a great job at supporting the wacky larger than life antics that go on as well as the more emotional elements of the film. Upon a recent listen I was reminded of Danny Elfman in some instances, especially on 'The Chase' and the arrangement on 'The Hula Hoop'. My one big complaint is that the entire cd runs just under 30 minutes. Now I can't remember if that's all the music that was presented in the film, but it seems to me that there's plenty that's not presented on this soundtrack. But I guess wanting more is a better compaint to have than others."