CAVEAT EMPTOR - You May Already Have Some Of The Nyman Music
G. Engler | The Frigid Northeast | 07/15/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoy most if not all of Michael Nyman's music - which includes his non-soundtracks as well. I was eager to add Man On Wire to my Nyman collection but upon hearing it I was struck by the similarities to his other work, and at one point I just said "Wait just a gosh darn minute there, Michael - that's The Piano soundtrack redux!!"
And indeed it is.
You see, if you read the booklet that accompanies the CD, you will discovery that the director of this extraordinary film with an extraordinarily low budget got access to Nyman's work from the composer himself, but Nyman did not compose any new music specifically for the film. This means that you do, in fact, hear music from The Piano as well as other Greenaway films that you may already own. Memorial, for instance, - the wonderful piece that Philippe Petit says captures his every thought and feeling when up on the wire, is taken directly from "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover".
Other pieces are lifted, or should I say borrowed, from "The Draughtsman's Contract" and "The Libertine" . Why? Apparently, the director of this extraordinary low-budget film approached Nyman about supplying the music for the film. Nyman fee for service was apparantly beyond the budget, but the composer was intriqued by the idea of the movie, and opened his musical trove to the director, giving him permission to take, and use, whatever music he wanted. A truly benevolent act - for Nyman's style is absolutely perfect for the film.
But somewhere along the way buyers of this disc should have been made aware that this is not an "original soundtrack". Sometime say, before they purchased the disc, played it, and read the the entire booklet that accompanies the disc.
So, this is a collection of Nyman. And for new initiates that's a good thing. But for those of us who are established admirers, it's a bit of a rip-off. Surprisingly, it's Eric Satie's well known Gymnopedie No. 1 (played here, in what Petit refers to in his usual hyperbolic fashion as "the definitive interpretation" by Evelyn Crochet) and not the music of Nyman, that truly captures the magical, phantasmagorical, moment that Petit steps out on the wire. It's quite perfect actually.
I good Nyman pu-pu platter for neophytes, but an unsatisfying entree for his fans. Four stars for content, but two stars for hiding this information from buyers on the inside back cover of the booklet - let's average it out to three."
A very enjoyable soundtrack
M. Smith | Pennsylvania, United States | 06/16/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I saw "Man on Wire" and really enjoyed the music from the movie. My husband liked it as well, so I bought him the CD as a gift. The original music by Michael Nyman is very good. I was disappointed, however, that not all of the music used in the movie was on the soundtrack. (All of Michael Nyman's music is on the CD, just not all of the other pieces.)
Still, I would highly recommend this CD. I find myself listening to it several times a week while I work around the house. I find that it is easy to listen to and it reminds me of the movie (on of my favorites!)."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
