Title : Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
Author : Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Release Date : 19910701
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $39.97
Amazon.com Price : $
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Editorial Reviews : Director Milos Forman's rewarding 1984 film adaptation of playwright Peter Shaffer's Tony-winning play won no fewer than 10 Academy Awards (including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Director); only Wolfgang himself (and his filmic counterpart, Tom Hulce) seemed to get overlooked by the Academy. This expanded three-disc set contains all of Sir Neville Marriner's crisp, accurate readings of the excerpted Mozart symphonies, concertos, serenades, and operas (including marvelous portions of The Abduction of Seraglio, Don Giovanni, and The Magic Flute) used in the film. The success of Amadeus spurred a long-overdue renaissance of interest in classical music, and one would be hard-pressed to find a richer, more concise introduction to the intoxicating music and frustrating bundle of moral contradictions that was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Buyer Reviews : This three disc set is an excellent starting point, not only for the beginning listener of Mozart, but to the beginning listener of classical music in general.
That said, the selections are quite in tune with the film itself, which quite uniquely makes this soundtrack valuable both to people who loved the film as well as those who have never seen it. Perhaps 90% of the tracks are the compositions of Mozart, including the Commendatore scene of 'Don Giovanni' and the Queen of the Night aria from 'The Magic Flute.' The remaining tracks consist of music heard during various scenes in the film, including the finale from Salieri's opera 'Axur.' Enough new material is here to warrant buying this set over one of the other less expensive editions of the 'Amadeus' soundtrack.
In short, the music contained herein is a virtual greatest hits album of Mozart, virtual only in that it's scope must be limited to only 3 discs. On an incidental note, even the conductor and symphony orchestra performing the selections are recognized as being among the foremost interpreters of Mozart's music; yet another reason to purchase the Bicentennial Edition. It also includes a wonderful album-sized booklet detailing much of the behind the scenes work involved, as well as portions of the story. All very nicely done, especially for an average price of approximately $12 per disc. I have hundreds of Mozart's CDs in my collection, but I most often return to this, the most concise package of his music. Whether you enjoyed the film and its music, or you simply wish to widen out your musical horizons to include Mozart's music, this is the set to buy.
