1 |
Hong
Kong Garden - Siouxsie & The Banshees |
2 |
Aphrodisiac
- Bow Wow Wow |
3 |
What
Ever Happened - The Strokes |
4 |
Pulling
Our Weight - The Radio Dept |
5 |
Ceremony
- New Order |
6 |
Natural's
Not In It - Gang Of Four |
| 7 |
I
Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow (Kevin Shields Remix) |
8 |
Kings
Of The Wild Frontier - Adam & The Ants |
9 |
Concerto
in G - Antonio Vivaldi Dir: Brian Reitzell Conductor:
Roger Neill |
10 |
The
Melody Of A Fallen Tree - Windsor For The Derby |
11 |
I
Don't Like It Like This - The Radio Dept |
12 |
Plainsong
- The Cure |
CD
2 |
1 |
Intro
Versailles |
2 |
Jynweythek
Ylow - Aphex Twin |
3 |
Opus
17 - Dustin O'Halloran |
4 |
II
Secondo Giorno (Instrumental) - Air |
5 |
Keen
On Boys - The Radio Dept |
6 |
Opus
23 - Dustin O'Halloran |
7 |
Les
Barricades Mysterious - Francois Cauperin. Harpsichord:
Patricia Mabee |
8 |
Fools
Rush In - Bow Wow Wow (Kevin Shields Remix) |
9 |
Avril
14th - Aphex Twin |
10 |
K.
213 - Domenico Scarlatti. Harpsicord: Patricia Mabee |
11 |
Tommib
Help Buss- Squarepusher |
12 |
Tristes
apprets, pales flambeaux - Jean-Philippe Rameau. Les
Arts Florissant, Dir: William Christie, Agnes Mellon:
Soprano |
13 |
Opus
36 - Dustin O'Halloran |
14 |
All
Cats Are Grey - The Cure |
REVIEW
In
most period dramas, great care and utmost scrutiny is taken
in the selection of music for historical accuracy. Marie Antoinette
is not such a soundtrack. Purists are duly warned to turn
away.
Coppola
insists that the entire film (including its music) is not
‘a history lesson’ and that it was a ‘modern
way of telling the story’. Instead of a score dominated
by Classic era Opera and instrumental music, we get a whole
slew of 80s New Wave, Electronica, post-punk and modern rock
beats, with bits of inaccurate Baroque/Rocco Music all selected
by music supervisor and album producer Brian Reitzell, who
worked with Coppola for Lost in Translation.
It
is felt by this reviewer that both Coppola and Reitzell have
committed a cardinal sin with this modern fantasy approach
to the soundtrack. This is exacerbated by the imprecise choices
of Baroque Music for a time period firmly entrenched in the
Classic era of Music. It is an obvious error and use of inferior
judgment that very few in the industry would make.
Though
it may be somewhat forgivable to use the early 18th Century
works of Couperin (though not the spelling error), Rameau
and even the Italian composer Scarlatti in this soundtrack,
Vivaldi seems the most unlikely and poorest choice. Yes, eras
of Music are not clearly defined but during Marie Antoinette’s
reign as monarch, Music from Classic composers such as Glück
(her music teacher) and Salieri would most probably and exclusively
be played at Versailles, as it would be anywhere in Europe
at that time. Even Mozart or even Beethoven would have been
better and more historically accurate choices. This may not
be a history lesson, but the misguided selection betrays the
entire re-creation.
It
is also noted that other works of Rameau (at least one other
Aria and instrumental Minuet) used in the film were missing
in this two CD release. Nevertheless, the remaining performances
of Patricia Mabee (harpsichords), Agnes Mellon (Soprano) and
Les Arts Florrissant under the direction of William Christie
are nothing short of brilliant and masterful.
The
album fares much better with its mixtape-type selection of
modern numbers. The wide ranging and somewhat confusing compilation
is perhaps the only saving grace of the soundtrack including
notable electronica artistes Dustin O’Halloran and Aphex
Twin, who were perhaps the only musicians and composers moving
towards a more ye olde style. The rest of the soundtrack is
made of serious 80s New Wave and post-punk (and revival) tracks,
ranging from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bow Wow Wow to bands
like New Order and The Cure.
SOUNDTRACK
RATING:
 
Review
by Darren Sim
|
