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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
How better to score a movie that takes place in three tangentially related time periods than with music that strives for timelessness? The hallmarks of Philip Glass's minimalism serve The Hours well. The film, based on Michael Cunningham's novel, tells the stories of three women--Virginia Woolf in the early 1920s, a housewife just after World War II, and a book editor in the present--whose days relate in different ways to Woolf's novel Mrs Dalloway. Yet rather than construct a sonic montage of these three time periods (perhaps some Ravel for Woolf, some Max Steiner for the housewife, some Enya for the editor), Hours producer Scott Rudin turned to Glass, a contemporary-classical composer who has had a substantial side career in film, most notably with Koyaanisqatsi. The familiar Glass sounds--the endlessly layered violins, the static melodies, the glacial rhythms--all lend a consistent aural foundation to a story that moves fluidly back and forth in time. The music is scored for orchestra, string quartet and piano. Those plentiful strings lend a thick cushion, a triumph of tonal suspension, for the piano part, which Michael Riesman plays coolly, emphasising what are often single notes separated by thoughtful silences, as well as short sets of scales cascading in slow motion. Not only will these compositional themes be familiar to fans of Glass's work, so too will several of the melodies. Some sections of the score are derived from his albums Glassworks and Solo Piano and from his opera Satyagraha which, incidentally, involved the stories of three legendary men active in different eras. --Marc Weidenbaum
Review
The secret of a successful soundtrack is that it shouldn't detract from the film; it should be there, in the background, contextualising, like a wash of sky.
That's exactly what this soundtrack does in its original role: so it's successful. The timelessness of Philip Glass's trademark minimalism, violins and piano shimmering like a Monet, serves well to ease the juxtaposition of three womens lives, separated by time, but joined by very similar stories. But what happens when the film is taken away?
Well, the tracks are given nauseating names which refer directly to the film: 'Escape!'; 'Tearing Herself Away' and 'Why Does Someone Have To Die?'. Useful for the composer and musicians maybe, but not to someone who may want to take the music on its own terms.
'Vanessa and the Changelings' is representative of practically every track. It starts with low strings playing two notes over and over. Out of this spins a longer, sustained tune, also based around two notes repeating.
Throughout the recording the instruments take turns in being part of the backdrop, picking out rhythms like raindrops, or playing long sustained melodies.
The piano part in 'An Unwelcome Friend' is quite startling in its clarity and simplicity, but simplicity and grace are the order of the day throughout. Some listeners will be reminded of the soundtracks of fellow minimalist Nyman, written for Peter Greenaway's films, in particular, The Piano. But Nyman has the raucous sounds of saxophones to break up the monotony.
It's all a bit too nice and formulaic. As if a film about three women has to have all the traditionally feminine sounds, and you can't get more feminine than strings, piano and harp. Glass uses all the tricks in the book for building drama and tension, happiness and sadness within music; ones that have been used for centuries.
Sometimes, soundtracks work on their own, and sometimes they don't. This one is something to listen to whilst in the bath, or drinking wine and reading a book or... watching a film. --Lucy Davies
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Last night I watched The Hours. What was most notable about the film, from a sound perspective, was that as the credits rolled, I listened to a beautiful piece of music. One that I had clearly heard before, but was hearing in a way I had not heard before.... What came to me was that the mastery of this soundtrack was how it was unnoticable. Every scene, every emotion, tension, light relief; was communicated by sound, by a score that exactly replicated what was seen and felt on screen, so perfectly, it became unnoticable. Until that final moment where the genius of it came to light. As the credits rolled. I have never seen or heard sound and picture fused with this level of awareness and heart.
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Film soundtracks are a strange animal: some work only if you've seen the film, whilst others don't require this. The soundtrack to "The Hours" is definitely the latter.
If you have seen the brilliant film, you will be more than aware of the haunting and achingly beautiful music that accompanies the wonderful acting, intelligent script and visual imagery that is "The Hours". Even if you haven't seen it - and you should! - Philip Glass's soundtrack is a must.
Fans of Glass's work will buy this regardless; other customers will find themselves in possession of a CD containing music of sheer beauty. Since buying this wonderful soundtrack, it has become a near-permanent resident in my CD player. And that is no bad thing.
So, what do you get for your money? Glorious, evocative music, beautiful packaging, and some of the best sleeve notes and design I have seen for some time. Even the pefectionist Virginia Woolf would approve, I fear!
Highly recommended.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I read the book. I watched the film and I was amazed how the Glass music "fixed" the film so well. I thought that the book was unfilmable until I saw the film and a really strong part of its success is how the music tells you where you are. Not since the great Bernard Herrman enhanced the films of Alfred Hitchcock have I heard a score that is such an integral part of the film itself. As a piece of Glass music it stands by itself so I hope that a suite from The Hours will soon be heard in recital. I can not speak too highly of this amazingly charged recording.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Beautiful Composition - Stirring, Lyrical and Melodic
I saw the film which this Philip Glass-written soundtrack was written for some years ago and almost immediately appreciated the wonderful music which supported it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Laurence Williams
The Hours Soundtrack
This Cd contains some of the most beautful music you will ever hear. The piano pieces send chills up and down your spine. It is very moving and emotional. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Mark Stubbs
The Hours soundtrack (Philip Glass)
I rarely buy film soundtracks: I had some notion that music recorded like this would somehow be a slightly inferior product of a studio soundstage. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Doveman
An excellent introduction to the Glass World,
This CD stands alone in its own right, as well as a beautifully apt score to a movie. Most of the Glass hallmarks are there, the repetitions, the slow building of change, the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Lady Fancifull
Pure Glass
Even if you are not a modern music fan, you will feel relaxed and moved at the same time by this amazing soundtrack. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Susan Spain
Great music
Despite being a bit repetitive, Phillip Glass music is ful of nuisances that makes each piece of music unique
Published on 12 Feb 2010 by Isabelmunoz
Golden Glass
Philip Glass has written some wonderful film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, Kundun) but I was absolutely blown away by his score for 'The Hours'. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2006 by Mr. T. Harvey
A score that holds a meaning
It must be said without a doubt that Glass made the film 'The Hours' with the music score. Without it, this would not have produced what the film is. It has true meaning to it. Read more
Published on 18 July 2006 by S. Reid
I think this is going to become a reference work
This review comes late, but having recently heard the Riesman piano CD of the same soundtrack, and reviewing it, I feel that I should offer my take on the original. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2005 by Mark Gwilt
A re-review!
I hope this is allowed but I must in all honesty re-review this CD. Do you know about worms? Well this music finally wormed its way into my consciousness and I now find it... Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2004 by Mr. David Edwards
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