John Williams, Itzhak Perlman - Schindler's List: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Because he's long been stereotyped by the rousing neo-romantic adventure scores for the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park franchises, it's easy to forget that composer John Williams is hardly idiomatically challenged. When Steven Spielberg gratifyingly used the clout of his enormous commercial success to produce and direct this brave Holocaust drama, his longtime musical collaborator used the opportunity to display both the depth and maturity of his musical gifts and training, producing a score with sad, evocative melodies frequently carried by the violin of the great Itzhak Perlman. Rich with ethnic nuance and showcasing the composer's masterful orchestral/choral subtlety, Williams's emotionally compelling score for Schindler's List also won the Academy Award for Best Dramatic Score. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com essential recording

Schindler's List soundtrack

If you've seen the movie, you'll want the music. This epic soundtrack evokes the passion and compassion of the movie. Music that will not leave you unmoved. August 9, 2008

Beautiful haunting music

I bought this because I loved the haunting music from the movie,"Schindler's List". The music is telling the holocaust story. The violin solo is heart wrenching. March 24, 2008

It leaves me almost speechless...

Absolutely phenomenal. Breathtaking. The most original of Mr. Williams' works and definitely one of his best. Even by itself,one can feel the many dark emotions involved with the Holocaust. I seriously think that this review is one of the worst written simply because I'm not the greatest with words. But I just hope you've caught my drift on how good this score is....:) March 2, 2008

A Must-Have for Movie Soundtrack Afficionados

I love movie soundtracks, and these are what I typically turn to when I want to hear orchestral music (instead of classical music).

The SCHINDLER'S LIST sdtk is beautifully haunting, and it's great whether you've seen the movie or not (but better if you HAVE seen it). John Williams does it again...this man MAKES the movie, so many times, allowing us to take a piece of it w/ us, as it lives on in our memories through the music he creates. He really knows how to capture the themes and emotions of a film.

Just as I've unwittingly bought multiple Tom Hanks movies, I've noticed that my soundtrack collection includes a number of John Williams' works. With his versatility and genius, it's no wonder... February 23, 2008

Heartbreaking And Poignant

The collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams has been so associated with big, bold Hollywood scores that it's sometimes easy to miss the fact that this collaboration could produce music that was both subtle and sublime. Such is the case here with the heartbreaking and poignant score that Williams composed for Spielberg's 1993 Holocaust drama SCHINDLER'S LIST.

Subtle and sublime, however, are just the words at the tip of the iceberg here. Deep down, this music is every bit as heartbreaking and poignant as the film it goes with. Utilizing a number of Jewish music motifs and the great violin work of the legendary Itzhak Perlman, Williams created a magnificent score that is never overbearing and is in keeping with the somber and harrowing nature of the film's subject matter. The main theme has become as synonymous with mourning in our time as Barber's "Adagio For Strings", and with good reason. But the entire score is a treasure to behold, well deserving of all the accolades it received, including one of the film's seven Academy Awards.

Brilliantly performed by the Boston Symphony under Williams' fine direction, the music to SCHINDLER'S LIST is one of the most powerful pieces ever composed for film, and an essential recording for film buffs and great music fans alike. December 26, 2007

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