Carter Burwell, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - The Man Who Wasn't There (2001 film)

Twenty years after their accomplished and unsettling first feature film, Blood Simple, the brothers Coen have returned to their film noir roots with an ominous, monochromatic vengeance. As in all their films, music again plays a crucial supporting role and that means the sonic seasonings of career collaborator Carter Burwell, along with a slate of typically obtuse catalog choices. Though that latter music is hardly the sort of smoky urban jazz usually associated with the genre, its mood and composer are as brooding as they come: Ludwig van Beethoven.

New, abridged recordings of LvB's "Pathétique," "Appassionata," and "Moonlight" sonatas and Piano Sonata No. 25 set the tone, along with a Beaux Arts Trio version of Piano Trio No. 7 (and a brief excerpt of Karl Bohm's "Che soave zeffiretto" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro). Burwell's original music is shaded similarly, subtly different yet equally somber in mood and character. The composer occasionally reprises his compelling, autumnal string writing from The General's Daughter, progressively darkening the atmosphere to great effect here. The urgent '40s romp "Nirdlinger's Swing" offers up the score's only bowing to period conventions, a brief shaft of light flickering among the shadows. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

A solid score

I thought Burwell's contributions to this score were outstanding, although I agree with the criticisms of the classical recordings - not of the quality we've come to expect. Still I think the CD is well worth buying for another interesting Burwell score. March 9, 2005

re: Carter Burwell, Perfection, Disapointment, and Noir

If you can't seem to find enough merit to this soundtrack to label it impressive or at least concede that it has managed to weave film noir and classical music together in a tapestry of dark, rich, soulful bittersweetness, then you have obviously missed something. Let's not linger too long in thought on it.

Context, folks. Put it in context. Soundtracks are not composed and arranged as stand alone albums, but rather as the rhythm to which a movie is played out. Within the confines of these cinematic constraints, the album manages to wriggle and squirm enough to accomplish what other soundtracks fail to do: it becomes more than background noise, and writes itself into and becomes indispensable to the film.

I am not afraid that I must disagree with whomever contests that expecting only perfection, we are never disapointed. On the contrary, high hopes and high expectations lead mostly to disapointment, as anyone who has expected this much from anything could tell you.

The soundtrack has the flavor of noir, that mysterious, twisted edginess and allure. Burwell's contributions stand out. While acting as critic, please don't make the mistake of comparing this soundtrack to purely classical renderings. To do this would be like comparing great tea and excellent coffee and complaining that tea makes a horrible cup of joe. Classical musicians make their money by interpreting others' pieces and playing them with precision. This is not the case when arranging pieces and composing your own score. Hats off to Burwell.

If you enjoy the novelty of original and compelling music, buy this album now. Conventional classical enthusiasts beware. May 5, 2003

Carter Burwell does another swell job on this one.

You might know Burwell best for his score on Fargo but 'The Man Who Wasn't There' is another solid job by one of Hollywood's best composers.

While nearly half of this cd focuses on some songs by Mozart and Beethoven, the score is solid. You will hear the main theme played four different ways on this score but they are all splendid, a melody that is somewhere between the description of relaxing, beautiful, and dark.

Another Burwell cd I highly recommend is Hamlet. Hope you enjoy either of these cd's if you pick them up in the future. I know I have. Enjoy! August 14, 2002

Beethoven & Billy Joel - Response to Andy Alabama

Hi Andy,

Also noticed the similarity between This Night and Pathetique. Of course, if you read the liner notes to "An Innocent Man" by Billy Joel, you'll see he gives full credit to Ludwig Von Beethoven. Joel grew up playing classical piano... May 28, 2002

All the flavor, none of the calories

This album creates an ambience that captures the film noir flavor of the film, yet lacks much of the substance that makes for a great film soundtrack. I must disagree with the opinion of Mr. Moodindigo2 when he asserts that you should not go looking for perfection in an album, rather accept it for what it's worth. Somebody once said, "If you only accept the best, you'll never be disappointed." Beyond the technical flaws discussed in other reviews, I found the choice of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, (AKA The Pathatique) so hackneyed that I almost gave up on the soundtrack before the second track played. And then they went ahead and repeated it! Aaaaaaack!

To be fair, there is some very interesting music on this CD, especially the brief pieces specifically written for the movie by Carter Burwell. I found the songs compelling and beautiful. However I was very disappointed with the classical pieces interspersed throughout the album. I'm a bit of a completist when it comes to classical music, and because I'm so familiar with them, I found the Beethoven pieces distracting when they didn't transition into the next movements. One track infuriated me because it was cut off in mid-movement! Even if it didn't play all the way through in the movie, that's no reason to cut it short on a CD!

Also, since I'm being critical: I didn't find the phrasing or playing of the piano pieces especially moving. I guess I've been spoiled by far superior versions by Brendal, Kissin and others that I own. Again, why settle for less than the best?

Five stars for the music written by Carter, but minus three stars for the sound quality, editing and performances of the classical works. Look to THE RED VIOLIN, 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY or even AMADAUS for a lesson on how classical music should be used in a movie soundtrack. May 28, 2002

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