Yann Tiersen - Music from Amelie (Soundtrack)
(Virgin)
I won’t lie. Amelie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and the best film
of 2001, is the obvious reason why I bought this disc. Every person should
see it. The film gets a 12/12, hands down. But this isn’t a film review
website, is it? Is this fakemovie.com? No. It’s fakejazz.com. That’s why you
see all those jazz reviews. I digress, however.
One of the best and most noticeable things about Amelie is its score,
and how appropriately listenable it is both in context of the film and in a
casual listening environment--and, on top of that, it is non-traditional. French musician Yann Tiersen is quite a talent; in fact, he’s turning
out to be one of my most highly admired talents of recent time. He’s a
multi-instrumentalist, tackling accordion, harpsichord/piano/toy piano,
mandolin, banjo, vibes, violin, and more, all with great natural skill. His
unmistakably French style is charming and crisp, with considerable melodic
flair as well as a knack for gorgeous arrangements. Percussion isn’t often
used, but when it is, it’s entirely appropriate--a marching snare or a
powerful hand-drum. He has mastered the dramatic build, adding layers upon
layers of harmony, rhythm, and instrumentation to a simpler melodic base
until a beautifully, almost cathartically joyous end.
Music from Amelie features all of these traits in spades. If it
weren’t a film soundtrack, it would be simply a Yann Tiersen compilation.
Tracks from many of his records throughout his career, including this year’s
L’Absente, are present in the film and on the disc; the film did
require the composition of a few new themes, however, so almost half of the
material here is unavailable elsewhere, and it is worth purchasing. Most of the
music succeeds in the formula detailed above, although there are a few
somber Philip Glass or Michael Nyman-esque solo piano moments that are
worthy of almost equal praise, despite the Michael Nyman comparison (let’s
not forget that his score for The Piano wasn’t half bad). Of the new
themes, “La Valse d’Amelie” is the most exceedingly charismatic and the most
present, with three versions: Yann Tiersen, the multi-instrumentalist; Yann
Tiersen with orchestra; and Yann Tiersen on solo piano. Each of them are
strikingly effective and memorable.
I can’t deny that these cues mean something different at first to those who
have seen the film. But personally, I’ve seen Amelie twice, and I’ve
listened to Music from Amelie at least ten times by now. The music
has now taken on a separate quality from the film, and I recognize it for
its stand-alone beauty; it’s inspired me to investigate the rest of Yann
Tiersen’s catalogue. Plus, many of the cues here have different, fleshed-out
versions of those found in the film. Of course, I recommend seeing Jeunet’s
film just as highly as hearing this disc, if not more so. But if any of this
sounds pretty good to you, and you can’t find the time to make a trek to your
local arthouse theater, take a listen to this and see if it isn’t just as
magical. I’d bet it would be.
|
