Dances With Wolves Soundtrack CD

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 Leaves a lump in my throat....
and that's a good thing. I've had the original score of this for years, but sitting hear listening to it again, more than 15 years after the fact, I felt compelled to share with you in hopes that if you haven't heard it, or haven't committed to buying it yet, or you just wanted to read what others though of this score, there's so much to be gained from this music. The most striking thing about this music is how Barry chose to do what so few other soundtrack composers do these days, strip the music down to the barest of components. The wonderfully rich sound of the lower brass and strings playing long sustained notes provide the chordal structure, like a large pipe organ playing chorales, while a flute or trumpet plays simple tonal melodies on top. And yet, each part, no matter how insignificant, masterfully makes a lovely contribution to the whole that is melodic and accessible; the music is so spacious, fluid, and harmonious. I loved this movie. I think I'll never get over the sadness that swells within me when I think of the plight of the Native Americans in this country. (the U.S.) It's hard to tell sometimes if I'm moved by this music so much because of this love of the movie, or my personal feelings about Native Americans... I worked at Tower Records in an earlier time in my life. I recommended this soundtrack to a co-worker, who worked in the classical music section. Since then, I've listened to a lot more classical music, but at the time, I didn't know much. "This has got to be one of the richest and warmest recordings of an orchestra I've ever heard on CD," I told him in 1993 and today, about 1,000 Classical CDs later, this is still my favorite orchestra recording. At times I'd swear I was listening to vinyl. At the very least, I think every once in a while, we hear a piece of music which speaks so strongly of love that one can't feel compelled to love as well. I'm not talking about the kind of love Hollywood normally presents to us. (that's another subject) This is a mature love that's a result of not so pretty things; it's not innocent anymore, and it's been tested by an impending sense of doom. I think Barry had the foresight to see this, and he resultantly stepped back, and took a long breath (both literally and figuratively), and he wrote a score which is like a beloved Grandfather telling the stories of his life with tears in his eyes.
Submitted by Brent (Frederick, MD)
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