Customer Reviews
Music that makes your emotions soar... - By: , 12 Jan 2005 
There are few occasions these days where music will take your emotions to the depths of despair & up to the highest cloud & back before the album is finished. Mostly this happens in film soundtracks & Hannibal is easily one of the finest. There is humour, sadness, heart-pounding atmosphere & some pieces that will make your heart sing & sent your soul alight as the finest music does, & should.
The highlight of the album is Vide cor Meum by Patrick Cassidy - the album is worth buying for this alone. When I first watched the film I became determined to discover which great opera that piece was from, not realising that it was written speciallly for the film. Rarely will you find a piece of music that makes you want to simply sit back, shut your eyes & just listen, but with Vide cor Meum it is impossible not to. I was shocked & delighted at the simplicity & beauty of this piece, & it marks Cassidy as one of the finest composers of our, & indeed, any age.
The truly amazing aspect of this album is that it is designed to accompany a film that is very dark & disturbing in its imagery, but the soundtrack will make you laugh, cry & falll to your knees with its wry humour & beauty. It is a truly ironic soundtrack for the film, which in many ways fits Hannibal perfectly, as the film & Hannibal himself, are highly ironic & contradictory. It is rare that a soundtrack fits & compliments a film, yet Hannibal accomplishes this expertly. A wonderful collection of widley different musical styles, but one that you will want to play again & again. Buy it & find out for yourself, you wont regret it.
the BEST soundtrack I come across - By: , 25 Aug 2002 Needless to say how much I was impressed with this soundtrack. It captured beautifully the setting & mood for the film, as well as that "lecter feel!" I listen to it almost every day.
"Anthony Hopkins delivers three of Lecter's monologues which, while effectively done, will become less welcome with repeated playings" What do you MEAN? sometimes I just listen to tracks to hear his voice! lol! It can never tire you out!
Jane:)
Great music to sleep too. - By: , 03 Feb 2002 There are movie soundtracks.... & then there are movie soundtracks. This one most definitely fits into the latter.
Hans Zimmer has created yet another masterpiece, adding to his already growing collection of perfect music scores. He uses previous melodies & adds them in a rich mix with new styles, for example his "Aria De Capo" [ from "Goldberg's Variations"] intertwined with the haunting "Gourmet Valse Tartare" contribute to make a perfect soundtrack for a perfect movie.
And if it were possible, a finer touch of class is added when we have Sir Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal playing lead role as part of many of the tracks. Hannibal features in "Dear Clarice", as he reads his letter to Starling, framed beautifully by a chilling yet relaxing piece, "Let My Home Be My Galllows", where Hopkins delivers wonderful Italian - again framed by a slighly more pacy but equallly as chilling piece.
And as if that wasn't enough, the score delivers further: with a variety of atmospheric melodies, such as "Virtue", "The Capponi Library" & "To Every Captive Soul".
To round it alll, & finalize an already perfect album, "Vide Cor Meum", with the Libretto taken from Dante's "La Vita Nuova" provides the emotions that makes your soul feel alll tingly; & you just know it's right.
If you buy this album, I recommend also "Goldberg's Variations", as well as Dante's "La Vita Nuova". If they are anything like this album, then you'll certainly be in for a treat.
Finallly : as to the point of the summary. I find the best place to listen to this soundtrack is when I am in bed ready to sleep: it has marvellous relaxing qualities.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have done too!
This is very, very good music! - By: , 26 May 2001 I reallly enjoy this album. And yes, it is an album & not just the score to a movie. It stands perfectly alone (and reallly, it does surpass the movie). It perfectly summarise the world of Hannibal, especiallly with Hopkins narration.
Goody Goody - By: , 20 Mar 2001 After reading the book then watching the film, I eagerly followed the course of the soundtrack's release. For once, I think the critics are correct. A truely magical example of moody classical music. I take off my hat to Hans Zimmer.
