 Hey, remember that movie a friend of a friend told you about in 2001? 'Amélie', it was called. It was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who quite surprisingly, also directed Alien: Resurrection. You know, with Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain? She was this naive epicurean young woman living in Paris trying to change the people’s lives by spreading a certain joy of life and at the same time seeking love. It was a passionate movie that taught viewers around the globe to enjoy the simple things in life. It depicted a distinct district of Paris with such skill and grace that it left most of them in complete awe.
Do you remember now? Yes, you do, don’t you? But I bet you didn’t pay much attention to the music, did you? Probably because it blended with the pictures in such a beautiful and subtle way that they just seemed as one. It’s just as passionate, just as captivating, and also, depicts a sector of Paris. Except this time, there are no storyline limitations for your imagination, which leaves it free to dream of whatever might come to mind.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet got Yann Tiersen to come up with the soundtrack to this movie, which appeared to be a wise choice. Tiersen had mastered violin, piano and orchestral direction since a very young age and has been making music ever since: most of his work was for short features. He took interest in other instruments which now dominate most of his pieces, as well such as instruments such as the accordion, the harpsichord and the xylophone.
Many of the pieces on this album are taken from Yann Tiersen’s previous work so this album could be considered as a sort of ‘Best Of’. Of course, this isn’t such a bad thing, even for long-time Tiersen fans, now finally having the best of his works from various sources, such as 'La Valse Des Monstres', compiled on one album accompanied by new pieces. Among these new tracks, there is the famous 'La Valse D’Amélie', in three different variations: accordion, orchestral and piano. The melody is recognisable, but each variation is unique and sounds just as fresh as the first time you heard it.
Most of his pieces are accordion waltz which might seem a banal European cliché, but don’t let this stereotype fool you. The tracks are sophisticated and exhilarating. 'La Noyée' is a perfect example, as it uses the classical accordion waltz rhythm, butt incorporates violins to create a very good folk song. This method of improving on a standard form by adding newer elements to it to create a new melody that is fresh yet classic can also be noticed in 'J’Y Suis Jamais Allé' and 'Les Jours Tristes', which expand the instrument range to bassoon, glockenspiel, mandolin, clarinet, among others.
Beautiful piano pieces are also great highlights on this record. 'Comptine D’Un Autre Été' has to be one of my favourites off the album for the way it is crafted – smple,yet incredibly effective, drawing a wide range of emotions from the listener. Many other songs successfully accomplish this task, such as 'Le Moulin', and darker tracks such as 'La Dispute' and 'Sur Le Fil'.
'La Redécouverte', 'Soir De Fête', 'La Dispute' and 'Pas Si Simple' all contain pleasant musical surprises that will surely astound you by their originality and wit. The whole package is tied together with two 1930's oldies, 'Guilty' and 'Si Tu N’Étais Pas Là', with an authentic old Gramophone record sound.
This album has great pieces that will bring back many memories from the movie and will entertain for many hours. The melodies are hypnotizing and well structured, taking you through the darkest and lightest of sentiments. This record is truly a ride through the spectrum of human emotions.
Guillaume Potvin |
| Coding: Darren Burrows