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Q-Review
Composer Tan Dun is most
recognized for his award winning operas and symphonic compositions. He
was selected to compose an international mosaic of music to celebrate and
bring in the year 2000: 2000 Today: A World Symphony for the Millennium.
His opera, Marco Polo garnered him the prestigious Grawemeyer award.
Tan
Dun is no newbie to film music as he has the thriller Fallen already under
his belt. For this martial-arts film; however, he goes a much more
traditional Eastern route, as opposed to the jazz influences exhibited in Fallen.
Featured in this score are the incomparable cello talents of Yo-Yo Ma, who
was, of course, featured in John Williams score for Seven Years in Tibet. Also, featured is CoCo Lee who brings her vocal talents in both
English and Chinese to the romantic pop tune, A Love Before Time (14, 15).
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The
Bottom Line
Fans of Far Eastern
scores, will find much to appreciate about Tan Dun's work for Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon. There is more than the mere Oriental influence
exhibited in hit film scores such as Anna and King or Seven Years
in Tibet. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is closer to the
classic works of Chinese film composer Zhao Jiping: at times hauntingly
pretty and at others explosively intense. The considerable talents of
Tan Dun help set this film a cut above the average martial arts movie.
(Promotional CD Cover)
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Composed
and Co-produced by Tan Dun
Performed by Yo-Yo Ma, CoCo
Lee
Co-produced by Steven Epstein