EMI's Relaxing Cinema Classics is an alarmingly random sampling of "classical masterpieces from the world of cinema," so why Brian Eno's electronic and majestic "An Ending," despite its effective use in Traffic and 28 Days Later, is included is a bit puzzling. The remainder of the compilation visits familiar classics like Strauss' Blue Danube and Debussy's Claire de Lune, as well as more obscure pieces such as Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffman, Act. III by Offenbach. As far as being relaxing, many of the songs fit the ...
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EMI's Relaxing Cinema Classics is an alarmingly random sampling of "classical masterpieces from the world of cinema," so why Brian Eno's electronic and majestic "An Ending," despite its effective use in Traffic and 28 Days Later, is included is a bit puzzling. The remainder of the compilation visits familiar classics like Strauss' Blue Danube and Debussy's Claire de Lune, as well as more obscure pieces such as Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffman, Act. III by Offenbach. As far as being relaxing, many of the songs fit the description, but tracks like Barber's Adagio for Strings, Op. 11, still memorable in the context of the decidedly devastating Platoon, are merely depressing. However, recovering from the music used in films like Schindler's List and Angela's Ashes is easy when whimsical masterpieces like Ennio Morricone's "Cinema Paradiso Love Theme" and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake are included. Also, kudos to the compilers for including the Celine Dion-less version of James Horner's grating Titantic behemoth, "My Heart Will Go On." ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi
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