Soundtrack
Does anybody know what the two classical pieces of music that are used in the movie are?
I have been trying to find this out for ages.
I am currently on another board here discussing the background music in the movie "50 First Dates". Tonight I watched an independent film on P.O.V. (PBS) about home funerals which played some of the same music from the HBO film "Wit" starring Emma Thompson, which is being discussed here. I thought "Wit" was the best Emma Thompson film I have ever seen. I was able to locate the score for "Wit" from this website for no only for myself but for jena-lee. Here is the original score from "Wit". Good luck!
"Serenade Adagio"
String Quartet #15 (2nd Movement)
Written by Dimitri Shostakovitch
Performed by The Manhattan String Quartet
Courtesy of Ess.a.y Recordings
"Spiegel im Spiegel"
Written by Arvo Pärt
Produced by Manfred Eicher
Courtesy of ECM Records
"2nd Movement"
from Gorecki's Symphony No. 3
(Symphony of Sorrowful Songs)
Written by Henryk Gorecki
Courtesy of Nonesuch Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
"The Unanswered Question"
Written by Charles Ives
Performed by Orchestra of St. Lukes
Conducted by John Adams
Courtesy of Nonesuch Records
Under License From Warner Special Products
Thank you so much! I had totally forgotten I had asked for it on this board. Hah. Here I am, four months later with gratitude.
I am actually watching again, at this moment and that's how I remembered to come back here and check.
I hadn't seen "Wit" in a long time and just got it for Christmas, so of course I had to revisit it. I had completely forgot about the wonderful music in the soundtrack, particularly "Spiegel im Spiegel" - Arvo Part.. the most memorable piece, IMO... and the saddest.
I knew I'd heard it before in some other film, but couldn't recall. Then I after some toiling I remembered hearing it in "Swept Away," Guy Ritchie's crapper starring wife Madonna. The song was one of the few redeeming qualities of the movie, however the actual content almost "cheesified" the music. On the other hand, "Wit" uses it in the best way possible, marrying the music, the poignance of Emma Thompson's performance, and the "look" quite beautifully. The music perfectly parallels several of the scenes in the way that so few notes have such an incredibly powerful effect - just as the professor's moments of the greatest loneliness and pain, when such few and/or simple words are spoken, are often the most moving.
Anyway, I decided I'd post the link to the Arvo Part CD at Amazon that contains 3 versions of "Spiegel im Spiegel" - this way you can listen to the samples in realplayer to make sure you've got the right song. Also, a link to a list containing many movies that Arvo Part's compositions have graced.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000024HL1/ref=pd_rhf_p_2/002-9749977-8352021?v=glance&s=music&no=*
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/D6G8996JX4WE/002-9749977-8352021
And another list by the same person, containing some films he missed in the first, I suppose.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/19VBH3YYNPWJV/qid=1104230778/sr=5-2/ref=sr_5_2/002-9749977-8352021
I hope this is of some help to someone.