A.I. - Artificial Intelligence: Original Motion Picture Score [Soundtrack]

a.i. - artificial intelligence: original motion picture score [soundtrack]

On this CD:

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score The Mecha World
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Abandoned in the Woods
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Replicas
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Hide and Seek
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score For Always
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Cybertronics
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score The Moon Rising
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Stored Memories
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster, Barbara Bonney
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Monica's Theme
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster, Barbara Bonney
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Where Dreams Are Born
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster, Barbara Bonney
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score Rouge City
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score The Search for the Blue Fairy
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster, Barbara Bonney
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score The Reunion
Composed by John Williams
with David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), film score For Always (Duet)
Composed by John Williams
with Josh Groban, David Foster
Conducted by John Williams

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Packed with Big Ideas about the future of mankind and dispatched with a distant, often icy veneer, Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence can scarcely camouflage its roots. It was begun by the late Stanley Kubrick in the mid-'80s; Spielberg collaborated briefly a decade later, bowed out, then inherited it upon Kubrick's death in '99. And while the late auteur's cold vision seems largely intact (if now infused with Spielberg's enduring Pinocchio fetish), it's safe to say that Kubrick's often challenging musical tastes would probably not have led him to composer John Williams's doorstep. Nonetheless, the acclaimed veteran again rises to the occasion, ably demonstrating that he's hardly been indifferent to 20-odd-years of minimalism and postmodernism and that, as always, the best film music is often a subtly crafted pastiche of sensibilities and styles. Setting the tone of the film's robotically enhanced not-so-distant future, "The Mecha World" crackles and glistens with Steve Reich's rhythmic urgency and John Adams's dense coloration, while "Abandoned in the Woods," "Hide and Seek," and "Rouge City" succeed by setting Williams's more traditional sense of melody against Phillip Glass's hypnotic arpeggios. There's also a sense that the composer has craftily evoked the ghost of Kubrick music past and 2001 in particular; "Replicas" and "Stored Memories" bring to mind Ligeti, while the mournful strings of "Cybertronics" seem a ghostly echo of Khachaturian's "Gayane Ballet Suite." David Foster's ballad "For Always" (in a solo rendition by Lara Fabian and a duet between Fabian and Josh Groban) seems twice-included strictly to enhance the album's radio allure. Completists should also note that Ministry's dark contribution to the film's Flesh Fair sequence, "What About Us?" is not included on this soundtrack, but is available on their Greatest Fits compilation. Arguably Williams's most musically adventurous score since his landmark Close Encounters, A.I. should take its place among the most distinctive of the composer's long and bounteous collaboration with Spielberg. --Jerry McCulley

A.I. - Artificial Intelligence: Original Motion Picture Score,John Williams,John Williams,Barbara Bonney,Josh Groban,Warner Bros / Wea,Film,Film Music,Pop,Soundtrack,Soundtracks,Soundtracks & Film Scores

A.I. - Artificial Intelligence: Original Motion Picture Score [Soundtrack]

Average customer rating:

The music is masterfully composed with wit, majesty, and soul
Beautiful
John Williams does his best Minimalist Impersonation with Fine Results
Will one day be considered among the best he's written
Almost Impeccable

A.I. - Artificial Intelligence: Original Motion Picture Score

Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005LLVS
Release Date: 2001-07-03

Tracks:

The Mecha World
Abandoned In the Woods
Replicas
Hide And Seek
For Always
Cybertronics
The Moon Rising
Stored Memories And Monica's Theme
Where Dreams Are Born
Rouge City
The Search For The Blue Fairy
The Reunion
For Always (Duet)

Amazon.com

Packed with Big Ideas about the future of mankind and dispatched with a distant, often icy veneer, Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence can scarcely camouflage its roots. It was begun by the late Stanley Kubrick in the mid-'80s; Spielberg collaborated briefly a decade later, bowed out, then inherited it upon Kubrick's death in '99. And while the late auteur's cold vision seems largely intact (if now infused with Spielberg's enduring Pinocchio fetish), it's safe to say that Kubrick's often challenging musical tastes would probably not have led him to composer John Williams's doorstep. Nonetheless, the acclaimed veteran again rises to the occasion, ably demonstrating that he's hardly been indifferent to 20-odd-years of minimalism and postmodernism and that, as always, the best film music is often a subtly crafted pastiche of sensibilities and styles. Setting the tone of the film's robotically enhanced not-so-distant future, "The Mecha World" crackles and glistens with Steve Reich's rhythmic urgency and John Adams's dense coloration, while "Abandoned in the Woods," "Hide and Seek," and "Rouge City" succeed by setting Williams's more traditional sense of melody against Phillip Glass's hypnotic arpeggios. There's also a sense that the composer has craftily evoked the ghost of Kubrick music past and 2001 in particular; "Replicas" and "Stored Memories" bring to mind Ligeti, while the mournful strings of "Cybertronics" seem a ghostly echo of Khachaturian's "Gayane Ballet Suite." David Foster's ballad "For Always" (in a solo rendition by Lara Fabian and a duet between Fabian and Josh Groban) seems twice-included strictly to enhance the album's radio allure. Completists should also note that Ministry's dark contribution to the film's Flesh Fair sequence, "What About Us?" is not included on this soundtrack, but is available on their Greatest Fits compilation. Arguably Williams's most musically adventurous score since his landmark Close Encounters, A.I. should take its place among the most distinctive of the composer's long and bounteous collaboration with Spielberg. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The music is masterfully composed with wit, majesty, and soul.......2006-06-19

A.I. means Artificial Intelligence. But there is nothing artificial about John Williams' organically emotional score and his 17th collaboration with Steven Spielberg. A.I. studies the unique fellowship between human and machine and John has woven a musical interface. John's score pierces the mystery of a robot (mecha) child's short existence. His name is David and he never had a birthday, but was engineered to give and revieve the love of the family he is placed in. The music underlines and then transports David on his jounrey of discovery from his inception to his tanscendence and John does this with wit, majesty, and soul. John's music is of our world and of theirs and finally of a world shared by both orga and mecha. And like so many of John's scores from Spielberg's movies, you really don't need the images to have the story told to you. He is the greatest musical storyteller of all time.

Beautiful .......2006-02-20

This is a wonderful score. It features Josh Groban, Lara Fabian, and of course the master... John Williams.

I would definately say this is one of his best. It reminds me of some of the other Spielberg collaboration scores. Mainly, Empire of the Sun, and War of the Worlds. Lots of the score is wonderful emotional underscoring. It's very complex, and full of interesting scales and keys. Of course, there is plenty of gorgeous thematic material to make the score complete. Honestly, I have never heard a bad John Williams score. Come to think of it, I've never heard one that was less than brilliant and amazing. Really, give this a listen.

Please vote me helpful!

John Williams does his best Minimalist Impersonation with Fine Results.......2006-02-05

If you're at all familiar with various work by John Williams, then you might be surprised at his soundtrack for the Spielberg movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Here Williams seems to shy away from his usual heroic, orchestral canvasses and focuses more on repetitive, rhythmic music with a much more subdued feel to it. Some people might be reminded of minimalist composer Phillip Glass but it's not always Glass that Williams emulates here, it's another major figure in the minimalist music movement, John Adams. Even if Williams emulates others at times, it's still pure John Williams throughout.

Of course Williams, just like Steven Spielberg, can't help but pour on the schmaltz once in a while. The main theme of the film is the one used for the song " For Always ". When this music is played by piano and orchestra it's quite beautiful. When the soprano Barbara Bonney sings it with wordless vocals, it's very evocative of the mood in the film. HOWEVER, I have no idea what John Williams was thinking when he basically turns this beautiful, simple theme into a corny pop song. Oh wait, I know exactly what he was thinking, he was trying to generate a pop hit! Ugh. When Lara Fabian sings " For Always " on track 5, you grind your teeth and barely make it through. When on track 13, Lara Fabian is joined by Josh Groban for a duet version of the same song, it becomes intolerable schmaltz at it's worst.

So yes, there is much satisfying work here by everyone's most lovable film composer John Williams, just don't listen to tracks 5 and 13 so your musical sensibilities won't be irreparably damaged!

The last word from me, A.I., terrific soundtrack that rivals Williams' best, sayonara!

Will one day be considered among the best he's written.......2005-12-29

This score is a masterpiece. Although many critics found Steven Spielberg's film to be uneven, I feel that the score perfectly gives it heart. The score helps to understand what the film is all about -- a boy's love for his "mother."

This score by John Williams will one day be considered among the best he's written. Highly underrated, yet greatly poignant.

I agree with other reviewers who have warned that this is not in the Star Wars / Indiana Jones vein. If you're looking for big, bombastic symphonic music, look elsewhere. This is very sentimental, but beautifully done music. It demonstrates John Williams' talent for matching the music to the film's intention. As his resume' demonstrates, John Williams can write music for just about every film, including a misunderstood "Spielberg/Kubrick" collaboration.

"The Reunion" (final track) is one of the best tracks of orchestra/piano music ever written. The lullaby-like song is the same melody as was used in "For Always," and it is achingly beautiful.

Appropriately, this final track is played in the film while David being (finally) reunited with his "mother."

Almost Impeccable.......2004-04-26

John Williams continues in the fine tradition of his previous work. This sondtrack is finely balanced, with delicate medleys, haunting themes, and some lullaby pieces that are almost enough to make one weep. Contrary to many of his previous works (Star Wars, Superman, et al,) Mr. Williams avoided writing loud, brassy fanfares that would have deeply conflicted with the dark, pensive nature of this film.
Several tracks stand out in this masterpiece. The twin versions of "For Always," one featuring Lara Fabian and the other featuring Josh Groban in a duet with Ms. Fabian are wonderfully pure. In solo form, Lara's voice is wonderfully smooth and has a subtle almost untrained quality that lends a genuineness to her singing. In the duet, Mr. Groban's silky smooth baritone perfectly offsets Lara's clear soprano. The penultimate song, titled "The Reunion" is a stunning, gorgeous lullaby of a piece that features a plaintive, almost childish piano theme. The simplicity is subtlely complex as the theme winds through an entire emotional range, from triumphant happiness to simple joy to black despair, and finally back into an almost heartbreaking lullaby.
Mr. Williams has displayed a wide variety of musical styles in this soundtrack. For fans of his that are desiring a "Star Wars" fanfare and overpowering orchestral pieces, this soundtrack is not for you. I personally prefer this collection to most of his other works.

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