The Piano (soundtrack) explained

The Piano
Type:Soundtrack
Artist:Michael Nyman
Cover:Thepianosoundtrack.jpg
Caption:art by Dave McKean
Released:19 October 1993
Genre:Soundtrack
Length:56:47 (USA)
60:40 (UK, USA remastered edition)
Label:Virgin
Producer:Michael Nyman
Prev Title:Time Will Pronounce
Prev Year:1993
Next Title:Michael Nyman for Yohji Yamamoto
Next Year:1993

The Piano is the original soundtrack, on the Virgin Records label, of the 1993 Academy Award-winning film The Piano. The original score was composed by Michael Nyman and is his twentieth album release. Despite being called a "soundtrack", this is a partial score re-recording, as Nyman himself also performs the piano on the album (whereas the film version is performed by lead actress Holly Hunter). The music is performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nyman with Michael Nyman Band members John Harle, David Roach and Andrew Findon performing the prominent saxophone work.

The album was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (but lost to the score of Heaven & Earth) and the BAFTA Award for Best Score (lost to the score of Schindler's List).

The album design and illustration are by Dave McKean.

Nyman said the most famous theme "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" is based on a popular Scottish song titled "Gloomy Winter's Noo Awa", which is set to the traditional tune "Lord Balgownie’s Favourite".[1] The closing edit is similar to the Scottish song used in Beethoven's Sunset.

Track listing

Note: Track 20 (The Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise) was not included on the American release until the remastered version in 2004, but included on the British version in the initial release.

The music has been re-recorded numerous times by different artists, and became the basis of Nyman's 1994 composition, The Piano Concerto which debuted in 1994. Perhaps the most unusual rerecording is by conductor Bill Broughton and the Orchestra of the Americas—an orchestral version sans piano. "Here to There", a saxophone solo, has become something of a staple for contemporary classical saxophonists.

Two additional solo piano pieces, "The Attraction of the Pedalling Ankle", which is based on Frédéric Chopin's Mazurka Op. 7/i, and "Deep Sleep Playing" are featured in the film, the former in scenes 51, 57, and 88, and the latter in scene 100. While not on the album, they are included in the published sheet music.

Several of the pieces from the soundtrack were used in Alexander McQueen's Fall/Winter 2006 fashion show.

The Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish made a cover of "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" for their album Dark Passion Play that includes lyrics written by Nightwish composer and keyboardist, Tuomas Holopainen, but the band did not receive permission to release it on time for the album's release. However, the song was still played live via playback as the outro to the final concert of the Dark Passion Play World Tour held in Helsinki, Finland on 19 September 2009.[2] On 15 December 2009, Jarmo Lautamäki, a Nightwish crew member, confirmed on his Facebook page that Nyman finally gave permission to release the cover. It was released on 2 March 2012 as a B-side on the single The Crow, the Owl and the Dove.

In December 2010 Italian rock noir band Belladonna released "Let There Be Light", a single written in collaboration with Michael Nyman and based on "The Heart Asks Pleasure First". Michael Nyman himself plays piano on the track.[3]

Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto used music from The Piano (soundtrack) in her free program for the 2018/19 season. With the program, she placed first in the 2018 Japan Figure Skating Championships.

Personnel

Music composed, arranged, conducted and produced by Michael Nyman

Music published by Michael Nyman Ltd./Chester Music Ltd.

with

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–94)!scope="col"
Peak
position
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)18
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[4] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)!scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 67
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[6] 73
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7] 31

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gloomy Winter's Noo Awa . 20 November 2023 . Sangstories – Stories of Scottish Songs.
  2. Web site: Nightwish – Outro: The Heart Asks Pleasure First (@ Hartwall) . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/PpGEwk3jrfU . 2021-12-21 . live. YouTube . 2015-08-24.
  3. Web site: Press Coverage . Michael Nyman . 2015-08-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140719073740/http://www.michaelnyman.com/press/articles . 19 July 2014 .
  4. Hits of the World – Spain. 5 March 1994. Billboard. 48. 8 March 2024.
  5. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20151102014251/http://i.imgur.com/3GuDxzg.jpg . The ARIA Australian Top 100 Albums 1994 . 2 November 2015 . 19 May 2022 . Australian Record Industry Association Ltd..
  6. 1994 in Review: Sale Charts. Music & Media 1994 in Review. 24 December 1994. 12. 19 May 2022. World Radio History.
  7. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1994. RIANZ. 19 May 2022. 31 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170831182712/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3883. live.