Hi! I am a promotions person hired to publicized the soundtrack for MASTER AND
COMMANDER. I thought it might be of interest in this group as Paul Bettany
stars in the film



You can read more about the soundtrack at the label's website www.iclassics.com.



Thanks!

Beth



For Immediate Release



MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

MASTER AND COMMANDER

Featuring Original Music By The Australian Trio Of

Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon & Richard Tognetti

Also Featuring Acclaimed Cellist Yo-Yo Ma

Released On November 11, 2003 From Decca/UMG Soundtracks



(NY, NY - November 10, 2003) Oscar Winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful
Mind) continues his string of unforgettable character transformations as Captain
Lucky Jack Aubry in the highly anticipated Master And Commander- The Far Side of
the World. Three-time Academy Award-nominee director Peter Weir (Witness, The
Truman Show) joins Crowe and Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind) in the epic based
on the tenth book in Patrick O'Brian's legendary series of novels about the
British navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The soundtrack will be in-stores on
November 11th on Decca/UMG Soundtracks.



Patrick O'Brian's novel Master & Commander was declared by The New York Times to
be "the best historical novels ever written." In the film, Aubrey's ship, the
Surprise, is attacked by enemy forces. Aubry- the Navy's greatest fighting
captain- takes his ship and crew on the chase of a lifetime to the far edges of
the world to strike and capture their foe. Torn between returning an injured
crew to safety and completing his patriotic duty, the stakes are high in a
mission that will decide the fate of a nation.



Just as the film's visual enormity takes the viewer on a journey to the
swashbuckling days of war on the high seas, so does Iva Davies, Christopher
Gordon and Richard Tognetti's score seamlessly ride the waves of the Surprise's
race to the edge of the world. The soundtrack interweaves "Old World" and "New
World" music combining a heavy percussive undertone, traditional orchestral
arrangements and modern electric hues through the use of synthesizers. Comments
composer Iva Davies; "Drums signal the forward movement of the ship.that it's on
a mission..we wanted the score to be not what everyone expected. Peter (Weir)
wanted some scenes to have what I call a kind of 'futuristic' sense - conveying
the idea that these 19th century sailors were cutting-edge explorers."



Furthering Davies, Gordon and Tongnetti's musical tie-ins with Weir's narrative
is the inclusion of Crowe and Bettany's characters playing the violin and cello
(respectively) in key scenes. Composer Richard Tognetti prepared Crowe for his
role by giving him violin lessons. Says Daily Variety: "The Aubrey-Maturin bond
also provides the cue to the film's singular musical approach.the two play
violin-cello duets of Mozart and Bach. There the score inventively incorporates
the work of more recent composers with the modern Australian composer team.which
introduces significant percussive and synthesizer effects. This combination of
diverse elements coalesces and bridges the gap between authentic period sounds
and contemporary excitement." In addition to original tracks, the soundtrack
rounds out with historical source music including J.S. Bach's Prelude From the
Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major performed by Yo-Yo Ma, among others.



A Twentieth Century Fox release, Master and Commander opens November 14th in
theatres everywhere. As Fox's biggest Oscar contender of the year, the film is
sure to be a staple this holiday season.

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CONTACT: cinemediapromo@...


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