Sleepy Hollow: Music from the Motion Picture

This score is the best part of Sleepy Hollow. As far as I am concerned, Danny Elfman's score IS the star of this film, not any of the actors. His music is an essential part of the movie. And yet, it is a creepy heart pounding adventure that stands alone. I liked the movie, but I absolutely loved the score. I purchased it from Amazon the very next day.I highly recommend that every one else does too, before the Halloween rush.

This is one of Elfman's best. He started the 90's in top form (Edward Scissorhands, Nightbreed, Dick Tracy & Darkman). As the decade progressed, Elfman kind of fell back on his bag of tricks, churning out sound-a-like scores with only a few highlights (Batman Returns, Mars Attacks!). He finished out that era of his career with this masterpiece. A kind of dark cousin to his Black Beauty score, Elfman had found a classical elegance in his style that fit the Halloween set gothic homage to Hammer horror like a glove. His End Credits, something that most composers don't bother with now, is a complete knockout. Scores that hit a similar note: Dracula (1979) by John Williams, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein by Patrick Doyle, Body Parts by Loek Dikker and Hellraiser by Christopher Young.

Danny Elfman's score for the film SLEEPY HOLLOW perfectly sets the foreboding atmosphere for Tim Burton's vision almost before the opening shots even come into focus. Once again these two show how ideally suited they are for each other's visions. Also, with this film, they have gone to new heights in the grand and dark traditions of past collaborations such as the BATMAN films.The ominous build in the opening of "Introduction" immediately sets the listener on edge and continues to agitate to its end. With "Main Titles," Elfman brings the apprehension of the prologue into the story itself as Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) makes his way to Sleepy Hollow. The same intensity is felt as "The Story..." is presented to Ichabod from the town fathers and continues throughout the score. The softer portions of the score like "Young Ichabod," "Sweet Dreams," and "The Gift" still have a mysterious quality about them. They merely give a slight respite from the action of the story while never losing the energy and drive of the main plot.One of the things which holds this gigantic score together is Elfman's use of two strong themes. The first is a 4-note motif which is presented at the very outset of "Introduction" and continues through to the end of the score. This motif is the musical identity of Ichabod and his fight between the scientific and supernatural sides of his personality. Elfman is able to adapt and expand on these four notes almost infinitely. The second is the heavy, driving theme of the Headless Horseman. This theme pushes the music along powerfully and forcefully. There are similarities between the two themes such as the falling motion each takes, but where Ichabod's motif is nearly always presented in the upper registers of the ensembles, the Headless Horseman's theme is almost exclusively presented by the lower registers. This stong musical contrast gives a hint into the nature of the two characters. Ichabod is a living being, but the Headless Horseman is a being from the underworld.One very nice feature of this soundtrack is its very generous length of 68 minutes. And with this extended length, Elfman once again delivers a strong musical experience which not only augments the effect of the film for which it is written but stands on its own as an independent experience. The score's brilliance never lets up for a moment. The amazing regularity with which he does this on all of his works is astounding. Although it can, of course, be enjoyed all year long, this soundtrack is certain to become a favourite of many All Hallows' Eve celebrations to come. Also, if you want to hog all of the Hallowe'en candy to yourself, you might try playing this score outside to scare off all of those pesky trick-or-treaters. However, this music is more than treat enough.

When it comes to a Tim Burton atmosphere, there is only one composer who fits the profile: Danny Elfman. The music score to Sleepy Hollow reflects this throughout the entire 67 minutes. During this time, Elfman invites you into the creepy woods surrounding the town of Sleepy Hollow and uses his adept musical talents to make you wonder what that really was that you heard in the closet.Beginning this score with a killer introduction that blends a low-toned harp with quietly escalating strings that shiver with fright all the while a ghastly choir moans with a deathly melody, was a superb way to seize the audience and ensure their attention. Elfman's ability to bring out the choir to the near-perfect degree was incredible - and it lasted throughout the entire score. A great deal of the melody came from the choir, which at times seemed to be speaking in its own language of ooohs and aaahs. I got an uncanny feeling that the choir was actually the ghosts of those who had died, recounting their tales and tragedies.Many of the tracks awarded the careful listener with a special story. Each one gave a glimpse at something that even the movie couldn't fully portray...something unearthly and vague - in particular, "The Gift" with its sweet mystery, "Into the Woods" with its spectral beauty, and the "End Credits" with its ingenious ensemble of string melodies, choir, and dreamlike percussion.There were, however, moments when Elfman tended to become a little outrageous with his score, making some parts hard to listen to. Though they fit nicely in the film, these parts can irritate you a little with their loud and abrasive clamor. It's hard to even hear a melody with some of these such parts, simply because you want to skip ahead to the next track instead. Nonetheless, Elfman's score for Sleepy Hollow is sure to set a frightful mood in any darkly lit room.

First of all, I really dont understand how this album could have received any negative reviews...at all. Im a huge Elfman fan, and this is easily one of my favorite scores. People were complaining that this score doesn't hold up well when its not played with the movie. For starters, thats the whole point of a soundtrack, to accompany the movie. If a soundtrack can hold its own, then great. If not, then no big deal. I actually feel that this soundtrack, however, sounds better without the movie. You can hear so much more. The arrangements are dark and beautiful. The compositions and tempo range from slow to fast, and from mystical to horrifying. Its a very unpredictable soundtrack, which i admire a lot. Elfman makes the listener feel as if they are on their own terrifying journey through the quaint little town of Sleepy Hollow.

Excellent soundtrack, perfect quality still, in origional packaging. The only reason why Ive given 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the price.

good

Il cd è arrivato nei modi e tempi prestabiliti, era da tanto che cercavo la colonna sonora di Sleepy Hollow e sono felicissima di averla trovata.La confezione era in ottime condizione e il disco funziona perfettamente! Consigliato!

Alles Super! Sehr gut verpackt! Immer wieder gerne!

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