Sunday, July 14, 2019

Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence)..original music from the film by Niki Reiser


Beyond Silence (German: Jenseits der Stille) is a 1996 German film directed by Caroline Link. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Academy Awards.

The film tells the story of Lara, who grows up as the daughter of deaf parents. Lara herself is hearing and is fluent in sign language. Even as a young child, she serves as an interpreter for her parents in many situations. At Christmas, Lara receives a clarinet from her Aunt Clarissa, an enthusiastic musician. Lara discovers the world of music, where her parents cannot follow her. In the years that follow, Lara is discovered to be a talented clarinet player.

The score is based around a few musical themes (i.e. a love theme, a Lara theme, a togetherness theme). However, these themes are dispersed so nicely, there is never the feeling of listening to the same track several times. The music itself is based around the clarinet (the instrument played by the main character, Lara), the oboe, piano and various stringed instruments. The two vocal tracks "I Will Survive" and "You Were On My Mind" are certainly out of place on the album (and in the movie) and not necessary in my opinion.







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