Track Listing

1. Les Choristes
2. In Memoriam
3. L'Arrivee a L'Ecole
4. Pepinot
5. Vois sur ton Chemin
6. Les Partitions
7. Caresse sur L'Ocean
8. Lueur d'Ete
9. Cerf-Volant
10. Sous la Pluie
11. Compere Guilleri
12. La Desillusion
13. La Nuit
14. L'Incendie
15. L'Evocation
16. Les Avions en Papier
17. Action Reaction
18. Seuls
19. Morhange
20. In Memoriam A Cappella
21. Nous sommes de Fond de l'Etang

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6062 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Original language: French
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Album Description
The Chorus (Les Choristes), written and directed by Christophe Barratier, is already a French cinema phenomenon. The modestly budgeted film about a music teacher in a post-war France who wins over the troubled students at a boarding school arrived in French theatres last summer with little advance hype. Defying industry expectations, this affecting tale proceeded to break box-office records. The soundtrack to The Chorus (Les Choristes) features performers by the Lyon-based Petits Chanteurs de Saint Marc and several haunting solo turns by 13 year-old boy soprano Jean-Baptiste Maunier, who also portrays the youthful protagonist of the film.

Amazon.com
Already a box office sensation with a million-selling soundtrack in its native France, writer/director Christopher Barratier's tale of a post-war music teacher's lasting impact on his young charges rode its formulaic Hollywood roots all the way to Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as Best Foreign Language Film, as well as an Oscar nod for Best Song ("Look To Your Path [Vois Sur Ton Chemin]," a collaboration between the director and film composer Bruno Coulais). Taking his inspiration from the boy's chorus at the center of the film's drama, Coulais has concocted a masterful, classically rooted score that showcases the crystalline, youthful harmonies of Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir. The composer bridges the baroque and modern eras in a collection of mostly Latin choruses and chants, a skillful, often haunting fusion that also netted Coulais' compelling score BAFTA and Cesar Awards in Britain and his native France, respectively. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

An Enjoyable Soundtrack
Until recently, I had never heard of the French film LES CHORISTES. I only became familiar with it when I was driving and heard a report about it on NPR. A film critic considered it a rather bad movie with a bad plot, and mediocre music. Yet the movie is a blockbuster in France, the soundtrack is a bestseller, and it will probably have some success in the United States as well. In the report, they played a few excerpts, and it caught my interest. I purchased it, and can see why it has such appeal.

The soundtrack is a collection of a few themes worked and reworked which is not uncommon for movie soundtracks. The music is simple enough that it would likely enhance the film while not taking way from the action. The instrumental music is enjoyable, but the real gem of the collection are the tracks with the boy chorus and especially the tracks with soloist Jean-Baptiste Maunier. There is a beauty and innocence to the boys' choir voices, which is in sharp contrast to the reality of the young people in the film who happen to be in a reform school. It also seems like the sort of soundtrack that can be enjoyed without seeing the film, and for many of us who will have to wait until it will appear to be a money making film, we will have to settle for the soundtrack only for the time being.

Until I see the film, I cannot say if it is truly an insipid story. Since I love a good sappy film, I will probably enjoy it and am anticipating its release in Boston. Yet I know that many wonderful films that are a joy to watch have rather weak stories, but excellent musical scores make them memorable and moving. Judging from this soundtrack, the music of LES CHORISTES has the potential to make the film memorable.

Expertly composed and executed---beautiful music
This soundtrack, with music written by the film's director and another composer and performed by a real French boy choir, is great fun to listen to---kids and adults alike have delighted in the catchy tunes. It's true---the music is slightly repetitive, but nonetheless addictive and enjoyable.

The musical highlight is Rameau's "O Nuit"---many will also enjoy the minor, but still very catchy "Vois soir ton chemin", the theme song of the movie. The choir is impressive, especially in the lower registers which are usually harder for boychoirs to sing well---Jean-Baptiste Maunier, the soprano soloist is pure, clear and extremely effective. He definately knows how to sing.

The orchestra adds a lot---but the boys can also sing well unaccompanied. The orchestrations are superb.

An Enjoyable Soundtrack
Until recently, I had never heard of the French film LES CHORISTES. I only became familiar with it when I was driving and heard a report about it on NPR. A film critic considered it a rather bad movie with a bad plot, and mediocre music. Yet the movie is a blockbuster in France, the soundtrack is a bestseller, and it will probably have some success in the United States as well. In the report, they played a few excerpts, and it caught my interest. I purchased it, and can see why it has such appeal.

The soundtrack is a collection of a few themes worked and reworked which is not uncommon for movie soundtracks. The music is simple enough that it would likely enhance the film while not taking way from the action. The instrumental music is enjoyable, but the real gem of the collection are the tracks with the boy chorus and especially the tracks with soloist Jean-Baptiste Maunier. There is a beauty and innocence to the boys' choir voices, which is in sharp contrast to the reality of the young people in the film who happen to be in a reform school. It also seems like the sort of soundtrack that can be enjoyed without seeing the film, and for many of us who will have to wait until it will appear to be a money making film, we will have to settle for the soundtrack only for the time being.

Until I see the film, I cannot say if it is truly an insipid story. Since I love a good sappy film, I will probably enjoy it and am anticipating its release in Boston. Yet I know that many wonderful films that are a joy to watch have rather weak stories, but excellent musical scores make them memorable and moving. Judging from this soundtrack, the music of LES CHORISTES has the potential to make the film memorable.