Philip Glass The Hours: Original Soundtrack Review

The secret of a successful soundtrack is that it shouldn't detract from the film; it should be there, in the background, contextualising, like a wash of sky.

That's exactly what this soundtrack does in its original role: so it's successful. The timelessness of Philip Glass's trademark minimalism, violins and piano shimmering like a Monet, serves well to ease the juxtaposition of three womens lives, separated by time, but joined by very similar stories. But what happens when the film is taken away?

Well, the tracks are given nauseating names which refer directly to the film: 'Escape!'; 'Tearing Herself Away' and 'Why Does Someone Have To Die?'. Useful for the composer and musicians maybe, but not to someone who may want to take the music on its own terms.

'Vanessa and the Changelings' is representative of practically every track. It starts with low strings playing two notes over and over. Out of this spins a longer, sustained tune, also based around two notes repeating.

Throughout the recording the instruments take turns in being part of the backdrop, picking out rhythms like raindrops, or playing long sustained melodies.

The piano part in 'An Unwelcome Friend' is quite startling in its clarity and simplicity, but simplicity and grace are the order of the day throughout. Some listeners will be reminded of the soundtracks of fellow minimalist Nyman, written for Peter Greenaway's films, in particular, The Piano. But Nyman has the raucous sounds of saxophones to break up the monotony.

It's all a bit too nice and formulaic. As if a film about three women has to have all the traditionally feminine sounds, and you can't get more feminine than strings, piano and harp. Glass uses all the tricks in the book for building drama and tension, happiness and sadness within music; ones that have been used for centuries.

Sometimes, soundtracks work on their own, and sometimes they don't. This one is something to listen to whilst in the bath, or drinking wine and reading a book or... watching a film.