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The Piano (soundtrack)

The Piano is the original soundtrack, on the Virgin Records label, of the 1993 Academy Award-winning film The Piano. The original score was composed by Michael Nyman and is his twentieth album release. Despite being called a "soundtrack", this is a partial score re-recording, as Nyman himself also performs the piano on the album (whereas the film version is performed by lead actress Holly Hunter). The music is performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nyman with Michael Nyman Band members John Harle, David Roach and Andrew Findon performing the prominent saxophone work.

The Piano
art by Dave McKean
Soundtrack album by
Michael Nyman
Released19 October 1993
GenreSoundtrack
Length56:47 (USA)
60:40 (UK, USA remastered edition)
LabelVirgin
ProducerMichael Nyman
Michael Nyman chronology
Time Will Pronounce
(1993) 		The Piano
(1993) 		Michael Nyman for Yohji Yamamoto
(1993)
Singles from The Piano
  1. "The Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise"
    Released: 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Entertainment WeeklyC+ link

The album was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (but lost to the score of Heaven & Earth) and the BAFTA Award for Best Score (lost to the score of Schindler's List).

The album design and illustration are by Dave McKean.

Nyman said the most famous theme "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" is based on a popular Scottish song titled "Gloomy Winter's Noo Awa",[1] which is set to the traditional tune "Lord Balgownie’s Favourite".[2] The closing edit is similar to the Scottish song used in Beethoven's Sunset.

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."To the Edge of the Earth"4:06
2."Big My Secret"2:51
3."A Wild and Distant Shore"5:50
4."The Heart Asks Pleasure First[3]"1:33
5."Here to There"1:02
6."The Promise"4:14
7."A Bed of Ferns"0:46
8."The Fling"1:28
9."The Scent of Love"4:16
10."Deep into the Forest"2:58
11."The Mood That Passes Through You"1:13
12."Lost and Found"2:24
13."The Embrace"2:36
14."Little Impulse"2:11
15."The Sacrifice"2:46
16."I Clipped Your Wing"4:34
17."The Wounded"2:26
18."All Imperfect Things"4:03
19."Dreams of a Journey"5:30
20."The Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise" (Edit)3:11

Note: Track 20 (The Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise) was not included on the American release until the remastered version in 2004, but included on the British version in the initial release.

The music has been re-recorded numerous times by different artists, and became the basis of Nyman's 1994 composition, The Piano Concerto which debuted in 1994. Perhaps the most unusual rerecording is by conductor Bill Broughton and the Orchestra of the Americas—an orchestral version sans piano. "Here to There", a saxophone solo, has become something of a staple for contemporary classical saxophonists.

Two additional solo piano pieces, "The Attraction of the Pedalling Ankle", which is based on Frédéric Chopin's Mazurka Op. 7/i, and "Deep Sleep Playing" are featured in the film, the former in scenes 51, 57, and 88, and the latter in scene 100. While not on the album, they are included in the published sheet music.

Several of the pieces from the soundtrack were used in Alexander McQueen's Fall/Winter 2006 fashion show.

The Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish made a cover of "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" for their album Dark Passion Play that includes lyrics written by Nightwish composer and keyboardist, Tuomas Holopainen, but the band did not receive permission to release it on time for the album's release. However, the song was still played live via playback as the outro to the final concert of the Dark Passion Play World Tour held in Helsinki, Finland on 19 September 2009.[4] On 15 December 2009, Jarmo Lautamäki, a Nightwish crew member, confirmed on his Facebook page that Nyman finally gave permission to release the cover. It was released on 2 March 2012 as a B-side on the single The Crow, the Owl and the Dove.

In December 2010 Italian rock noir band Belladonna released "Let There Be Light", a single written in collaboration with Michael Nyman and based on "The Heart Asks Pleasure First". Michael Nyman himself plays piano on the track.[5]

Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto used music from The Piano (soundtrack) in her free program for the 2018/19 season. With the program, she placed first in the 2018 Japan Figure Skating Championships.

Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications and sales for The Piano
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[15] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] Platinum 15,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[17] Platinum 100,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[19] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Christie, Nicola (8 April 2011). "Mark Ravenhill and Michael Nyman – Take your seats for jazzed-up Monteverdi". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Gloomy Winter's Noo Awa". Sangstories – Stories of Scottish Songs. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  3. ^ First verse of Emily Dickinson's poem contained in Complete Poems (1924). See "Verse > Emily Dickinson > Complete Poems > I. Life > 9. "The heart asks pleasure first"". bartleby. Emily Dickinson (1830–86). Complete Poems. 1924. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Nightwish – Outro: The Heart Asks Pleasure First (@ Hartwall)". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2015 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Press Coverage". Michael Nyman. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack / Michael Nyman – The Piano". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack / Michael Nyman – The Piano" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b "1994 in Review: Sale Charts" (PDF). Music & Media 1994 in Review. 24 December 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 19 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
  9. ^ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack / Michael Nyman – The Piano". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Hits of the World – Spain". Billboard. 5 March 1994. p. 48. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Soundtrack / Michael Nyman – The Piano". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Michael Nyman | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  13. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Albums 1994". Australian Record Industry Association Ltd. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1994". RIANZ. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Michael Nyman – Piano OST". Music Canada.
  16. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Michael Nyman – Piano OST". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1998 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  18. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 944. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  19. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Piano OST')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  20. ^ "British album certifications – Michael Nyman – The Piano - Ost". British Phonographic Industry.
  21. ^ "American album certifications – Michael Nyman – Piano". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
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