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- Verified Buyer
If like me, you were moved by the Hunger Games films and wanted to capture of the magic in your quiet moments by listening to the most moving music from each of the films, you have doubtless by frustrated by the atrocious arrangements of the music on the original sound track CDs.Well, fear not! Once again The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra comes to the rescue by providing the music not as it was recorded, but as you remember it, full of raw emotional power and beautifully mastered in maximum fidelity and fullness of sound.In particular I remember hearing the closing music to several of the films and thinking "I wish I could find that exact music on the soundtracks", because after scanning through all the CDs, I just couldn't seem to find "the good stuff" and got fatigued skimming through looking for the gold amid all the dross. Well, this recording captures the very best moments of all of the films.You have the opening notes of the first film, which set a perfect sci-fi/dystopian note that sticks in your mind. Then, you are taking through a choral version of the famous "capital theme", and then tossed straight to the best piece of music from the first film, even better than the original version (Rue's farewell). Things only get better from there, as you hear the tenuous "Victory" music from the end of the film (Wow), The Mockingjay Theme, the iconic "Hanging Tree" (it's not Jennifer Lawrence, but it's still VERY good). Another standout track is "Victory" which plays at the Close of Mockingjay Part 1. This piece absolutely gives me chills has a choir section at the end which is one of the most magnificent I had ever heard in my life (it reminds me of the score from the video game "El Shaddai". Just gorgeous music. And then we have the finale, a nine minutes plus "There Are Worse Games to Play", which again does not feature Jennifer Lawrence, but it's better than the film version of the same music because the Prague is a superior orchestra. So just hold onto your chair, your tears, your anguish, and your salvation, because it's a life-affirming piece of music.Honestly, I just marathoned all four films because I was sick in bed and had been meaning to re-watch them. I hated the ending of the final book, and I feel the end of the last film is the weakest part of any of them because it's just radical and rapid a change of pace to swallow. But I always loved that piece of music, and listening to this version I have to say that I finally "get it". Because it is a deeply emotional piece of music, and when it's played this well it reached down into your soul and touches your heart.I don't know about anyone else but I think listening to this score is downright cathartic for me. Listen to the this CD/MP3 collection in order, and maybe like me you'll feel yourself brought through a journey of pain and sadness and arrive back where you began, but happier for the letting go.If you love great orchestral recordings and especially if you like the scores to these films at all, this is a must-purchase. If you enjoy it please pickup other recording from The City of Prague Philharmonic and Silva Screen Records. Music this incredible deserves to be listened to and appreciated. I own hundreds of MP3s from them and it doesn't look like I'll stop acquiring them any time soon.
