The Painted Veil

Alexandre Desplat - The Painted Veil

01/09/2007 | Deutsche Grammophon 

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All Music Guide Review

Alexandre Desplat's score for director John Curran's film adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel -The Painted Veil, about a British couple who travel to China in the 1920s, is not specifically Oriental in tone. But it does have a sense of reserve and a contemplative feel much of the time. The dominant soloist is young Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang, although Vincent Segal's electric cello is also given generous solo space. Desplat provides a lovely "River Waltz," played both orchestrally and as a piano piece by Lang. "The Water Wheel" is a percussion-heavy cue with Desplat himself contributing. (He also plays flutes, piano, and keyboards himself on the soundtrack.) "Cholera," a cue coming toward the film's climax, has the repetitive rhythm of a Philip Glass piece, but that's as assertive as Desplat gets in a score that manages to maintain a mood simultaneously restrained and ominous. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

The Painted Veil Track Listing

  • Track#
  • Title
  • time
  • lyrics
  • 1
  • The Painted Veil
  • 3:19
  • Sound Clip for The Painted Veil from The Painted Veil


  • 2
  • Gnossienne No. 1
  • 3:24
  • Sound Clip for Gnossienne No. 1 from The Painted Veil


  • 3
  • Colony Club
  • 2:09
  • Sound Clip for Colony Club from The Painted Veil


  • 4
  • River Waltz
  • 2:24
  • Sound Clip for River Waltz from The Painted Veil


  • 5
  • Kitty's Theme
  • 3:08
  • Sound Clip for Kitty's Theme from The Painted Veil


  • 6
  • Death Convoy
  • 2:50
  • Sound Clip for Death Convoy from The Painted Veil


  • 7
  • The Water Wheel
  • 6:21
  • Sound Clip for The Water Wheel from The Painted Veil


  • 8
  • The Lovers
  • 1:27
  • Sound Clip for The Lovers from The Painted Veil


  • 9
  • Promenade
  • 2:06
  • Sound Clip for Promenade from The Painted Veil


  • 10
  • Kitty's Journey
  • 2:51
  • Sound Clip for Kitty's Journey from The Painted Veil


  • 11
  • The Deal
  • 3:23
  • Sound Clip for The Deal from The Painted Veil


  • 12
  • Walter's Mission
  • 3:57
  • Sound Clip for Walter's Mission from The Painted Veil


  • 13
  • The Convent
  • 0:52
  • Sound Clip for The Convent from The Painted Veil


  • 14
  • River Waltz (Piano Solo)(Version)
  • 2:27
  • Sound Clip for River Waltz (Piano Solo)(Version) from The Painted Veil


  • 15
  • Morning Tears
  • 1:52
  • Sound Clip for Morning Tears from The Painted Veil


  • 16
  • Cholera
  • 4:23
  • Sound Clip for Cholera from The Painted Veil


  • 17
  • The End of Love
  • 4:36
  • Sound Clip for The End of Love from The Painted Veil


  • 18
  • The Funeral
  • 0:53
  • Sound Clip for The Funeral from The Painted Veil


  • 19
  • From Shanghai to London
  • 2:03
  • Sound Clip for From Shanghai to London from The Painted Veil


    • Credits of The Painted Veil



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