New York City, USA – Japanese musician Shigeru Umebayashi has
composed the music for House Of Flying Daggers, a Sony Pictures Classics
release starring Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero),
Andy Lau (Internal Affairs) and Japanese-Taiwanese star Takeshi Kaneshiro.
The release film’s original soundtrack, on Sony Classics, will coincide with the
film’s inauguration.
“Lovers” – the end-title song from House of Flying Daggers, with music
and lyrics by Umebayashi – is sung on the soundtrack by the American soprano
Kathleen Battle. One of the most acclaimed singers of her day, Battle has
recorded extensively in the classical and crossover repertoire for Sony
Classical. This marks her first appearance on a film soundtrack. Once the leader of Japan’s legendary new-wave rock band EX, composer Shigeru
Umebayashi began scoring films in 1985 when the band broke up. He has more than
40 Japanese and Chinese films to his credit and is perhaps best known in the
West for his score for director Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love
(2001). Umebayashi is also scoring Wong Kar-Wai’s long-awaited 2046,
scheduled for release this year.
The director of House Of Flying Daggers is Zhang Yimou (China), well
known for his his previous work in Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou,
and Red Sorghum.
Set in China in 859 A.D., in the declining days of the enlightened but now
corrupted Tang dynasty, House of Flying Daggers is “a love story
wrapped inside of an action film,” Zhang says.
Two deputies – Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) – are sent to find the
mysterious leader of the revolutionary alliance called the House of Flying
Daggers, and their suspicions lead them to the beautiful Mei, a blind dancer at
the Peony Pavilion. No one is quite who they seem to be in the intrigue that
follows, complicated by the fact the Jin and Mei fall passionately in love
despite divided loyalties, in the midst of a furious showdown between opposing
forces.
[Buy
House of Flying Daggers now].
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
