John Williams who is noted for the scores of major films such as all the Star Wars films amongst many other classic movies was requested to write a score for this classic film that was released back in 2005, Memoirs Of A Geisha. The film was an international success and starred both Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh and got some attention internationally for its beautiful imagery and heartbreaking storyline, although it was based on a fictional book. In any case, the music was so successful that it won a multitude of awards for being one of the best film scores of its time. The film music score also features the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman on string instrumentation. In any case, this album must be covered so let’s take a listen to the music and we shall hear where it takes us.

Sayuri’s Theme begins with some softly clanging percussion and launches into a very sad-sounding musical piece. This is very deep, meaningful and heartbreaking to listen to. Nonetheless, the music is absolutely brilliant, typically so from John Williams and friends. This just sounds captivating, and like the film itself, is unforgettable upon first time hearing it. Brilliant. It is only a minute and a half long.

The Journey To The Hanamachi begins with some eerie sounds that are very atmospheric. This has a decidedly Eastern flavour to it all. It sounds frightening and creepy, which is really different for such a movie-based soundtrack. Nonetheless, this is another straight-up good listen, but its eerie themes of creepiness will not appeal to all. Nonetheless, a wonderful listen that sounds very unsettling and scary. The music throughout is very deep. Soon enough, a magical string section enters and this does look back to the sad musical pieces that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had. Even so, this original music is absolutely fantastic, despite its negative aura. Anyone who has seen the film Memoirs Of A Geisha will understand the music and the context of the film. Very brilliant and enjoyable, even though it is a sad musical piece altogether. It wraps up after four minutes in length.

Going To School begins with some Eastern percussion and sounds very different. There are shakers and xylophones present throughout this tune as well. Nonetheless, this is an absolutely gorgeous piece with some great Eastern-flavoured strings that sound really great. This upbeat piece is a refreshing listen that will take your mind to the Far East and to Tokyo or Beijing. All in all, the melodies and musicianship are absolutely fantastic throughout. There are some very pretty Japanese melodies played on stringed instruments here as well. A fine listening experience, it ends sweetly. Good job.

Brush On Silk begins with some chiming Eastern Japanese instrumentation, along with some occasional percussion. Soon enough, this piece launches into a magical and upbeat piece that has pipa-like instrumentation and percussion throughout. This is beautiful, different and great to listen to. The music on this tune is really pretty and dynamic and sounds completely different to most Western Music. Nonetheless, a great piece of music that illustrates the story of the geisha Sayuri. A magical and brilliant piece from start to finish. Worth your ears for sure.

Chiyo’s Prayer begins with some sad sounds that are multitracked, which are essentially a mixture of Western and Eastern instrumentation. It is also extremely melancholy as well. The music throughout this is enough to make one teary-eyed, regardless of whether you are easily emotionally swayed or not by music. In the midsection is a refreshing section of wind instrumentation, harp-like sounds and other instrumentation that is well-played and multitracked. This is followed by wind chiming styled sounds, and violin to match it. A pretty, lovely and grand piece of music, John Williams and friends do a marvellous job in a musical way. This piece of music is really brilliant from start to finish and shows the true artistry here. Excellent.

Becoming A Geisha begins with some excellent but dark Eastern string instrumentation, followed by a string section that is pretty yet full of sorrow. This piece eventually gets going very nicely, and the music itself is very pretty and lovely throughout. This again is not a million miles away from the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack musically in which the two main female movie actors (Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh) were also in. A grand, beautiful yet sad piece of music is present on this release. In any case, this music is very sweet and magical and nothing before or since really comes close to the sounds present on this soundtrack. In the second half, this changes very dramatically with some awesome and pounding percussion by itself which is really quite cool. A dramatic and pretty listening experience, this is really awesome music to listen to. Eventually, the string sections from earlier on in the song return. A brilliant soundtrack to a different film, John Williams and friends nail the music. It gets very loud and finishes dramatically at the end. Sweet.

Finding Satsu begins with some wind chime sounds and launches into a traditional piece of musical magic. It sounds very sweet and lovely throughout, which is good to hear. The music present is breathtakingly great, it paints the picture perfectly of the emotions and acting present in Memoirs Of A Geisha. The music makes the character of Sayuri come alive. This dark and moody piece does match the film nicely. A really great tune to listen to, but not for the faint-hearted. All in all, a really timeless and pretty listening experience that sounds memorable and pretty to this day. The string section fades out early, followed by a dark and dramatic section of music to conclude with. Freaky.

The Chairman’s Waltz begins with some sweet and different melodies, launching into another descriptively moody soundtrack piece. This short track is again, bold and brilliant. A fine and sweet listening experience, this does sound amazingly pretty and the memories are among some of the best that you will hear. This illuminates the section of the film very nicely. John Williams is a genius of composer nature, and pieces such as these easily prove so. A great listen, this brings back memories of this wonderful film. A great piece of music that lasts for two and a half minutes long.

The Rooftops Of The Hanamachi begins with some eerie and strange percussion and Eastern melodies, sounding very dark indeed. It sounds totally creepy, to be fair. In any case, this music continues on in a dark, deep and disturbing fashion. This is not lighthearted Pop Music, quite the opposite in fact. Soon enough, this launches into a theme tune that sounds like Industrial Music if it were played by an Eastern-based Orchestra. A really good listen but definitely not light. It does sound great, however. In the second half, the music becomes more dramatic and sounds very eerie and unsettling. A really great piece of music, this has some interesting playing and instrumental changes throughout. Towards the end, this builds up to a frightening finish.

The Garden Meeting begins with some interesting guitar-like sounds, followed by a gorgeous string section that is very sad sounding indeed. Again, this music is really top-notch and brilliant throughout. It just sounds incredibly good and pretty throughout. For all its emotional feel, the music is quality not quantity-based. The sorrow and despair that the melodies exude are very different indeed. A sad and lovely listen, this is really brilliantly beautiful for what it is. A great piece of music that has lasted the test of time. It ends softly, a great listen.

Dr. Crab’s Prize begins with some eerie Eastern wind instrumentation that sounds unusual. This continues on for the whole track and it sounds disturbing. The solo instrumental piece is very dramatic and different throughout. A good listening experience, this will take one’s mind wandering elsewhere in the world. A great listen nonetheless, this does work nicely as a piece of music but sounds unsettling. A good solo two-minute-long instrumental.

Destiny’s Path is a more normal-sounding piece, at least for this film’s soundtrack. It has melodies with a sense of urgency from an orchestra, which are really different to hear. In any case, the music is dramatic, colourful and with grace. String sections eventually enter into this piece, along with some Classical Spanish-styled guitar. A really great listen, this does sound immortal in the sense that the music will never die. Really interesting and timeless music is present here, and the use of guitar is different throughout this tune. This dramatic piece of music is a good listen, and it continues the themes of the film throughout on this soundtrack. It ends after three minutes loudly.

A New Name…A New Life begins with chiming instrumentation and launches into a bittersweet-sounding musical piece. This sounds a lot more cheerful than other pieces of music in this film, which is a refreshing thing. This eventually ends up being in darker territory, which is different. Towards the midsection is a memorable string melody, with accompanying instrumentation to match it all. Nonetheless, a very good piece of music to listen to. The melodies and playing throughout are absolutely wonderful, and this has a suspenseful approach musically throughout it all. John Williams again shows his genius throughout, and the composition is world-class. With a mixture of light and shade, these tunes are excellently brilliant. It ends with some pleasant string melodies, nice to hear.

The Fire Scene and the Coming Of War Medley is an extended piece over six minutes in length. It sounds dark and disturbing from the start, which is eerie. It progresses along with a string section and low-end percussion which sounds creepy. A very different listening experience, this gradually builds up in volume and surprise for the listener. This sounds rather a lot like meeting one’s worst enemy in life, set to music. The string sections also represent this set of events in the film, and it sounds scary. Some wordless vocals emerge soon enough, and it is an unsettling and rather scary listening experience for music. The singing is very weird and is matched by some pounding drums, followed by a melodic string section. Dramatism is here in the music that is for sure. The string sections showcase a very disturbing sort of listening experience, along with some great and inspired melodies and rhythm sections. This is not exactly the sort of cheerful music that you can easily listen to. In fact, this music is best heard with respect to the film and by oneself, if in a very dark mood. Nonetheless, a real winner of a tune, although it sounds deep, dark and disturbing. A scary sort of listen, even more than most forms of Heavy Metal Music. Nonetheless, this does sound really quite great. A bittersweet listen, this builds up in volume right towards the end and concludes quickly after over six and a half minutes. Unsettling.

As The Water… begins softly with some string instrumentation and wind instrumentation. Again, this music is not bright or cheerful throughout. In fact, it sounds rather dark, full of moodiness and sorrow. A really distressful sounding listening experience, this showcases a very dark and disturbing side to this film. It is again, good but not pleasant to listen to. It is over after two minutes in length.

Confluence begins with a gorgeous wind instrument melody and sounds very sad but soothing. This is a tearjerker music-sounding sort of piece. Indeed, it is very sad-sounding and is a really depressing sort of listen. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that this music is great for what it is. A really excellent piece of music and musicianship, this does look back to the sort of music on the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack. Towards the midsection, the orchestration gets very loud and saddening. A really pretty and dramatic tune, but something hugely disturbing and upsetting about it all. In any respect, this music is a great example of brilliant instrumentation and orchestration throughout. Towards the end are loud string parts, harp and other Western Classical instruments to boot. Very good but disturbing sounding.

A Dream Discarded begins with a lone violin section and sounds very deep and dark. This is a two-minute-long piece that sounds different. This solo instrumental piece is very moody and different sounding. In any case, the sorrowful nature of the music continues for some time. This doesn’t sound pleasant, although it is musically excellent and brilliant. A great listen, all the same, this is another solid piece of music. Good to hear.

Sayuri’s Theme and End Credits begins with some fluttering melodies and instrumentation, including strings. This wraps up the film very nicely and sounds great. A great piece of magical music throughout, this highlights the theme of the film. This is somewhat brighter musically and sounds very deep and emotional sonically. A really good listen, with more of a Western Classical Music feel to this piece. Rhythmic string sections gradually emerge, and this tune comes alive. Nonetheless, a well-done ending to an excellent film which is definitely worth watching. The string instrumentation cuts out in the second half before the orchestra quickly rushes back into the scene. A very sad and emotional piece of music is present to conclude this masterful and epic film score. A very enjoyable listen, although this is music to really emotionally test one’s waterworks. Nonetheless, it does sound really good. An interesting listen to hear as the film concludes. Absolutely worth hearing if this sort of music is up your alley. It ends with a loud and quick finish.

This is a well-arranged, played and memorable film soundtrack. To be fair, this is not the sort of cheerful Pop/Rock Music that many would appreciate. Instead, it is a Classical score by composer John Williams that is often sad, melancholic and full of sorrow to accompany the film. Nonetheless, the melodies throughout and the musicianship are excellent. Should you listen to this film’s soundtrack? If you have already watched Memoirs Of A Geisha and you need something to cry along to, this is a good fit for you. It is a heavy listen, however.

A very good film soundtrack.

9/10