The Talented Mr Ripley....Music?
Derek Lim
Maybe this is in the wrong forum, but I think I've got the right one.
The question is, who can name the piece of music that Tom Ripley played
in one of the last scenes (sight-reading yet!) on his piano, when his
friend the conductor interrupted him with a bit of a rag piece? I know
it's by Bach, and could swear it's a Sarabande, probably from the first
French Suite, but I can't be sure -- can't remember the music that
well, just that it had probably had a 4-time tempo with a 'throbbing'
beat in it. Did anyone watch the movie? I really enjoyed it, and all
its classical music -- the "Italian" Concerto in Italy! :)
Thanks in advance,
Derek Lim
(Singapore)
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Andrew Stedman
: The question is, who can name the piece of music that Tom Ripley played
: in one of the last scenes (sight-reading yet!) on his piano, when his
: friend the conductor interrupted him with a bit of a rag piece? I know
: it's by Bach, and could swear it's a Sarabande, probably from the first
: French Suite, but I can't be sure -- can't remember the music that
: well, just that it had probably had a 4-time tempo with a 'throbbing'
: beat in it. Did anyone watch the movie? I really enjoyed it, and all
: its classical music -- the "Italian" Concerto in Italy! :)
It's not by Bach; it's a transcription of a Largo (in 3 beats per bar)
from a Stabat-Mater setting by Vivaldi (R. 621). The original work is for
solo alto, strings, and b.c. The Largo music is used for two movements,
for the words
Stabat Mater dolorosa
Juxta Crucem lacrimosa
Dum pendebat Filius.
[The sorrowful Mother
stood weeping by the Cross
as her Son was hanging.]
at the beginning, and
Quis est homo, qui non fleret,
Christi Matremsi videret
In tanto supplicio?
[What man wouldn't weep
To see the Mother of Christ
In such suffering?]
in the middle. At first I too thought it was Bach (I had been primed to
think so by hearing the beginning of the Italian Concerto earlier), but
then I remembered the true composer. It was tricky, without the words
and transcribed, and more affecting than I'd remembered.
If I recall right: a scene or two after Tom* plays the movement on the
piano, Peter Smith-Kingsley is shown performing it in a loft with what
seems a tiny ensemble of Baroque instruments. (An unusual thing in the
1950s.) A boy sings.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the music in this film; usually I
don't enjoy Bach on the piano, but here I found it poignant: solemn
and introverted.
Daniel
*A friend pointed out to me something I (and I surmise most people) missed
entirely: Tom Ripley is almost certainly not the main character's real
name. Tom Ripley was in fact the name of the pianist who was replaced at
the last minute by 'Tom'. The concert program surely listed the original
pianist's name; and when consequently Dickie's parents addressed 'Tom' by
that name, he assumed it. We never learn his real name.
RPeggio135
indeed Tom's REAL name.
Andrew Stedman
: Those who have read the Patricia Highsmith books know that Tom Ripley was
: indeed Tom's REAL name.
There's more than one book? What are their titles? Eventually I may
read them.
Daniel
John H
wrote:
The Talented Mr Ripley
Ripley Under Water
Ripley Underground
The Boy Who Followed Ripley
Ripley's Game
John Harkness
Derek Lim
to the right place! I did enjoy the music in The Talented Mr Ripley --
and it was very affecting, and excellently chosen. Yes, I do remember
now that it was in 3, not 4 time as I thought earlier.
Maybe it's a little off-topic, but did anyone think that Ripley wasn't
actually at all cold-blooded? Several critics seemed to expect him to
be. Also some said that his sexuality wasn't a critical part of the
story -- whereas it obviously was. It probably was his very first
layer of lies...
One of the other things I enjoyed was the beautiful scenery of Italy. I
read some of the critic's reviews of the movie afterward and agreed
totally with one of them -- if you have never had the chance to visit
all these places it fills you with a sense of longing for them. All
that great music, all that architecture -- it's pleasurable just
thinking of it. Someday.....
Derek Lim, planning his retirement even though he hasn't graduated yet.
John H
wrote:
>Wow, I thought I was never going to get a reply, but I obviously came
>to the right place! I did enjoy the music in The Talented Mr Ripley --
>and it was very affecting, and excellently chosen. Yes, I do remember
>now that it was in 3, not 4 time as I thought earlier.
>
>Maybe it's a little off-topic, but did anyone think that Ripley wasn't
>actually at all cold-blooded? Several critics seemed to expect him to
>be. Also some said that his sexuality wasn't a critical part of the
>story -- whereas it obviously was. It probably was his very first
>layer of lies...
>
There's a confusion between the movie and the book -- in the book,
he's a sociopath of questionable sexuality -- who ultimately in the
later books, marries,
In the movie, they work very hard to make Ripley sympathetic, and it
doesn't quite work, and Minghella decided to make the character
explicitly gay, which is, I think, less interesting than the ambiguity
that Highsmith created.
John Harkness
RPeggio135
Followed Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game. It's not really necessary
to read them in order, tho I'd read The Talented Mr. R first, of course. It is
different from the movie in a number of ways, and the French movie on the book
(Purple Noon) is even more different.
no name
> Dear r.m.c.r,
> Maybe this is in the wrong forum, but I think I've got the right one.
> in one of the last scenes (sight-reading yet!) on his piano, when his
> friend the conductor interrupted him with a bit of a rag piece? I know
> it's by Bach, and could swear it's a Sarabande, probably from the first
> French Suite, but I can't be sure -- can't remember the music that
> well, just that it had probably had a 4-time tempo with a 'throbbing'
> beat in it. Did anyone watch the movie? I really enjoyed it, and all
> its classical music -- the "Italian" Concerto in Italy! :)
> Derek Lim