Today’s recommendation is on music so sit back and enjoy the selection of my favourite original soundtracks (OST) from period drama films! I’ve listed each title alphabetically with the composer and added comments to some albums.

Top Albums

• The Age of Innocence – Elmer Bernstein
• Anna Karenina – Dario Marianelli
• Atonement – Dario Marianelli
• Braveheart – James Horner
• Casanova – Alexandre Desplat — I think some, if not all, tracks are from the time period.
• The Duchess – Rachel Portman
• Emma – Rachel Portman
• Ever After – George Fenton
• Farinelli – Riccardo Broschi — I think some, if not all, tracks are from the time period.
• Hugo – Howard Shore
• The Illusionist – Philip Glass
• Lust, Caution – Alexandre Desplat — My favourite is Wong Chia Chia’s Theme.
• Miss Austen Regrets – Jennie Muskett
• Moulin Rouge! – ? (mixed artists) — My two favourites are Your Song and Elephant Love Medley.
• The Painted Veil – Alexandre Desplat
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Klaus Badelt & Hans Zimmer
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – Hans Zimmer
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – Hans Zimmer
• BBC’s Pride & Prejudice – Carl Davis
• Pride & Prejudice – Dario Marianelli
• Le Roi Danse – Reinhard Goebel — Most of the selections are from Jean-Baptiste Lully.
• Romeo and Juliet – Abel Korzeniowski — This is by far my favourite soundtrack of all!
• The Secret Garden – Zbigniew Preisner — Each track has the magical ‘Winter Light’ theme.
• Titanic – James Horner — Even if you found this movie ‘cheesy’, you cannot deny that the music suited the Titanic (the ship and the tragic story).
• Young Victoria – Ilan Eshkeri — My favourite is The First Waltz, which is the instrumental version of ‘Della Crudele Isotta’ from the opera, L’elisir d’amore.

 Top Tracks from Albums

Listed alphabetically:

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Wojciech Kilar: The Brides, Mina’s Photo, Lucy’s Party, Love Remembered
• Bright Star – Mark Bradshaw: Human Orchestra, Ode to a Nightingale
• Camelot – Jeff Danna & Mychael Danna: Camelot Main Titles, Be my light, The Beach
• Chéri – Alexandre Desplat: Chéri
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical – Alan Merken: A Place Called Home
• Downton Abbey – John Lunn: The Suite
• Elizabeth – David Hirschfelder – Coronation Banquet, Requiem
• Elizabeth: The Golden Age – Craig Armstrong & AR Rahman: The Opening
• Emma – Samuel Sim: Main Title, The Last Dance, The Seaside
• Finding Neverland – Jan A. P. Kaczmarek: Where is Mr. Barrie? , Dancing With The Bear, The Kite
• The Great Gatsby – ? (mixed artists): Young and Beautiful, Young and Beautiful (DH Orchestral version)
• Joyeux Noël – Phillipe Rombi: Ave Maria, I’m Dreaming of Home, Bist Du Bei Mir
• Kingdom of Heaven – Harry Gregson-Williams: Crusaders, Sybilla
• The Last of the Mohicans – Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman: The Kiss, Promentory
• A Little Princess – Patrick Doyle: Kindle My Heart
• The Man in the Iron Mask – Nick Glennie-Smith: The Masked Ball, The Palace, The Moon Beckons, Training to be King, All For One, Heart of a King
• The Merchant of Venice – Jocelyn Pook: Bridal Ballad
• The Other Boleyn Girl – Paul Cantelon: Opening Titles, The Execution, Finale
• The Piano – Michael Nyman: The Sacrifice
• The Pillars of the Earth – Trevor Morris: Jack & Aliena Make Love / Love Theme
• Queen Margot – Goran Bregovic: Elo Hi, Canto Nero
• The Red Baron – Stefan Hansen & Dirk Reichardt: The Child
• Romeo & Juliet (1968) – Nino Rota: What is a Youth?, Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow, Love Theme, Epilogue
• Sense and Sensibility – Patrick Doyle: Weep You No More Sad Fountains, Patience, The Dreame
• Sunshine – Maurice Jarre: The Sonnenscheins
• The Tudors – Trevor Morris: S1: Main Title Theme, A Historic Love, S2: Anne Dreams of Childhood, Jerusalem, S3: Howling Wilderness / Death of Jane Seymour
• Vanity Fair – Mychael Danna: She Walks in Beauty, The Exchange
• Water Horse – James Newton Howard: Back Where You Belong