A few too many hours until my flight home. A few too many euros spent on cappuccinos and croissants. A few too many miles walked in the cold to pass the time. So naturally, I have landed here in this coffee shop, warming up and writing about an amazing soundtrack. I could’ve written about Lorde, because god knows I’ve been listening to a lot of Melodrama and Pure Heroine. But I’ve also been into classics lately—movies, books, and, of course, music. So why touch on Lorde again when we can dive into Julie Andrews and The Sound of Music. Additionally, after the Grammy’s shafted a few of my favorites—namely, Liv Rod for best song written for visual media and lowkey Billie for a few—I am feeling extra opinionated today.
So how did I land on this musical classic? As I was on a bus in the European countryside, I couldn’t stop day-dreaming of the magnificence I had just witnessed—Annecy, France. I hoped and prayed for these types of days for years. Those snow-capped peaks of the French Alps, reflecting over the beautiful lake, have officially been stained into my memory. The whole time I sat and watched the scene, I only had one soundtrack in mind. That was the only one in existence that could reciprocate this level of beauty, and that was none other than The Sound of Music.
Written by duo Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the soundtrack accompanying the world-renowned musical was released in 1965. This incredible duo was also known for their soundtracks behind “Oklahoma!,” “The King and I,” “Cinderella,” and more. These titles earned them 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, 2 Pulitzer Prizes, and 2 Grammy Awards. Wow, I need to take a breather after writing all of that out.
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into spring
I know you know what song I’m talking about. The immense exquisiteness of the entire soundtrack couldn’t be captured without the help of Julie Andrews. For real, god bless that woman. “My Favorite Things” pairs Andrews’ delicate yet penetrating voice with tiny orchestral additions. Even from the intro… “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…” followed immediately by three little violin staccatos. Music to my ears! I hear those first few seconds and know I’m in for a treat. This song reflects the perfect accompaniment between vocals and instruments to make a conflicting yet fluid song. I can picture the scene—the provoking, dark storm outside (represented by the band) and the guiding light (Julie Andrews’ voice). It has somehow turned into a Christmas classic. I’m not complaining.
Another classic is the title song, “The Sound of Music.”
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
Like yeah. I see a beautiful grassy mountain, hell even a hill, and that soothing melody comes to mind. It feels like it floats through the air and into the rhythm I carry myself with. The children, Andrews, and the captain’s (Bill Lee) voices compliment one another in such a heavenly way. And man, does the captain have such a beautiful voice. He levels out the song to completeness.
The last song I’ll drone on about for now has to be “So Long, Farewell.” First watching this movie as a six-year-old who never wanted to miss out on the action, I quickly connected with this song. But besides that innocent urge to always be involved, the piece in itself is such a playful and sweet tune. Why not try to memorize each kind of silly verse? In addition to that cute little flute tune, the scene in the movie also adds a little more personality to each character.
The directors of the movie (and probably the musical, too) did such a wonderful job portraying the story that is “The Sound of Music.” But the truly encapsulating moments come with the melodies themselves. I can (and have) listen to the entire soundtrack, picture the exact scene, and feel each intense emotion. It is truly spaceless and timeless. That is why I could sit on that bus—hugging my knees to my chest, watching the sun fall behind mountains, listening to this soundtrack–and feel the exact beauty of the moment.
A few more of my favorites would have to be “Edelweiss” (because come on) and “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” All of these songs kept the soundtrack as the number one album on the Billboard 200 charts for two weeks (1965). It sat in the top ten for another 107 weeks. In 2015, Billboard released that it was the second-best charting album of all time, the number one being “21” by Adele… damn.
Anyway, I could be trapped in the mountains of Austria forever if I never stopped listening to Rogers and Hammerstein’s masterpiece. Mind you, I have never been to Austria (hopefully that will change soon). For now, the occasional listen post-visiting the French Alps will have to do. But the craftsmanship of this soundtrack reminds me of just how much music can transverse time and space just like any emotion. What a cool phenomena.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music_(soundtrack)
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