The Last Emperor | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The Last Emperor [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Review

 

by William Ruhlmann

Ex-Talking Head David Byrne and actor/composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (who co-starred in the film) each get a side of this beautiful score to Bernardo Bertolucci's Academy Award-winning film, and each took home Oscars and Grammys for their efforts. 

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The Last Emperor is the soundtrack album for the movie of the same name. It features nine pieces composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, five by David Byrne, one from Cong Su, and a few incidental pieces of source music. The album won the Best Original Score award at the 1987 Academy Awards,^[1] and won the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media award at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989.^[2]

wikipedia

The Last Emperor                               

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

David Byrne

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Cong Su

Track listing

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"First Coronation"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	1:46
2.	"Open the Door"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	2:54
3.	"Where Is Armo?"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	2:26
4.	"Picking Up Brides"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	2:39
5.	"The Last Emperor – Theme Variation 1"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	2:19
6.	"Rain (I Want a Divorce)"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	1:49
7.	"The Baby (Was Born Dead)"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	0:55
8.	"The Last Emperor – Theme Variation 2"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	4:28
9.	"The Last Emperor – Theme"	Ryuichi Sakamoto	5:54
10.	"Main Title Theme (The Last Emperor)"	David Byrne	4:01
11.	"Picking a Bride"	David Byrne	2:00
12.	"Bed"	David Byrne	5:00
13.	"Wind, Rain, and Water"	David Byrne	2:18
14.	"Paper Emperor"	David Byrne	1:49
15.	"Lunch"	Cong Su	4:54
16.	"Red Guard (Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman)"	The Red Guard Accordion Band	1:20
17.	"The Emperor's Waltz"	The Ball Orchestra of Vienna	3:06
18.	"The Red Guard Dance"	The Girls Red Guard Dancers	0:39