About the Soundtrack
When news of the death of Princess Diana, undoubtedly the most famous woman in the world, breaks upon a shocked and disbelieving British public, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II retreats behind the walls of Balmoral Castle with her family, unable to comprehend the public response to the tragedy. For Tony Blair, the popular and newly elected Prime Minister, the people's need for reassurance and support from their leaders is palpable.
As the unprecedented outpouring of emotion grows ever stronger, Blair must find a way to reconnect the Queen with the British public. The Queen is an intimate behind the scenes glimpse at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the Royal family and the public's demand for an overt display of mourning.
Starring Helen Mirren, who played Elizabeth I in HBO's Elizabeth I, The Queen has been selected to open the NewYork Film Festival on September 29. Five of the last ten New York Film Festival openers have garnered Oscar nominations in top categories.
The film and soundtrack feature "Libera Me" by Verdi from Princess Diana's funeral. The score is composed by renowned Alexandre Desplat. After composing the music for over 50 European films and being nominated for two Cesar Awards, Desplat burst onto the Hollywood scene with his evocative score to Girl with the Pearl Earring (2003), which earned him Golden Globes, BAFTA and European Film Awards nominations. His reputation was solidified by his critically acclaimed score to Jonathan Glazier's film Birth, starring Nicole Kidman. Following in close succession, Alexandre composed the scores to The Upside of Anger, Hostage, and Lasse Holström's Casanova (starring Heath Ledger and Jeremy Irons). More recently, Alexandre lent his talents to Stephen Gaghan's Syriana, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination.
Tracks
01 The Queen
02 Hills of Scotland
03 People's Princess I
04 A New Prime Minister
05 H.R.H.
06 The Stag
07 Mourning
08 Elizabeth & Tony
09 River of Sorrow
10 The Flowers of Buckingham
11 The Queen Drives
12 Night in Balmoral
13 Tony & Elizabeth
14 People's Princess II
15 Queen of Hearts
16 Libera Me (Verdi) Performed by Lynne Dawson and The BBC Singers at the Funeral Service for Diana, Princess of Wales
In Stores September 26, 2006
