L'APPARTEMENT (THE APARTMENT)

This very first release of the soundtrack composed by Peter Chase for The Apartment will satisfy all lovers of orchestral scores that distill a haunting and mysterious atmosphere while offering high melodic content. The music accounts for much of the success of Gilles Mimouni’s erotic-romantic drama, edited in the style of a thriller. It stars Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci as one of the most beautiful couples in French cinema ; however, the real revelation of the film remains Rohmane Bohringer in the role of a young bisexual pathological liar with redoubtable charm.

The Apartment had mixed success among French audiences when it was released in 1996. It is only in the long term, with international distribution, that the film became popular with movie buffs, who appreciate its psychological depth, high production values and its stylistic references. Some even favourably compare The Apartment with classic thrillers, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. The Americans have made a remake in 2004, Wicker Park, but a majority of viewers claim to prefer the French version.

The approach of the two works regarding the soundtrack differs completely: while Wicker Park relies mainly on disparate pop songs, The Apartment benefits from a superb original score by Peter Chase, performed by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Konstantin Krimetz. Other notable scores of this composer for the big screen include Martine Dugowson’s Portraits chinois, also released in 1996, and Laurent Firode’s Le Battement d’ailes du papillon (Happenstance), starring Audrey Tautou, in 2000. In recent years, Peter Chase has mostly written for television, theater and in the advertising field.

The 8-page booklet includes French and English liner notes by CD producer Clement Fontaine. This limited edition of 500 copies was prepared in collaboration with Peter Chase.

1 Same kind of woman (5:45)
2 La cabine telephonique du cafe (1:35)
3 La video de Lisa (2:34)
4 Rencontre de Max et Lisa (4:56)
5 Max suit l'amant de Lisa (3:11)
6 Alice trouve la lettre dans l'appartement (1:18)
7 Max retrouve Lisa sous la neige (1:06)
8 Le depart de Lisa vu par Max (1:40)
9 Max penetre dans l'appartement (1:38)
10 Rencontre de Max et Alice (1:42)
11 Retour au cafe (1:50)
12 Alice suit Max (1:10)
13 Alice et Lisa (1:56)
14 Chasse-croise de Max et Lisa (1:51)
15 Alice et Lucien (1:24)
16 Le depart de Lisa vu par Alice (1:38)
17 L'appartement - Final (9:26)

Total Time 44:47