Godfather II
by Nino Rota
String Quintet - Digital Sheet Music

from "The Godfahter"

The soundtrack was well received by music critics. The United Press International's William D. Laffler wrote that the "Main Title" was a "haunting piece of music which generates nostalgic longing for things past and a foreboding underlying theme."He felt that the soundtrack grows on the listener with each play and predicted it would become one of the biggest sellers in the calendar year. William J. Knittle, Jr. of the Daily News–Post felt Rota's titular theme was why The Godfather was "close to being the perfect American film." He continued by stating Rota broke from his "usual lush string tour de force." He felt the music was "meaningful and involving," while the use of cello and cornet solos demonstrated the isolation and insulation of the Corleone family. He closed by saying the music showed Italian influence and had a natural progression. The Journal and Courier's Bernard Drew felt Rota's musical pieces were haunting and "bridged gaps and served as a reminder of how things were." Harry Haun of The Tennessean described Rota's score as "baleful," but felt it kept with the pace of the movie well. Peter Barsocchini who wrote for The Times wrote that The Godfather soundtrack was able to stand on its own. He elaborated on the soundtrack stating it was "extremely evocative" and that it kept with the time period the movie was set. He did state that the soundtrack was "rich and interesting, without, except for one cut (the vocal by Al Martino), being at all typed." He felt the "Main Title" was the best track on the album because: "It is at once chilling and plaintive and nostalgic, but it also evokes the humanity of The Godfather, gives the image of a man instead of a ruthless monster, which is a brilliant composition." Barsocchini wrote that "The Halls of Fear" explored the concept of fear well in an a-melodramatic way. He summed up the album by stating it was worthy of one's attention even if not interested in the film. Detroit Free Press's Bob Talbert described Rota's score as "right on the money" and "[captured] the feel of the '40s and the power of Marlon Brando." He generally commented that the instruments used in the movie matched the intensity of Brando and Al Pacino. He also described Martino as "a thinly disguised Frank Sinatra." Allmusic gave the album five out of five stars, with editor Zach Curd saying it is a "dark, looming, and elegant soundtrack." An editor for Filmtracks believed that Rota was successful in relating the music to the film's core aspects.