Zbigniew Preisner studied history and philosophy in Kraków; never having received formal music lessons, he taught himself about music by listening and transcribing parts from records. His compositional style represents a distinctively spare form of tonal neo-romanticism.
Preisner is best known for the music composed for the films directed by fellow Pole Krzysztof Kieślowski. His "Song for the Unification of Europe", based on the Greek text of 1 Corinthians 13, is attributed to a character in Kieślowski's Three Colors: Blue and plays a dominant role in the story. His music for Three Colors: Red includes a setting of Polish and French versions of a poem by Wisława Szymborska, a Polish Nobel Prize-winning poet.
After working with Kieślowski on Three Colors: Blue, Preisner was hired by the producer Francis Ford Coppola to write the score for The Secret Garden, directed by Polish director Agnieszka Holland. Although Preisner is most closely associated with Kieślowski, he has collaborated with several other directors, winning a César in 1996 for his work on Jean Becker's Élisa. He has won a number of other awards, including another César in 1994 for Three Colors: Red and the Silver Bear at the 1997 Berlin Film Festival 1997 for The Island on Bird Street.
In 1998, Requiem for My Friend, Preisner's first large scale work not written for film, was premiered. It was originally intended as a narrative work to be written by Krzysztof Piesiewicz and directed by Kieślowski, but it became a memorial to Kieślowski after the director's death. He composed the theme music for The People's Century, a monumental twenty-six part documentary made jointly in 1994 by the BBC television network in the United Kingdom and the PBS television network in the United States. He has also worked with director Thomas Vinterberg on the 2003 film It's All about Love and provided orchestration for David Gilmour's 2006 album On an Island. Silence, Night, and Dreams is Zbigniew Preisner’s new recording project, a large-scale work for orchestra, choir, and soloists, based on texts from the Book of Job. The first recording was released in 2007 with the lead singer of Madredeus, Teresa Salgueiro, and boy soprano Thomas Cully from Libera.
Van den Budenmayer is a fictitious eighteenth-century Dutch composer created by Preisner and director Krzysztof Kieślowski for attributions in screenplays. Preisner said Van den Budenmayer is a pseudonym he and Kieślowski invented "because we both loved the Netherlands". Music by the Dutch composer plays a role in three Kieślowski films: The Decalogue, Three Colours: Blue, and Three Colours: Red . In the second of these, a theme from his musiques funèbres is quoted in "The Song for the Unification of Europe". Its E minor soprano solo is prefigured in the earlier film The Double Life of Veronique, where circumstances in the story prevent the solo from finishing.
When A Man Loves A Woman
Zbigniew Preisner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down
When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Trying to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comfort
Sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be
Well, this man loves a woman
I gave you everything I had
Trying to hold on to your precious love
Baby, please don't treat me bad
When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Loving eyes can't ever see
When a man loves a woman
He can do no wrong
He can never own some other girl
Yes when a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world
When a man loves a woman
This song, When A Man Loves A Woman, is a powerful declaration of love and devotion from a man to a woman. It speaks of a man who is so deeply in love with a woman that he will do anything for her, even if it means sacrificing all that he has. The lyrics illustrate a man who is consumed by his love for this woman, so much so that nothing else in the world matters except her. He is overwhelmed by her presence and sees her as perfect, incapable of doing anything wrong. Even his closest friend becomes insignificant in her presence.
The second verse talks about the lengths that this man will go to hold on to his love. He is willing to give up everything, including his comfort and security, and even sleep out in the rain. All he wants is to be with her and make her happy. The third verse takes a more emotional turn, acknowledging that loving someone deeply can also bring pain and misery. However, even if this woman were to play him for a fool, he would be the last to realize it because his love is blind.
Overall, the song is a testament to the power of love and how it can take over a person's life completely. It shows how someone can become so consumed by their love for another that nothing else in the world matters to them.
Line by Line Meaning
When a man loves a woman
When a man truly loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
His thoughts revolve around her constantly
He'll trade the world
He would give up everything for her
For the good thing he's found
For the love he has discovered
If she's bad he can't see it
He is blinded to her flaws
She can do no wrong
In his eyes, she is perfect
Turn his back on his best friend
He would prioritize her over his best friend
If he put her down
If his best friend criticized her
Spend his very last dime
He would spend all his money to be with her
Trying to hold on to what he needs
Trying to keep her in his life
He'd give up all his comfort
He would sacrifice his own comfort for her
Sleep out in the rain
He would endure any hardship for her
If she said that's the way it ought to be
If she demanded it of him
Well, this man loves a woman
The singer himself loves a woman in this way
I gave you everything I had
The singer has given all of himself to her
Trying to hold on to your precious love
Trying to keep her love
Baby, please don't treat me bad
Please do not hurt me
Down deep in his soul
Deep within his being
She can bring him such misery
Her actions can cause him great pain
If she plays him for a fool
If she takes advantage of his love
He's the last one to know
He is oblivious to it
Loving eyes can't ever see
Love can be blinding
He can do no wrong
In her eyes, he is perfect
He can never own some other girl
He would never consider anyone else
Yes when a man loves a woman
Indeed, when a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
The singer understands this love
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world
Because she is everything to him
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew James Wright, Calvin Houston Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andreawagner7352
So wonderful
It makes me cry
@kimberlykaufman5409
Once again my heart plays tricks on me throwing a stroke my way. In rehab they believe in music therapy. They helped find this for me and this mix is my therapy. Automatically my shoulders relax and I'm in happy place. Have seen the movie so many times I can think of the words they say during dome moments "I promise you I promise me". Helps me realize I can do this. This is one of my very favorite pieces of music and is helping me calm down and just be. Thank you for creating this piece.
@kimberlykaufman5409
I have been looking for this for years. I have this score to be picked out to use for my funeral and have always thought we would have to cut and paste music from the cd soundtrack. This music just calms me. I am in congestive heart failure and am not a transplant canidate and know that my day is not a someday but what day. Thank you I am at peace.
@gola-golka4196
@Kimberly Kaufman. Are you still with us? I wish you were here.
@sophiaadcock6769
I loved this film, how the focus is moved to the man in the marriage for once. How he desperately tries to save his family and hold it all together. A lot of men out there share his destiny, but pride and despair keeps them from seeking out for help 💔
@Mays-t
Love.. the only reason we live for..
@AdrianaKwiatkowski
I watched the movie as a little girl and always identified with Jess in her struggle with her parents alcoholism. These melodies bring tears to my eyes.
@Robbie_Wallace_2007_2
Dios mio! quien fue capaz de componer esta cosa tan hermosa y sublime!!? hace soñar y sentir vibrar el alma!
@erwinrogers9470
Beautiful
@mortensenvick5711
I love you baby you were in a red shoes episode in 1993 with that grey polka dot dress, the most beautiful blonde in the world. I miss you and I need to find you my love,
I wonder if you're still around LA, I don't live there anymore, but I'll never stop loving you <3