Finding magic in the music: an analysis of Alan Silvestri's composition in Practical Magic

By admin

The Alan Silvestri Practical Magic soundtrack is a musical composition that accompanies the 1998 film Practical Magic, directed by Griffin Dunne. The soundtrack was composed by Alan Silvestri, an American composer known for his work in film and television. Silvestri's score for Practical Magic perfectly captures the whimsical and mystical atmosphere of the film. The music is a blend of various genres, including orchestral, folk, and pop. This eclectic mix ensures that the soundtrack is as enchanting and captivating as the movie itself. One of the signature tracks on the Alan Silvestri Practical Magic soundtrack is entitled "Amas Veritas.


The gilt statues of the Di Consentes 12 adorned Rome’s central forum.

Join this five-day discovery of historic sites that takes you back to the extraordinary days of ancient Rome, in the company of expert guide and renowned classicist Mary Beard. Aegir God of the sea Germanic The Aesir The younger branch of the family of the Gods Germanic Baba Yaga Avenger of women Slavic Buri Ancestor of the Gods Germanic Dazhbog God of the sun Slavic Forseti God of justice Germanic Freyja Goddess of fertility Germanic Frigg Queen of the Gods Gefion Goddess of fertility Germanic Hel Goddess of the underworld and the dead Germanic Huginn and Muninn Ravens - Thought and Memory - belonging to Odin; messengers Germanic.

Pantheon of female pagan deities

One of the signature tracks on the Alan Silvestri Practical Magic soundtrack is entitled "Amas Veritas." This hauntingly beautiful piece of music plays during the film's most magical moments, conveying the power of love and the extraordinary bond between the film's main characters. In addition to the original score, the soundtrack features songs by various artists, including Faith Hill, Joni Mitchell, and Elvis Presley.

A more complete list of Deities

Ancient Roman polytheism was a bit like the English language, insofar as “new” Gods were continually borrowed and absorbed into the Religio Romana from other pantheons, just as English continually borrows and absorbs foreign words, without being particularly concerned with maintaining linguistic “purity”. The traditional mindset of Roman spirituality is open and diverse, and it is perhaps for this reason that there are more Deities associated with Roman polytheism than can possibly be counted. Thus, it is impossible to list all of them. Even if a historian was able to tell you the name of every Deity recorded from the Roman era (and such a list would surely list Deities in the hundreds if not the thousands) this would still not comprise a complete list, because from the polytheistic world view every river, every grove, every force of nature is divine and likely has some kind of spirit, or Deity, attached to it. Due to these facts the following list is not comprehensive:

  • Adonis: a God associated with the cycle of life, death and rebirth; beautiful lover of Venus who dies but is reborn every spring.
  • Aesculapius: God of healing.
  • Anna Perenna: personification of the year (annus), whose festival on 15 March involved drinking and singing of licentious songs by women.
  • Annona: numen / spirit / personification of the food supply.
  • Antinous: deified 19 year old (probable) lover of Hadrian; associated with young, masculine beauty, love and homosexuality.
  • Apollo: God of light and the sun, healing (and disease), music (especially stringed instruments), poetry, archery and prophecy.
  • Attis: Cybele’s consort.
  • Aurora: Goddess of dawn.
  • Bacchus: God of the vine, grapes, fruitfulness, vegetation, wine, ecstasy and madness.
  • Bellona: Goddess of war and belligerence.
  • Bona Dea (also Damia): the “good Goddess”; fertility Goddess mostly worshipped by women; see also Fauna.
  • Camenae: healing Goddesses identified with the Greek Muses, thus music.
  • Cardea: Goddess of door hinges.
  • Castor and Pollux: Gods of camaraderie and strong friendship; associated with sailors and men of the cavalry who travel far and wide.
  • Ceres: Goddess of agriculture, plant growth and crop fertility.
  • Clementia: Goddess of mercy and clemency.
  • Concordia: Goddess of Concord.
  • Consus: God of the granary / grain storage.
  • Cupid: God of love and desire.
  • Cybele: see Magna Mater.
  • Dea Dia: agricultural Goddess of growth.
  • Diana: chaste Goddess of the hunt, animals (esp. wild), woodlands, childbirth, light and the moon.
  • Dii familiares: collective term for all household Gods; guardians of home and family; includes the Lares, the Penates, Janus, Vesta, etc.
  • Dis Pater (also, Orcus or Pluto): God of the underworld and mineral wealth.
  • Discordia: Goddess of discord and strife.
  • Dius Fidius: God of oaths; though Jupiter is also strongly associated with oaths.
  • Dryad: general term borrowed from Hellenism denoting a tree Deity.
  • Egeria: protectress of pregnant women and childbirth; a water spirit worshipped in connection with Diana and the Camenae.
  • Epona: Celtic Goddess of horse riding whose cult was adopted by the Roman cavalry and spread throughout much of Europe.
  • Fama: numen / spirit /personification of rumour, fame and infamy.
  • F auna: G oddess of the fertility of woodlands, fields, and flocks; counterpart to Faunus; possibly another name for Bona Dea.
  • Faunus: God of the earth who brings fertility to fields and flocks; associated with sexuality and pleasure.
  • Fides: numen / spirit / personification of good faith, trust and honesty.
  • Flora: Goddess of flowering plants; associated with spring, fertility and sexual licentiousness.
  • Forculus: God of doors.
  • Fortuna: Goddess of increasing prosperity, good fortune, ill fortune, chance and luck.
  • Genius: protecting male spirit; the feminine counterpart is a “juno”.
  • Graces: G oddesses of charm, grace and beauty; hence associated with Venus.
  • Hercules: God of heroism, strength and perseverance.
  • Honos : numen / spirit / personification of honour and virtus.
  • Isis: Egyptian earth Goddess worshipped as an ideal mother and wife, as well as being a patroness of magic and the downtrodden.
  • Janus: God of beginnings, transitions, openings, closings and entrance-ways.
  • Juno: Goddess of women, marriage and motherhood.
  • Jupiter: protecting God of the sky and weather, especially thunder, lightning, rain and storms; also associated with the swearing of oaths.
  • Juturna: Goddess of fountains.
  • Juventas: Goddess of youth.
  • Lar (plural Lares): protecting spirit/s of the household.
  • Larvae (also, Lemures): malevolent spirits of the dead.
  • Latona: mother of Apollo and Diana (twin Deities of light).
  • Liber: see Bacchus.
  • Libera: consort of Liber / Bachhus; identified with the Greek Ariadne.
  • Libertas: numen / spirit / personification of liberty and personal freedom.
  • Libitina: Goddess of the dead.
  • Limentinus: God of the threshold.
  • Lucifer: the morning star; literally “bringer of light”.
  • Luna: Goddess of the moon, may be considered an aspect of Diana.
  • Lymphae: general term for Deities of springs, streams and similar water divinities; similar to Greek Naiads.
  • Magna Mater: Phrygian earth Goddess of nature; great mother of all.
  • Manes: spirits of the dead, generally friendly.
  • Mars: God of violence, war, valour and virility.
  • Matuta: Goddess worshipped mostly by young women; associated with growth, Aurora and the Greek Leucothea.
  • Mercury: God of financial gain, trade, travel, writing, language, communication, cunning, trickery and psychopomp.
  • Minerva: Goddess of skilled thought leading to skilled action, thus wisdom, workmanship and strategy.
  • Miseria: numen / spirit / personification of misery and wretchedness, Cicero refers to her as kin to other spirits of unhappiness, including Dolus (deceit), Metus (anxiety), Invidentia (envy), Mors (death), Tenebrae (darkness), Querella (lamentation), Fraus (fraud / delusion) and Pertinacia (obstinacy). We may add to this list Melancholia (alternately, Melancholica); note that mania and psychosis almost certainly belong to the domain of Bacchus. See also Discordia.
  • Mithras: Persian God of light.
  • Nemesis: numen / spirit / personification of divine retribution.
  • Neptune: God of water, the sea and horses.
  • Nox: Goddess of night.
  • Nundina: Goddess associated with the purification and naming of children (for girls on the 8th day; for boys on the 9th).
  • Ops: Goddess of the wealth of the harvest, consort to Saturn.
  • Osiris: consort to Isis.
  • Pales: Deity of shepherds, flocks and livestock.
  • Parcae: Goddesses of childbirth and destiny (Nona, Decuma and Morta); determining the length of a person’s life and their allotment of suffering.
  • Pax: Goddess of peace.
  • Penates: spirits of the household provisions / food stores / pantry.
  • Picus: agricultural Deity associated particularly with the fertilisation of the soil with manure; associated with Faunus.
  • Pietas: personification of a respectful and faithful attachment to Gods, country and family.
  • Picumnus and Pilumnus: agricultural Gods associated with childbirth.
  • Pomona: Goddess of fruit.
  • Portunus: God of harbours.
  • Priapus: God of animal and vegetable sexuality and fertility; protector of gardens.
  • Proserpina: Goddess of the underworld, associated with spring and the life, death, rebirth cycle; consort to Dis Pater.
  • Quirinus: deified Romulus, the founder of Rome.
  • Robigo: God of mildew and wheat rust, a fungal disease affecting grain. Robigo can therefore protect crops from wheat rust.
  • Roma: numen / spirit / personification of Rome.
  • Rumina: Goddess of breastmilk.
  • Sabazius: Phrygian God of vegetation.
  • Salus: Goddess of safety, good health and well-being.
  • Serapis (also Sarapis): Greco-Egyptian God of the sky; associated with healing and fertility.
  • Saturn: God of agricultural abundance, sowing, seeds and mythological ruler of a past golden age.
  • Silvanus: God of the woods and fields.
  • Somnus: God of sleep.
  • Sol: God of the sun, may be considered as another name for Apollo.
  • Spes: numen / spirit / personification of hope.
  • Tellus: Goddess of the earth; Ovid states she is one and the same as Vesta.
  • Terminus: God of property boundaries; may be associated with steadfastness.
  • Trivia: (also Hekate / Hecate), Goddess of crossroads (usually three-way), ghosts, the undead and witchcraft.
  • Venus: Goddess of love, relationships, passion, pleasure, beauty, charm and fertility.
  • Vertumnus: God of orchards.
  • Vesta: Vesta is the Goddess of ritual-fire, hearth-fire, and home; associated with purity and virginity.
  • Victoria: Goddess of victory, especially military victory.
  • Vulcan: God of destructive and fertile (creative) fire.

Sources: drawn from my blog neo polytheist; britannica.com; Kamm, The Romans (Routledge) and Ovid, Fasti (Penguin Classics); Turcan, The Gods of Ancient Rome (Routledge); Scheid, An Introduction to Roman Religion (Indiana University Press).

“Abundantia, the Gifts of the Sea” by Makart (1870)

Written by M’ Sentia Figula (aka Freki). Find me at neo polytheist and on romanpagan.wordpress.com.

Roman goddess of hearth, home and domestic life.
Alan silvestri practical magic soundtrack

These songs complement the film's narrative and add depth to the emotions portrayed onscreen. The Alan Silvestri Practical Magic soundtrack has received critical acclaim for its ability to enhance the storytelling in the film. It has become a fan-favorite and is often praised for its ability to transport listeners into the enchanting world of Practical Magic. Overall, the Alan Silvestri Practical Magic soundtrack is a beautiful and mesmerizing composition that adds another layer of magic to the already captivating film. Whether listened to independently or along with the movie, this soundtrack is sure to enchant listeners with its whimsical and mystical melodies..

Reviews for "Decoding the musical language of Alan Silvestri's Practical Magic score"

1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the Practical Magic soundtrack by Alan Silvestri. I felt like the music didn't capture the magical essence of the movie at all. It was too whimsical and light-hearted, instead of having the deep and haunting melodies that I expected. The songs didn't evoke any emotions in me and I found myself forgetting about them as soon as they finished playing. Overall, I think the soundtrack was forgettable and didn't add anything memorable to the film.
2. Mark - 1 star - The Alan Silvestri Practical Magic soundtrack was a complete letdown for me. The music felt generic and uninspired, lacking any kind of unique sound or style. It sounded like a collection of stock music that could be used for any other romantic comedy film. I was hoping for music that would transport me into the magical world of the movie, but instead, I found myself bored and uninterested. I wouldn't recommend this soundtrack to anyone who is looking for something truly enchanting and captivating.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for the Practical Magic soundtrack by Alan Silvestri, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The songs felt repetitive and monotonous, lacking any variation or depth. There were no standout tracks that caught my attention or left a lasting impression. I was hoping for music that would enhance the supernatural elements of the film, but instead, I found myself getting distracted by the lackluster melodies. Overall, I was disappointed with this soundtrack and expected more from such a renowned composer like Silvestri.

Exploring the hauntingly beautiful themes in Alan Silvestri's Practical Magic score

Alan Silvestri's Practical Magic soundtrack: a journey through the enchanting world of the film