Martin Kiszko has previously contributed highly effective music to the British
TV series Alien Empire, The Realm of the Russian bear and Land of the Eagle.
Here his music graces (and that is the word) the BBC Natural History Units
latest 6 part documentary which examines the sexual act in all its forms.
Kiszko assisted Edward Williams in the score for David Attenboroughs
Life on Earth series from 1980.
The title track is stormy and features a grand theme. A whooping clarinet
cutting right through the texture at one point is a very memorable touch.
There is a gutsy turbulence in the skirling horns and a hint of what you
might call Hollywood Red Indian music adding a dimension of threat.
In Another world (2) there are hints of John Barry but I do not
want to take away from the fine inspiration which pervades deeply velvet,
romantically tender harp and flute dialogue and gentlest touch of the strings.
This also surfaces elsewhere notably in tracks 4 and the final track interspersed
with birdsong. Forays And Foreplays (11) has a decidedly Stravinskian tinkling
motif which return in track 17. A jazzy, sinuous and slightly sleazy clarinet
slides in Gershwinnying fashion up and down the scales in Jazzed-Up
Males. In Reluctant Hunters a solemn cello soliloquy takes
centre stage. The cool, concentrated and immanent threat in of The Deep comes
over strongly in track 10. Track 12 is notable for the insistent little rhythmic
figure for higher woodwind. In track 17 Kiszko produces an excellent warlike
mongol horde type theme.
This is a classy, straightforward and richly impressionistic score which
remains entertaining and even when separated from its images.
The notes are good. They include discographic information, compact information
about the series by its executive producer, an ideally balanced note by the
composer and a profile of the composer. I hope that before too long Martin
Kiszko will become a name we associate with feature film scores as well as
TV.
Recommended
Reviewer
Rob Barnett