2001 - The Year’s
Film Music Releases –
Our Critics’ Assessments
and Awards Nominations
Film Music on the Web critics review the film music
recordings of 2001. Below each assessment is the reviewer’s nominations
for awards in four categories: Best New Original score; Best Classical
Film Score Recording, Best Compilation and a new category, Best New
DVD video Release with a Significant Film Music Content. We have chosen
to include the latter because many DVDs these days have interviews with
composers or composers commenting on their scores over a special additional
run-through of the film, or even a run-through of the film with only
the music. Our reviewers were asked to nominate up to three releases
in each of these categories. Some reviewers opted not to nominate in
certain categories.
Taking all the reviewers nominations
into account there is no doubt this year of the
FILM MUSIC ON THE WEB AWARDS:
Best New Original Score:
John Williams – A.I.
(Artificial Intelligence) Warner Sunset
Best Clasical Score Recording:
Alex North – Cleopatra
Varese Sarabande
Best film Music Compilation:
Celluloid
Copland Telarc
Best DVD with significant
film music content: Superman
– Special Edition
Warner
Editor - Ian Lace
This, quite frankly, has been the most disappointing
year I can remember for new original film scores. I cannot think of
anything original or uplifting about the vast majority of them. When
I came to bringing up a short list for the new original scores category
for our own Awards, I could only bring myself to nominate John Williams’s
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Everything else fell short. Granted
a few have some pleasure – like Yan Tiersen’s Amelie from Montmartre
– but these were very few and far between. Even The Lord of the Rings
music disappointed me, granted there was atmosphere and grandeur but
nothing that really lifted the heart and spirit as it should have done.
On the other hand I was impressed with the number
of splendid releases of older film music and interesting compilations.
From Chandos there were magnificent collections of film music by Richard
Rodney Bennett and William Alwyn. From Marco Polo we had another compilation
of film music by Georges Auric that included La Symphonie
Pastorale, and another Bernard Herrmann album of music from 5
Fingers and The Snows of Kilimanjaro. From Varèse
Sarabande came a long overdue album of music by Philippe Sarde that
included one of my own favourites, that for the Dudley Moore comedy,
Lovesick. Also from V.S. were a trio of CDs covering Jerry Goldsmith’s
scores for The Omen trilogy and a separate collection of that
composer’s film scores, but topping their 2001 releases was Alex North’s
score for Cleopatra. From Silva Screen came two magnificent scores
by John Barry, a composer I can usually take or leave – but these are
very special: The Last Valley and The Lion in Winter.
From Prometheus there was Jerry Goldsmith’s colourful western score
for Rio Lobos and from Aleph, Lalo Schifrin’s equally memorable
music for Cool Hand Luke. Film Score Monthly
continued to send memorable material including Franz Waxman’s Untamed,
and the combination of Bernard Herrmann’s and Alfred Newman’s talents
in The Egyptian score, but most memorable - Bernard Herrmann’s
inspired impressionistic score for Beneath the Twelve Mile
Reef.
Three albums I treasured were
newly expanded versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein screen musicals:
Carousel, Oklahoma! and The King and I . Off the beaten
track, one of the most impressive albums of the year came from the French
recording company, Le Chant du Monde, an enchanting compilation of film
music from the Russian composer Edison Denisov that included A Star
With No Name and An Ideal Husband. Another compilation I
enjoyed was flautist Andrea Griminelli’s "Cinema Italiano",
an arresting collection of Italian film scores in fascinating arrangements
and performed by an impressive cast of artists including Sting and Pavarotti.
But the compilation that gets my top nomination for 2001 is Telarc’s
important release of less well known but delightful melodic and colourful
film music by Aaron Copland: Celluloid Copland
It was interesting to note an accelerating interest
in film music in the year’s DVD releases. Strongest in this context
was the release of the special edition of Superman (that also
included Superman II). One of its many features, was the chance to see
the whole of Superman with just the music i.e. shorn of sound effects
or dialogue so allowing a unique opportunity to evaluate John Williams’s
music in context. Another impressive release was the special edition
of Edward Scissorhands that had an additional feature enabling
you to hear Danny Elfman commenting on his music as the movie ran. The
Gladiator DVD video was one of several that included interviews
with the film composer (in this case an extended interview with Hans
Zimmer).
And so to my 2001 nominations:
Best New Score: John Williams - Artificial
Intelligence (A.I.) - Warner
Best Classical Score: Alex North – Cleopatra
Varèse Sarabande
Bernard Herrmann – Beneath the 12 Mile Reef;
Film Score Monthly
Lalo Schifrin – Cool hand Luke; Aleph
Best Compilation, Celluloid Copland: The
City; The Cummington Story; North Star
From Sorcery to Science - Telarc
Film Music of William Alwyn, Vol
2 including The Crimson Pirate,
The Card and The Winslow Boy;
Chandos
Edison Denisov: Music for Films: A Star With
No Name
An Ideal Husband; Le Chant du Monde
New Category: Best VDVD release with significant
film music content.
Superman – the Special Edition
Edward Scissorhands – the Special Edition
Gary S. Dalkin - Deputy Editor
2001 was a bad year for cinema, and seeing as great
film scores and great films so often go together it is no surprise there
was little outstanding film music. I may change my opinion on Howard
Shore's music for The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
once I have seen the film, but if the album is the best of it I am not
as impressed as I feel I should be by this work's purely musical qualities.
More enjoyable on disc was Shore's jazz inflected music for The Score.
Other notable scores of the year included Rachel Portman's atmospheric
and exhilarating Americana for The Legend of Bagger Vance, Alan
Silvestri's decidedly old-school orchestral bombast accompanying The
Mummy Returns, Danny Elfman's furious percussive score for the remake
of The Planet of the Apes, Alejandro Amenábar's
Herrmannesque The Others and Stephen Warbeck's lyrical Captain
Corelli's Mandolin.
For the best scores of the year I have chosen Michael
Kamen's music for Band of Brothers, which may have been a television
series but had all the production values of a big budget movie, including
a score by an A-List composer. Certainly there were elements in the
score which recalled Kamen's previous work, but such was the power of
the drama Kamen rose to the challenge of delivering supremely moving
and stirring music. The ten-minute section on the album for the discovery
of a German concentration camp has an understated dignity where in other
hands the cue could have descended into sentimentality, while other
selections have a surprising beauty or an honest emotional starkness.
As in Band of Brothers cinema parent, Saving Private Ryan,
there is no battle music - the furious sound effects left no room or
need for any - though Kamen successfully follows John William's lead
in providing a hymnal man theme. Elsewhere the solution to condensing
the score for a ten hour film to album length is found in offering two
contrasting suites in addition to at least one cue from each episode.
A fine album from a very fine television production.
Proving intelligent life is not entirely dead in Hollywood,
Quills offered Stephen Warbeck the opportunity to go mad. Or
rather, play at madness to accompany the Marquis de Sade in the asylum.
Warbeck's score mixed sequences of great beauty with others of terrifying
delirium. The effect was greatly enhanced by the composer's refusal
to take the easy option of a fist full of samples, and construct a gallery
of bizarre instruments specially for the score. The resulting sustained
set-pieces are some of the year's very best music.
Like Warbeck John Williams offered two new scores in
2001. His Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone made for a
most enjoyable album but failed the film by simply not being English
enough. A strange fault given Williams has proven himself most adept
at English pastiche in films as different as Jane Eyre and Angela's
Ashes (despite the Irish setting Williams score was firmly within
the English classical tradition). Harry Potter also failed to make the
top of the class by containing too much that smacked of recycling, with
close parallels to Hook, The Witches of Eastwick, Superman, The Fury
and The Empire Strikes Back all being evident. Infinitely better,
and by far the best score of the year from any source was Williams'
score for A.I. - Artificial Intelligence, which rather than recycling
proved the composer still capable of top-draw original work. A pulsating,
surging work filled with urgency and influenced by the minimalism of
Philip Glass, John Adams and other contemporary composers, this bold,
complex work also offered choral and vocal music of mysterious and tender
beauty. The album was marred by two versions of a very out of place
pop-ballad arrangement of the main theme, neither of which fortunately
made it into the film. Nevertheless A.I. was John Williams at
his best, and film music doesn't get better than that.
Best New Score:
1: A.I. - Artificial Intelligence - John Williams
2: Quills - Stephen Warbeck
3: Band of Brothers - Michael Kamen
Best Classic Score recording
1: Cleopatra - Alex North
2: Beneath the 12-Mile Reef - Bernard Herrmann
3: The Lion in Winter / Mary Queen of Scots - John
Barry (Silva Screen re-recording)
Best Compilation
1: Celluloid Copland - World Premiere Film Music
2: Shakespeare at the Movies
3: Filmworks - Philip Glass
Best DVD release with significant music content:
1: Superman
2: The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones film)
3: The Crimson Rivers
Mark Hockley
Another year passes and film music not so much moves
forward but expands, encompassing the past and the present, influences
of a by-gone age making themselves loudly heard in the offerings of
our modern day maestros, the ghost of Herrmann as evident as ever. While
some fans may be less enthusiastic about the output of our current crop
of film composers (and their ranks seems to grow on a monthly basis),
never before in my opinion have we been blessed with such quality in
depth. A year does not pass now without discovering at least one brand
new worthwhile talent.
And so to the cream of 2001, at least in this reviewers
personally biased opinion. There is no question in my mind that there
is only one candidate for film score of the year and it is Howard Shore’s
incredible work on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring. As I have already reviewed it I won’t go into gushing
detail, but it is enough to say that it will be some time before we
are treated to such a diverse, skilfully conceived soundtrack again
(at least until Shore’s next instalment on The Two Towers!).
As far as I’m concerned this is a master work and is head and shoulders
above everything else released this last year. Beyond this I would single
out Jeff Dana’s poetically tragic, heartfelt music from the modern-day
version of Othello entitled simply ‘O’. Again, as I reviewed
this score I will say very little else, but the music truly moved me
with its emotion and drama and I have added Dana to my internal list
of ‘ones to watch’. Finally I think I must give a brief nod of approval
to James Newton Howard’s work on Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He
is a composer who has really hit a rich vein of form over the last few
years and his emotionally charged, rousing music for this latest Disney
production was another fine achievement. Incidentally, I would probably
have chosen Unbreakable over this, but because of the vagaries
of release dates in the US and the UK, this other Newton Howard work
seems to have fallen between the cracks into the limbo that exists at
the very end of one year and the beginning of the next. Still, regardless
of this, James Newton Howard is a composer who stands at the very forefront
of the best of our film composers and I very much look forward to his
future projects.
I think it would be fair to also pass a few comments
on some other scores that deserve recognition, such as Yann Tiersen’s
evocative work on Amelie (AKA: Le Fabuleux Destin d_Amelie
Poulain), which came very close to being one of my picks of the
year. Also of note was All the Pretty Horses by Marty Stuart,
Kristin Wilkinson and Larry Paxton. This modern western score managed
to capture much of the charm of the old school while retaining an attractive
modern edge. I should probably also mention the master John Williams’
two significant compositions, Harry Potter and the Philospher’s (Sorceror’s)
Stone and A.I.. Ironically, while I liked both of these movies,
I felt the scores lacked that certain something needed to elevate
them to the top flight, although Harry Potter wasn’t too far
away. As for A.I., although I’m very aware that many of my fellow
critics particularly admired this score, it left me somewhat cold, although
its spare, restrained quality certainly befits the spirit of the movie’s
instigator, the late, great Stanley Kubrick.
There have also been many splendid releases from older,
classic scores, although the definition of what a classic soundtrack
may or may not be subtly shifts and alters as time moves on. My own
picks would all be relatively modern works that have been given new,
expanded releases. The third entry in the brilliant Omen trilogy,
Jerry Goldsmith’s The Final Conflict is one of my very favourite
scores, so I have no hesitation in selecting that as my best of the
year. Close behind would be Toto’s memorably baroque work on David Lynch’s
sorely undervalued interpretation of Dune. Lastly, John Barry’s
bold, bleak and bracing The Last Valley demands inclusion. These
three should have pride of place in any serious film music collection
and happily this has been a very strong year for new releases of older,
highly sought after material.
Much the same can be said for the excellent compilations
that have appeared during 2001. Most notably there was Rachel Portman:
Soundtracks, an invaluable, magnificent collection of outstanding
work by this wonderful composer. Few artists can capture with such beauty
and majesty the very heart and soul of a story. Also of great value,
although very different stylistically was Philip on Film: Filmworks
by Philip Glass, a comprehensive collection by this unique composer
that offers a whole host of memorable themes and pieces. Just as distinctive,
although with a far warmer, subtle sensibility is Georges Delerue, whose
compilation by Varèse Sarabande under their Great Composers banner
is a delightful treat. All of these collections are essential purchases
and provide a wealth of superb music.
All in a all a very satisfying year, but as always
I hope the next one will be better still.
Best New Original Score
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the
Ring - Howard Shore (Reprise)
2. ‘O’ - Jeff Dana (Varèse Sarabande)
3. Atlantis-The Lost Empire - James Newton Howard
(Walt Disney)
Best Classical Score
1. The Final Conflict (The Deluxe Edition) - Jerry
Goldsmith (Varèse Sarabande)
2. Dune - Toto (Peg)
3. The Last Valley - John Barry (Silva)
Best Compilation
1. Rachel Portman: Soundtracks (Redial)
2. Philip on Film: Filmworks by Philip Glass (Nonsuch)
- Great Composers: Georges Delerue (Varèse Sarabande)
From John Huether
BEST CLASSIC SCORE: Hands down, this one has to be
Varese Sarabande’s
"Cleopatra." This effort was so massive and
yet so meticulous, it sets the benchmark
for all such efforts in the future.
2 honorable mentions:
"Malcolm Arnold Classic Film Scores: David Copperfield
and The Roots
of Heaven" – Marco Polo’s William Stromberg and
John Morgan deliver
impeccable readings of two gems by one of this century’s
greatest composers.
"Rio Lobo" -- Hardly a classic in any sense,
this Prometheus release
of a 1970 Jerry Goldsmith western nevertheless is among
the purest pleasures I came
across all year.
BEST COMPILATION: Telarc’s "Celluloid Copland"
offered something I
wouldn’t have supposed existed in 2001: previously
unrecorded works by one of
America’s greatest composers. That they were film scores
made this new
recording by Jonathan Sheffer and his Eos Orchestra
of New York all the more unique. The fourpieces include one feature
film score, two documentaries, and one work – "From Sorcery to
Science" – written to accompany a live marionette show about the
pharmaceutical industry at the 1939 World’s Fair. Only Copland could
make that musically inspiring.
2 honorable mentions:
"Man of Galilee – The Film Music of Alfred Newman"
(Silva) rates a
Hosannah simply for its inclusion of some of Newman’s
choral music that
was dropped from "The Greatest Story Ever Told"
(something Rhino’s 2-disc OST should have done, but didn’t).
"The Cardinal – classic film music of Jerome
Moross." Silva gives this
much-neglected composer his proper due by highlighting
one of the best scores of the
1960s -- plus "The Jayhawkers" and "Proud
Rebel." Wow!
OTHER NOTEWORTHY OCCURRENCES:
The past year was made especially noteworthy by the
plethora of Alfred
Newman score releases – including "Captain from
Castile," "The Bravados," and "A Man Called Peter,"
and the aforementioned "Man of Galilee."
Also noteworthy: Silva’s re-recordings of several
Barry masterpieces -- "The Last Valley" and "The Lion
in Winter" particularly. A third score, "Mary, Queen of
Scots," received shorter treatment in the form
of a suite on the latter
CD. Better, in my view, to have accorded it a full
release of its own, perhaps in place of "Robin and Marian,"
Silva’s third Barry release of the year. In any event, this much vintage
Barry is remarkable for any year.
Summarising then:-
Best Classical Score recording:-
1) Alex North - Cleopatra
2) Film Music of Malcolm Arnold Vol II
3) Jerry Goldsmith – Rio Lobo
Best Compilation album:-
- Celluloid Copland
- Man of Galilee – Music of Alfred Newman
- The Cardinal – classic film music of Jerome Moross
Paul Tonks
Last year I prayed for better weather in the world
of film music. Twelve months later, I’m happy to say I feel like my
sun finally came up! There have been pleasant surprises throughout.
There have been laughable attempts at trend setting. There has also
been wonderful re-packaging of classics. So all in all, I’ve enjoyed
having regular recourse for breaking into that very particular smile
only to be seen on the face of a film music geek.
To break with tradition, I’m going to detail my choices
for the major categories in reverse order, starting with the Compilation
category. That means it is my duty to immediately point and laugh at
Hans Zimmer’s The Wings of a Film. The clue’s in the title! Wings?
WINGS? Gladiator most certainly went to someone’s head. Whether
or not it was Zimmer’s is anyone’s guess, but someone at Decca clearly
thought we needed to see his name in between a second volume of Gladiator
and Hannibal (see below).
Moving onto the sunnier side, Silva Screen again did
us proud with multi-disc compilations of classic greats. Almost in my
Top 3 was Man of Galilee: The Essential Alfred Newman Film Music
Collection. It’s only slightly pipped from my vote by the arguably
more diverse Gone With the Wind: Essential Max Steiner Film Music
Collection. It’s tough to make a distinction between the two really
for quality representation. Steiner’s has a slightly better repeat play
appeal to me though. Next up is The Very Best of Michael Nyman: Film
Music 1980 - 2001 from Virgin Records. Although the ball was severely
dropped in the packaging (the fact there are several re-recordings isn’t
even mentioned), this is a truly amazing reminder of the musical journey
Nyman has taken. You even get some of his ‘tossed score’ for Practical
Magic, which seems a most humbling admission of defeat. In my Number
1 spot has to be Silva Screen’s 4-disc John Barry: The Collection
however. The blue cover and booklet may be a little plain. The cardboard
cover may have needed a hacksaw to remove. But in terms of bang for
your buck, quality and sheer generosity, this may qualify as the best
composer collection ever compiled.
With that in mind, I admit a prejudice against too
much of a good thing in now turning to the Classic Recordings category.
Frankly, I would have enjoyed a more staggered release of Silva Screen’s
complete re-recordings of The Lion In Winter, Robin &
Marian and The Last Valley. A few other labels kept up the
good work throughout the year. As always, Marco Polo had some great
reconstructive work to show off. For me that principally came through
Max Steiner’s Son of Kong / Most Dangerous Game. GNP Crescendo
had another 2-for-1 deal that pleased a lot of James Horner fans with
Battle Beyond the Stars / Humanoids from Deep.
FSM Classics put out a consistently excellent body of work this year
too. The Bernard Herrmann scores Beyond the 12 Mile Reef and
The Egyptian (with Alfred Newman) were very welcome. As were
Jerry Goldsmith’s The Illustrated Man, Don Ellis’s The French
Connection (+ II), Franz Waxman’s The Untamed and
even the cash-in well-timed release of Conquest of / Battle for the
Planet of the Apes (Tom Scott / Leonard Rosenman).
Without doubt, the label to make the most noise worth
making noise about was Varese Sarabande. Horner fans blissed out to
Aliens: The Deluxe Edition, despite the shock of discovering
the coveted snare drum cue for the Dropship missing (since it was composed
by Harry Rabinowitz). Goldsmith fans were even better served though
by the curiously disordered release of Deluxe Editions of the
Omen trilogy (The Final Conflict,
The Omen and then Damien: Omen II). Outstripping
their appeal for this reviewer however was the similarly Deluxe Edition
of Total Recall. Many aficionados have noted this to have been
the last great Goldsmith action score. Some have gone further in saying
it was his last great score. Others sigh and say it still sounds like
the last one he was really trying on. Whatever camp you or I may be
on that issue, it is nonetheless an inarguably ferocious piece of writing.
Aside from my preference for the genre, this makes my Top 3 for being
a better example of re-instating previously missing material. Less is
rarely more in any Paul Verhoeven movie, and that most certainly applies
here.
Next I choose Varese’s wonderful re-recording of Bernard
Herrmann’s The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. It’s the quirkiest of all
the fantasy scores Herrmann wrote, and in being intrinsically English
he got to indulge in styles dear to his sensibilities. This shines through
Joel McNeely’s superb conducting.
Top of the list for this category was always going
to be Alex North’s Cleopatra for me, regardless of whatever else
came out later in the year. So many film music fans have vaguely known
of it as being something of a kissing cousin to the easily available
Spartacus. When this double disc set arrived, it set geek tongues
a-lolling and a-wagging in stunned appreciation for what is a masterpiece
of orchestration and conception on an epic scale.
So on to the New Recordings category. It wasn’t the
best of years for new talent, but ‘big time’ acknowledging nods are
deserved in the direction of Dan Jones (Shadow of the Vampire),
Conrad Pope (Pavilion of Women), James L. Venables (Jay &
Silent Bob Strike Back and Iron Monkey), Michiru Ohshima
(Godzilla Vs Megaguirus) and Alex Heffes (The Parole Officer).
Before the real ‘hits’ of the year, I’d like to enjoy
citing what I felt were the real ‘misses’ of the year. Let’s first of
all ponder where the heck Jerry Goldsmith is going? Along Came A
Spider was all he had? And Hollow Man last year? 1999 may
not have been a better year for vintage Goldsmith (The Mummy,
The Haunting and The 13th Warrior), but at
least it looked like he was working. Where was the usually prolific
James Horner for that matter? Enemy at the Gates? So what? And
rounding out the acknowledged triumvirate of A-list big-hitters is what
I stoically maintain was an uninspiring year from John Williams. Both
A.I. and Harry Potter have their happy-go-lucky fans,
but I unfortunately find both to be uneven scores represented by uneven
albums.
If anyone can be said to have made an attempt on A-list
domination it’s Hans Zimmer, who’s enjoyed a fabulous year of marketing
on his behalf. What a shame then that his legitimate talents went to
waste on the risible cinematic flotsam that was Hannibal and
Pearl Harbor. Close behind sits Danny Elfman who can’t seem to
shake the memory of Edward Scissorhands (The Family Man),
nor an inexplicable association with John Debney (Spy Kids).
Thankfully his year was saved by the unfairly ignored Proof of Life
and the quite rightly ignored Planet of the Apes. Say what you
like about Tim Burton’s ill-conceived "re-imagining", but
Elfman’s percussive score is the most original thing he’s had chance
to do in years.
Here are my other miscellaneous misfires for 2001.
Stephen Warbeck’s Captain Corelli's Mandolin, regrettably as
insincere as Nicolas Cage’s accent. Alan Silvestri’s The Mummy Returns,
a shocking wall of orchestral noise disguised by a shocking wall of
sound design. Michael Kamen’s Band of Brothers, an otherwise
commendable accompaniment to the sensitive subject matter marred by
blatant self-plagiarism (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Mr.
Holland’s Opus). David Arnold’s The Musketeer, which didn’t
know whether to follow in the footsteps of Korngold, William or Bond.
Lastly there was John Barry’s Enigma, which after so full a year
of being reminded how self-contained his style can be (especially with
the non-film album Eternal Echoes) sounded more than a little
uninspired.
So what of the ‘hits’? What put that geek smile upon
my face more than any of the above? I’ll start with a guilty admission
of liking Jurassic Park III by Don Davis, regardless (not because
of) its reliance on John Williams’ earlier motifs. There was also a
terrific expansion of material from Lalo Schifrin for the otherwise
unnecessary sequel Rush Hour 2. Michael Nyman’s homage to Ennio
Morricone in The Claim beautifully puts paid to any opinions
that the guy can’t be melodious. Angelo Badalamenti’s contributions
to the typically stylistically-fused David Lynch experience album for
Mullholland Drive were a treat. Fusion also worked for David
Arnold’s Baby Boy, and even more so for Carter Burwell’s A
Knight's Tale, which eclipsed the similar effort attempted in the
film’s song placement. Burwell also turned in another terrifically understated
work for the Coen Brother’s largely unseen The Man Who Wasn't There.
After being stuck for anything to make a choice from
in the last few years, the choice of a Top 3 was awkward for the opposite
reason this time. Three more pleasant surprises each vied for my third
vote in this category. The Mists of Avalon by Lee Holdridge was
a complete shock. Having come to distrust TV adaptations of all things
fantasy, this was an album that took a long time to reach the top of
my ‘play’ pile. The choral and percussion elements of this score frankly
took my breath away. Even if it’s not the greatest fantasy score ever
written (I’m getting to that), or even the best of Holdridge’s career,
it was least the best example of this particular jaded reviewer eating
his own opinion in a long time. I was happy to experience a similar
feeling from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within from Elliot Goldenthal.
Although this remains the throwtogether of styles he’ll no doubt never
move on from, it’s the most fun it’s sounded for a good few years now.
My 3rd place vote goes to the fun that’s
to be had from Howard Shore’s jazzy noir The Score score. Since
I’m about to wax lyrical about him again, I’ll refrain from further
superlatives. My 2nd place ultimately falls to Amelie
from Yann Tiersen. A full review of mine at the site details my feelings
about the feel-good movie.
All of which quickly leads to the best of the Best.
When I received a CD-R promo of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring in October, it was with some trepidation I pressed ‘Play’
for the first time. No one could class me as a hardcore Tolkien fan.
A fan nonetheless, but with a comfortable distance from the material
so as not to personally feel the need for perfection. My trepidation
was really in respect to several friends to whom this would be more
important. Bubbling under that were more personal concerns, having built
Howard Shore up in my own mind as something of a last hope for intellectual
composition in an increasingly dumbed-down industry.
To be as concise as possible about this score will
still no doubt seem like unnecessary praisegiving. It is the most work
put into a film score since I dare not think when. It shows. Two layers
of misconception need to be filtered out to approach this level of appreciation.
Firstly, it’s Act One in his preconceived 9-hour opera. Secondly, the
album is a mere 72 minutes cut and paste from over 2 & ½ hours.
Both factors would ordinarily dilute the material into something incoherent
or disjointed. That isn’t the case. As much consideration has been taken
in compiling this album as the placement of cues in the film. The music
itself is an astoundingly dense work incorporating Tolkien’s own musicality
where the film’s narrative itself could not. The highlights of which
are far too numerous to list fully. Ultimately, the placement of this
at my Number 1 spot for the year was secured when my trepidation gave
way to the biggest of geek smiles, which reappears every time I hear
one of those many highlights.
2002 has a lot to live up to.
My nominations are:-
Best New Original Score
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Amelie
The Score
Best Classic film score recording
Cleopatra Alex North
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
Total Recall: Deluxe Edition
Best Compilation.
John Barry: The Collection
Best of Michael Nyman
Essential Max Steiner Film Music Collection
Paul Tonks
Jeffrey Wheeler
A new year is here, which means it is time for griping
about how awful the film music was during the past 12 months. Honestly,
it wasn't half bad. Most of it was noise, but then the last year to
be thematically dominant was (arguably) 1993, now nearly a decade away,
and the noise is starting to find a listenable middle ground. Maybe
the nocuous days of dropping one's keys for so-called dramatic effect
are finally waning. If only we could lose the mediocrity that regularly
accompanies artistic compromise, as the signs of temp tracking remain
distressingly obvious.
Honorable mentions for the year include Alan Silvestri's
exciting bombast for "The Mummy Returns" and Morricone-lite for "The
Mexican", Danny Elfman's percussive "Planet of the Apes", Yan Tiersen's
lighthearted "Amalie", John Williams' glowing "Harry Potter and The
Philosopher's Stone", Don Davis' unreleased "Antitrust", Angelo Badalamenti's
"Mulholland Drive", Harry Gregson-Williams' & John Powell's "Shrek",
and two efforts from Howard Shore: "The Score" and, of course, the epic
"Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". Compensating for a
complete lack of new classics from Jerry Goldsmith, the "Omen" trilogy
received a truly deluxe treatment. Indeed, it was a remarkable year
for releases of classic scores, with Film Score Monthly, Marco Polo,
Silva Screen and others continuing full support of filmusic history.
A certain curmudgeonly reviewer from Films in Review might say in delight
of these treasures, "Out with the new, in with the old," but I begin
my Film Music on the Web nominations with praise for three recent filmusic
offerings...
BEST NEW SCORE
"A.I." is a masterful abstract of sadness -- a strangely
beautiful sadness, like the realization of a love we know will not last
yet we deeply treasure. As a standalone and as an active participant
in the film, John Williams' music captures that nature. It represents
a thoughtful artistic vision, and in its minimalist currents, subtle
fanfares, strong themes, rich chorales, wonderful orchestrations, and
touches of insider wit, the score demonstrates the composer in peak
form, striving for sentiment without sentimentality. Understanding the
richness of the composition and the drama is a beautiful challenge;
those characterizing any moment as 'happy' or 'horrific' are courting
superficialities. There is a fullness to the innovations, a polish to
the traditions, and the juggling of opposites is more successful than
even most supporters of "A.I." initially thought. Though popularly misread,
"A.I." deserves more attention, more thought, and more admiration. It
exquisitely documents existential dreams and nightmares. And while 'haunting'
is an overused adjective that betrays a common reviewer, it is an apt
description. Since seeing the film, it haunts me, and my appreciation
of the work continues to grow, particularly regarding the contribution
of the film's composer. This is a masterpiece across the board; Williams
deserves much praise for being a conscious force behind its completion
and a defining contributor to its art.
Elliot Goldenthal's "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within"
makes a fine lead-in to "A.I.", as there are some common threads, but
Goldenthal's wondrous soundscape works spectacularly on its own. Unlike
"A.I.", "Final Fantasy" amalgamates the elements rather than balancing
them. Everything connects directly to everything else. Here, Goldenthal's
usual cold intellectualism combines with waving melodies, erratic rhythms,
and not-so-subtle fanfares to create one of the most accessible film
scores of his career, while always retaining an inventive edge over
the competition. Much of the music we hear follows a form of post-modern
romanticism. Equally noteworthy are the performances from the London
Symphony Orchestra and the London Voices, which add clarity to the dissonant
sections while accentuating the beauty of the central theme and the
cohesion of the various undercurrents. This is a strong score in both
it presentation (such a big orchestra and choir is difficult to miss)
and its technique, so the two combined create an awesome aural experience.
And on the dramatic level, it far outshines anything one might normally
expect out of a movie based on a video game.
The French-language "Le Pacte des Loups" premiered
in early 2001 (taking a full year to reach the U.S. as "Brotherhood
of the Wolf") and whispers about its score subsequently popped up online.
Though not renowned for originality (for in the past he did not demonstrate
much facility for it), Joseph LoDuca's music for "Brotherhood of the
Wolf" is a novel work that does not delight the ears, but honestly shocks
them. It is horror music, laden with electronic effects, vocal chants
and aggressive percussion, softened by romances and gothic dances, and
throwing about twisted innovations. LoDuca wisely structures the noise,
however; it almost fits with Goldsmith's "Planet of the Apes", Williams'
"Images", North's "Dragonslayer" and other scores that effectively throw
out traditional scoring. The music is imaginative -- not in a fashionably
abstract or alienating way, but through emphasizing usual emotions in
unusual manners. When unpleasant, it is deliberately and dramatically
so. Many scores, especially fellow entries in the horror genre, are
merely violent or grotesque. This has depth.
BEST CLASSIC SCORE
The historical value of Alex North's "Cleopatra" has
never been so clear as it is now, thanks to the 2-disc album from Varese
Sarabande. Though a success when the original release premiered around
the time of the film's release, this restoration and greatly expanded
presentation allows longtime fans of the score to feel a stronger sense
of appreciation, and people that felt lukewarm to previous recordings,
like myself, can finally understand what makes this epic score a classic.
An envelope-pusher of technique in his day, but also a composer of timeless
sophistication, North reveled in unusual instrumentation, percussion
in particular, that cut through any Hollywood cliché. The resultant
mix of modernism and romanticism is special, and the unconventional
twists on Golden Age romances -- preceding Elliot Goldenthal's contributions
to cinema by quite a few years -- come across in nearly every track.
These are magnificently presented discs. The music has been lovingly
treated; only a few artifacts that managed to survive the restoration
process give away the age of the original tracks. The album itself is
a joy to behold, with hardly a visual or textual splendor misplaced.
Many of us believe that filmusic is capable of being high art, and "Cleopatra"
is one of the proofs in support of this view.
Paired with the slightly less stellar "The Son of Kong",
"The Most Dangerous Game" is a delightfully creepy Max Steiner score,
restored to its full glory through the reconstruction efforts of John
W. Morgan and the strengthening musicianship of the Moscow Symphony
Orchestra under William T. Stromberg's direction. The menacing brass,
the warm waltz that is the main theme, an intense final chase cue, even
the secondary theme that is somewhat below Steiner's average, are significant
discoveries from the filmusic Golden Age. The feel of this album recalls
the early 1930s, respectfully enhanced through the technology and modern
expertise of the Digital Age, and of course the full orchestra Steiner
wanted but could not get. The Marco Polo team released other re-recordings
in 2001, dedicated to exceptional scores by Sir Malcolm Arnold and Bernard
Herrmann, but the union of the rippling "The Most Dangerous Game" and
"The Son of Kong" surpasses them in education, wit and audio presentation.
The disc looks good, and it sounds better through every stroke of subtlety
and every blast of bombast.
The performances from Nic Raine, the City of Prague
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus leave perfection
outside, but their re-recording of "The Last Valley" (along with a lush
suite from "Mary Queen Of Scots") by John Barry is a powerful experience
nonetheless. I confess to being a one-time supporter of "bar Barry-ism";
however, "The Last Valley" is a melodramatic, medieval masterwork that
deservedly won an Academy Award. Barry composed a score with exquisite
melodies and frighteningly strong vocals. This is not business-as-usual
for the composer. What we hear is a gothic musical drama, the compositional
equivalent of spending a dark night in the woods with bright moonlight
shining through the trees. It achieves genuinely operatic proportions
as a film underscore. Aside from Silva Screen's release appearing unmistakably
'cost friendly', the people who put in their share for this expanded
edition of the score warrant kudos for giving the score another life.
BEST COMPILATION
Featuring tracks by Nino Rota, Carmine Coppola and
Pietro Mascagni, representing music from "The Godfather", "The Godfather
Part II" and "The Godfather Part III", "The Godfather Trilogy" 30th
Anniversary album is a smashing tribute to the films and their soundtracks.
It sounds terrific, Paul Bateman conducts the City of Prague Philharmonic
and Crouch End Chorus in some of their finest performances, and the
musical selection captures the cycle's most famous passages, whether
underscore or source. Rota's 'The Godfather Waltz', 'The Immigrant',
Coppola's 'Intermezzo', Mascagni's 'Preludio from "Cavalleria Rusticana"'
- they are all here. That this music still sounds timeless after several
years (30 years, obviously, from the beginning) is a joy to observe;
the album has a classical feel (bloody corpse on the inside cover probably
notwithstanding) that mirrors the scope of the series and makes offers
you cannot refuse. You must listen to it. Compilation albums are not
a major interest for everyone, but this is a collection that deserves
spins in anyone's CD player.
World premiere suites from three Aaron Copland film
scores and a 1939 World's Fair puppet show provide one the most amazing,
and historically important, compilation albums in recent years. Sounding
grand, "Celluloid Copland" introduces the world at large to typically
marvelous Copland music that otherwise may very well have disappeared
into the darkest recesses of the Library of Congress. The Eos Orchestra
(under the capable direction of Jonathan Sheffer) superbly relays Copland's
diversity from his excitable first film score, "The City", through the
noble Americana of "The Cummington Story", past the eclectic "The North
Star" ('The Song of the Guerillas'!) to the snappy "From Sorcery to
Science". People tend to discover older scores by accident; "Celluloid
Copland" is a release that ought to be actively sought out.
A significantly more contemporary collection is a theme
album dedicated to two of the most consistent collaborators in Hollywood:
director Robert Zemeckis and composer Alan Silvestri. "Cast Away", so
named because it cleverly doubles as the OST to that film (which contains
an atypically brief underscore), shows off the various highlights off
their association, which is quite solid indeed. Using original tracks
from "Romancing the Stone", the "Back to the Future" films, "Who Framed
Roger Rabbit", "Death Becomes Her", "Forrest Gump", "Contact", "What
Lies Beneath" and "Cast Away", the disc is a deliciously fun retrospective.
BEST NEW SCORE
"A.I." by John Williams (Warner Bros.)
"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" by Elliot Goldenthal
(Sony Classical)
"Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des Loups)" by Joseph
LoDuca (Virgin)
BEST CLASSIC SCORE RECORDING
"Cleopatra" by Alex North (Varese Sarabande)
"The Son of Kong"/"The Most Dangerous Game" by Max
Steiner (Marco Polo)
"The Last Valley" by John Barry (Silva Screen)
BEST COMPILATION
"The Godfather Trilogy" by Nino Rota; Carmine Coppola;
Pietro Mascagni (Silva Screen)
"Celluloid Copland" by Aaron Copland (Telarc)
"Cast Away" by Alan Silvestri (Varese Sarabande)