Moonrise Kingdom – Original Soundtrack – Score by Alexandre Desplat – ABCO Music & Records 1877188922:
Wes Anderson’s notes for this CD start out “Sometimes the music comes first…” and I think that is quite true of this film scoring. He says his inspiration for Moonrise Kingdom—the most Wes Andersonish of all his films so far—came from his singing in the chorus of a 1979 school production of Benjamin Britten’s opera for amateurs, Noye’s Fludde. Basically, it’s the story of two 12-year-olds who run away together into the wilderness, turning their peaceful island community upside down.
Yes, the acting by Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and others is superb, but the music really ties the film together—a large part of it being by Benjamin Britten. In addition to excerpts from Noye’s Fludde, there is music from his Simple Symphony, his Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a good part of The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra—in a recording by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. There is also an excerpt from Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals (also Bernstein) and even a Hank Williams song! Desplat’s original score sews it all together.
TrackList:
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 1 Themes A-F Benjamin Britten 2 Camp Ivanhoe Cadence Medley Mark Mothersbaugh Simple Symphony, Op. 4 3 Playful Pizzicato Benjamin Britten 4 Kaw-Liga Fred Rose / Hank Williams Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59 5 Noye, Noye, Take Thou Thy Company Benjamin Britten The Moonrise Kingdom 6 The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe. Part 1. A Veiled Mist Alexandre Desplat 7 The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe. Part 2. Smoke / Fire Alexandre Desplat 8 The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe. Part 3. The Salt Air Alexandre Desplat A Midsummer Night’s Dream 9 Act 2. On the ground, sleep sound Benjamin Britten 10 Long Gone Lonesome Blues Hank Williams Le Carnaval des Animaux 11 Volière Camille Saint-Saëns 12 Le Temps de l’Amour Jacques Dutronc / Lucien Morisse / André Salvet Comme Une Image 13 An die Musik Franz Schubert 14 Ramblin’ Man Hank Williams Songs from Friday Afternoons, Op. 7 15 Old Abram Brown Benjamin Britten The Moonrise Kingdom 16 The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe. Parts 4-6. Thunder, Lightning, and Rain Alexandre Desplat The Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59 17 The Spacious Firmament on High Benjamin Britten Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59 18 Noye, take thy wife Anone Benjamin Britten The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 19 Fugue. Allegro motto Benjamin Britten Songs from Friday Afternoons, Op. 7 20 Cuckoo! Benjamin Britten Moonrise Kingdom 21 The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe. Part 7. After the Storm Alexandre Desplat
CHARLIE CHAPLIN: City Lights – His original 1931 score in a new re-recording by The City Lights Orchestra cond. by Carl Davis – Carl Davis Collection CDC015:
Chaplin thought lip-sync sound films were ridiculous; his art was comic pantomime. But his original music could beautifully support the screen images, and that is what he did in his most perfect film, City Lights. Chaplin taught himself to play violin and cello, and he spent hours improvising on piano and organ. Of his City Lights score, he said “I wanted the music to be a counterpoint of grace and charm.” The little Tramp never speaks a word. Unfortunately, the 1931 recording techniques couldn’t begin to do justice to his music. Carl Davis got permission from the Chaplin estate to work on the original score and parts and came up with this lovely version. The arrangements were pared down and simplified by Chaplin, and Davis followed his lead. As Chaplin had said: “Nothing is more adventurous and exciting than to hear the tunes one has composed played for the first time by a fifty-piece orchestra.” And now we can hear them as they should have been heard in the first place.
TrackList:
1 Overture / Unveiling the Statue Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 2 The Flower Girl (La Violetera) José Padilla Carl Davis City Lights 3 Evening / Meeting the Millionaire Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 4 At the Millionaire’s Home Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 5 The Nightclub – Dance Suite Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 6 The Limousine Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 7 The Sober Dawn Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 8 The Party & the Morning After Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 9 Eviction / The Road Sweeper / At the Girl’s Home Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 10 The Boxing Match Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 11 The Burglars Charlie Chaplin Carl Davis 12 Reunited Charlie Chaplin Carl DavisJAMES HORNER: Titanic – Anniversary Edition – Sony Classical 8869191475 2 (2 CDs):
Originally released to coincide with the post-production 3D version of the feature Titanic, this double-CD package includes a remastered version of the original soundtrack album conducted by James Horner, plus on the second CD never-before-released music from the film played by I Salonisti. I Salonisti is the same quintet which appears in the film. Film director James Cameron painstakingly researched the authentic music that was played on the ship, using the music that all bands from the White Star Line would have been required to play as employees of the prestigious cruise fleet. The original single soundtrack CD was one of the best-selling soundtrack albums ever. There seems to be some controversy about whether or not “Nearer My God To Thee” was actually what the quintet played as the ship went down; the actual song played is rumored to have been “Song of Autumn,” also on the second disc. There is also a four-CD “Collector’s Anniversary Edition” of this, in which the fourth CD includes popular music from the era, such as Guy Lombardo, Beatrice Kay, John Kirby, Mildred Bailey and Duke Ellington.
TrackList: Disc 1 1. Never An Absolution James Horner 2. Distant Memories James Horner 3. Southampton James Horner 4. Rose James Horner 5. Leaving Port James Horner 6. Take Her To The Sea Mr. Murdoch James Horner 7. Hard To Starboard James Horner 8. Unable To Stay, Unwilling To Leave James Horner 9. The Sinking James Horner 10. Death Of Titanic James Horner 11. A Promise Kept James Horner 12. A Life So Changed James Horner 13. An Ocean Of Memories James Horner 14. My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic) Celine Dion 15. Hymn To The Sea I Salonisti Disc 2 1. Valse Septembre I Salonisti 2. Marguerite Waltz I Salonisti 3. Wedding Dance I Salonisti 4. Poet And Peasant I Salonisti 5. Blue Danube I Salonisti 6. Song Without Words I Salonisti 7. Estudiantina I Salonisti 8. Vision Of Salome I Salonisti 9. Titsy Bitsy Girl I Salonisti 10. Alexander’s Ragtime Band I Salonisti 11. Sphinx I Salonisti 12. Barcarole I Salonisti 13. Orpheus I Salonisti 14. Song Of Autumn I Salonisti 15. Nearer My God To Thee I Salonisti
To Rome With Love – Original Soundtrack – Sony Classical 88725438282:
The latest not-very-inspired stop on Allen’s grand tour of Europe is made up of four stories which are all pretty predictable. Not as classy or thoughtful as his films set in London, Paris and Barcelona. However, the soundtrack is a varied collection of Italian music which will appeal to many listeners.
TrackList:
1 Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) Domenico Modugno 2 Amada mia, amore mio The Starlite Orchestra View In iTunes 3 Arrivederci Roma Alfredo Messina 4 Ciribiribin Angelo Di Pippo 5 Tosca: E lucevan le stelle (a capella) Fabio Armiliato 6 Turandot: Nessun dorma (a capella) Fabio Armiliato 7 Mio dolce sogno Butch Baldassari, Jack Jezzro & Jeff Taylor 8 Non dimenticar le mie parole Emilio Livi e Trio Lescano 9 La traviata: Libiamo ne’lieti calici (Drinking Song) Angelo Di Pippo 10 Fedora: Amor ti vieta Fabio Armiliato 11 Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) Angelo Di Pippo 12 Studio 99 Adam Hamilton 13 Three Times Bossa Mop Mop 14 When Your Lover Has Gone Eddie Condon & His Orchestra 15 Pagliacci: Son qua, son qua Fabio Armiliato & Orchestra 16 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba Fabio Armiliato & Orchestra 17 Pagliacci: Duetto e finale Antonio Taschini, Fabio Armiliato, Matteo Bonotto, Rita Cammarano & Vinicio Cesare 18 Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) Steven Bernstein’s Neapolitan OrchestraMARC STREITENFELD: Prometheus – Original soundtrack score from the Ridley Scott film – Sony Classical 88691978342:
The new 3D feature since Avatar mixes human mythology with sci-fi in a story about explorers traveling to a distant planet and discovering a clue to the origin of life on Earth. The score is the work of a German composer who studied with Hans Zimmer. It mixes electronic sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements. Much of it is quite dark, and at one point it quotes from Jerry Goldsmith’s music for Alien.
TrackList:
1. A Planet 2. Going In 3. Engineers 4. Life* 5. Weyland 6. Discovery 7. Not Human 8. Too Close 9. Try Harder 10. David 11. Hammerpede 12. We were right 13. Earth 14. Infected 15. Hyper Sleep 16. Small Beginnings 17. Hello Mommy 18. Friend From The Past 19. Dazed 20. Space Jockey 21. Collision 22. Debris 23. Planting the Seed 24. Invitation 25. Birth
DANNY ELFMAN: MIB3 (Men in Black 3) – Original score – Sony Classical 88725403722:
From serious sci-fi to the most successful sci-fi parody franchise and its third effort to make aliens hilarious. The story this time gets into time travel and has Will Smith helping Josh Brolin, who plays his partner Tommy Lee Jones in an earlier time. Director Barry Sonnenfeld thought the music Elfman first came up with too light and humorous—trying to help the screen images. He wanted something more heavy and serious, even some re-dos of themes from the earlier films. That’s what Elfman created for this version. It does make it even funnier. His chase music is too much, and those monocycles—who thought that one up? (Elfman’s score for the first of the three films was nominated for an Oscar.)
TrackList:
• 1. Men in Black 3 – Main Titles (5:54) • 2. Spiky Bulba (2:18) • 3. The Set-Up (3:36) • 4. Headquarters (2:00) • 5. Regret (3:03) • 6. Wrong (1:03) • 7. Not Funny (1:48) • 8. Big Trouble (1:15) • 9. Out on a Limb (2:00) • 10. Time Jump (1:14) • 11. Bad Fortune (1:14) • 12. Forget Me Not (1:27) • 13. Into the Past (1:37) • 14. Griffin Steps Up (1:41) • 15. True Story (0:41) • 16. The Prize – Monocycles (3:56) • 17. Boris Meets Boris (1:27) • 18. Under the Bridge (5:51) • 19. The Mission Begins (5:28) • 20. Mission Accomplished (3:08) • 21. A Close One (1:34) • 22. Men in Black 3 – Main Titles Revisited (1:33)
THOMAS NEWMAN: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – Music from the Motion Picture – Orch. cond. by Simon Rhodes – Sony Classical 88691942912:
Thomas Newman follows in the footsteps of his ancestors in writing excellent film scores. A group of senior Brits research a place to retire in a less expensive country and end up at the well-promoted Marigold Hotel in Jaipur. Unfortunately the hotel is very shabby and life there is chaotic. It’s run by a struggling young Indian who has more enthusiasm than knowhow. How this affects all of them is the main thrust of the story. Newman’s score seems to capture the spirit of India without corny re-hashing of Indian music.
TrackList:
1 Long Old Life 2 This Is the Day 3 The Chimes at Midnight 4 Road to Jaipur 5 Night Bus 6 Tuk Tuks 7 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 8 Assault On the Senses 9 Anokhi 10 Cricket Spell 11 More Than Nothing 12 Day 22 13 Mrs. Ainsley 14 Do Your Worst 15 Udaipur 16 Turning Left 17 Not Yet the End 18 Progress 19 Young Wasim 20 What Happens Instead 21 A Bit of Afters
DANNY ELFMAN: Hitchcock – Original Motion Picture Sountrack – Sony Classical 88765417072:
Director Sacha Gervasi raves in the album notes about how great it was working with Danny Elfman on this score, because Elfman was a longtime Hitchcock fan. He tried to evoke the orchestral scale and beautiful themes of Hitchcock’s original scores by the master Bernard Hermann. He also inserted some musical mischief. The story centers on Hitch and his wife Alma and especially on the production of his film Psycho. Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren are the two, with Scarlett Johansson taking the Janet Leigh role in Psycho. The last of the 27 cues is Gounod’s “Funeral March for a Marionette”—the theme for Hitch’s TV series.
TrackList:
1 | Logos | |
2 | Theme From Hitchcock | |
3 | The Premiere | |
4 | Paramount/Out The Gate | |
5 | Mommy Dearest | |
6 | In Bed | |
7 | Impulses | |
8 | The Censor | |
9 | The Swim | |
10 | Peeping | |
11 | Sacrifices | |
12 | Walk With Hitch | |
13 | Celery | |
14 | Telephone | |
15 | Suspicion | |
16 | Explosion | |
17 | Selling Psycho | |
18 | Fantasy Smashed | |
19 | The Sand | |
20 | It’s A Wrap | |
21 | Busted | |
22 | Saving The House | |
23 | Finally | |
24 | Home At Last | |
25 | End Credit #1 | |
26 | End Credit #2 | |
27 | Funeral March For A Marionette |
DAVID ARNOLD & MICHAEL PRICE: Sherlock – Original TV Soundtrack, Series Two – Silva Screen SILCD 1383:
This BBC-TV series is hugely popular both in North America and the UK. Fans had to wait 18 months to get the soundtrack selections from the first series, but shortly after the second ended this CD came out. Michael Price is from Band of Brothers and David Arnold was involved in James Bond scores. They create rather minimalistic but suspenseful classically-influenced cues for the various scenes. There are excerpts from three episodes here: A Scandal in Belgradia, The Hounds of Baskerville, and The Reichenbach Fall. I think this one would appeal mostly to fans of the series, being just incidental music which has less interest without the visuals that go with it.
TrackList: Irene’s Theme, Potential Clients, Status Symbols, Woman, Dark Times, Smoke Alarm, SHERlocked, Pursued by a Hound, Village, Double Room, Deeper into Baskerville, To Dartmoor, Lab, Mind Palace and Solution, Grimm Fairy Tales, Deduction and deception, Prepared to do Anything, Blood on the Pavement, One More Miracle
—All reviews, John Sunier