THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS
Intrada Records first-issue on CD of Jerry Fielding's last two Sam Peckinpah film scores is an important entry into the recorded canon of Fielding's work, preserving two very different scores, that for BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA and THE KILLER ELITE. Fielding remains one of the most unsung of unsung film heroes even with the prevalence in film music appreciation that has surged over the last couple of decades films his work severely neglected, so it is with this in mind that Intrada should especially be thanked for providing this new release. Temperamental and uncompromising, Fielding was a very modern composer whose work was not, say, as Hollywood-sounding as more sweepingly melodic composers, and it definitely wasn't very commercial. But it is extremely effective in its modernity, capturing a unique ability to hone a very psychological connection with the subjects moving about on the screen. Characteristically avoiding 19th century musical idioms, Fielding adopted very modern, often complicated symphonic structures in crafting scores even when their settings were distinctly unmodern, as in Westerns like THE WILD BUNCH, CHATO'S LAND, LAWMAN and THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, or in modern thrillers like Michael Winner's THE MECHANIC or Peckinpah's STRAW DOGS, or even in his theme and episode music for HOGAN'S HEROES, which even then remained a far cry from most typical TV music of the time.
Interestingly, what may be his most violent film has also produced one of his most accessible and melodic scores. ALFREDO GARCIA (1974) brims with gentle melodies, severe violence, and melancholy, contrapuntal atmospheres. It occasionally, as in the occasional flamenco guitar introduced in the main title, suggests the film's Latino setting, as do some varieties of the source music included on the CD, but otherwise the score aligns itself with the optimistic Bennie (Warren Oates), weaving the film's Mexican environment into the character's cinematic psychology, and creating a kind of psychological portrait of the character that shifts in layered patterns from scene to scene, but never roams too far from where he started. That's the tragedy of Bennie and Fielding captures it almost subliminally with what is one of his finest efforts.
The Mexican rhythms that infest "Gathering Information" provide a delightful musical travelogue while simultaneously moving the action ahead and also underlying the sense of urgency in the characters. Fielding's suspense music is hypnotic, like the synth pulses that echo above shimmering chords in "Getting a Head," or the use of flamenco guitar rhythms, representing the Mexican setting of the film, to create, alternately with uneven shards of violin bowing or with blaring horns a claustrophobic action riff in, respectively, "Bennie's Revenge" and "Road Kill." "Prelude to a Rape" is dark and sinister, snaky woodwinds crawling through dry, dusty gutters. "Marriage Plans" introduce the film's shimmering love theme, a lush melody for strings, distinctly different from the score's predominant tone of darkness and brooding violence. The tune is given a beautiful variation for solo violin in the same cue, and a pretty, drawn-out rendition backed by Mexican rhythms in the lovely "Killer's Rhapsody." In "Bennie's Remorse," the mesmerizing suspense repetitions segue into the Love Theme, offering a melancholy coda to the cue, very sweet and very warm. The score ends on a lush upsurge of orchestra, a faint respite of hope at the end of Bennie's dark nightmare, a remembrance of "marriage plans."
THE KILLER ELITE (1975), on the other hand, is more of an American urban score, highly symphonic, but drawn from a dark-tinged urban jazz center. The music pulses from start to finish, its severe intonations suggesting the repressed anger of Locken, the partial invalid. This sense of restraint, of holding back, remains present in the music in almost all the cues, except when Fielding opens up and soars freely as Locken's thoughts drift toward sailing, and at the end when he finally sails free, outward bound. Suspense cues, as in "He's Your Buddy" are rather static, familiar raps of snare drum, intonations of winds and brass, but the score is enhanced by a very pretty love theme for jazzy trumpet, and an extended seven-minute cue, "Bethlehem Steelyard," tends to take a little too long to get going, but the End Titles track is quite satisfying, culminating in a compelling bit of rhythmic action writing.
This Intrada Special Collection release includes detailed liner notes by Nick Redman.
REMEMBERING RICHARD SHORES
Film composer Richard Shores was a veteran scorer for films and TV of the '60s and '70s, whose music for such small-screen classics as THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE WILD WILD WEST and HAWAII FIVE-0 is an indelible part of many baby boomers' memories. Shores died quietly at his Encino, California home on April 12, 2001 at the age of 83, the result of complications from a stroke, to the notice of almost nobody in the film music community. No formal obituary was published and, because he had lost touch with colleagues in the film music community, his passing was known only to family and close friends. (A check by The Film Music Society with ASCAP officials revealed the news only recently.) Unfortunately, Shores didn't live long enough to see the best of his U.N.C.L.E. music released on compact disc in late 2002 and 2003, and a surprising number of fans publicly expressing their admiration for the composer's unique contributions to television. A three-part appreciation and remembrance of Shores and his music by veteran TV and film music journalist Jon Burlingame has just been posted to the Film Music Society website at www.filmmusicsociety.org
SOUNDTRACK & FILM MUSIC NEWS
Tonight (3/11), PASSION OF THE CHRIST composer John Debney will conduct the Biola University Chorale along with a musical ensemble and special guest vocalist Lisbeth Scott on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (airing 11:35pm PST/EST). The 30-voice choir with soloist Lisbeth Scott (who co-wrote the lyrics with John Debney) will perform custom suite from THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST that will include "Mary Goes To Jesus," "Raising The Cross" and "The Resurrection." Also accompanying the selection will be ancient instruments including Taiko drums, Tom Toms, and World woodwinds.
Varese Sarabande reports that their limited edition six-CD set, Jerry Goldsmith at 20th Century Fox, is officially sold out. The company will begin shipping the packages on March 17.
Varese Sarabande will release Marco (SCREAM, BLADE II, TERMINATOR 3) Beltrami's score to HELLBOY on April 6th. The score was written for large orchestra and choir. The film opens April 2nd.
Alan Silvestri's VAN HELSING will be released on CD by Decca Records on May 4th. Silvestri is currently recording the score in Los Angeles. VAN HELSING is directed by Stephen Sommers with whom Silvestri previously worked on THE MUMMY RETURNS in 2001. The film stars Hugh Jackman as Van Helsing, Richard Roxburgh as Count Dracula, Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious, and Will Kemp as the Wolf-Man. The film takes place in the late 19th-Century and tells the story about Van Helsing's battle with with three famous monsters: Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Wolf-Man. The 95 million dollar project will premiere on May 7th. Apart from VAN HELSING, Alan Silvestri also has the score for Robert Zemeckis' THE POLAR EXPRESS coming up.
Music from the Movies spoke with orchestrator Mark McKenzie, who gave them this report: "The score is huge with a 109 piece orchestra, layers of incredible synth tracks, a 48 voice choir double tracked, and some beautiful solo soprano sections". According to McKenzie, who previously orchestrated Alan Silvestri's LARA CROFT - TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE, LILO AND STITCH, and THE MUMMY RETURNS among others, the "themes, the level of raw energy, color and percussion in this score are electrifying. Alan is composing a classic thriller/action score that I believe is going to be temped in movies for years to come."
musicfromthemovies.com
La-La Land Records, in conjunction with Warner Bros., Turner Entertainment, and Arnold Leibovit Entertainment, presents The Fantasy Film Music Of George Pal, a limited edition compilation of remastered original score soundtrack recordings, some never-before-released in any form, from legendary producer/director George Pal's most beloved films, including ATLANTIS: THE LOST CONTINENT, THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO, THE TIME MACHINE, THE POWER, THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM, TOM THUMB and DOC SAVAGE. The CD features score selections from famed composers Russell Garcia, Leigh Harline, Miklos Rosza, Ken E. Jones, Frank De Vol and John Phillip Sousa. Collectable, fully illustrated 16-page CD booklet contains classic promotional art, rare behind-the-scenes photos and in-depth notes on George Pal, his films, the composers and the spectacular scores they created. This is a limited edition pressing of 3000 hand-numbered CDs. www.lalalandrecords.com
Intrada proudly introduces its new Signature Editions -- a limited release series spotlighting music by first-rate composers scoring select projects in between more commercial fare. Each edition will be pressed in extremely limited quantities ranging from 500 to 1000 units. The first Signature Edition, scheduled for release later this month, features Christopher Young's THE TOWER. For Gedney Webb's 2002 ghost story, Young assembles a select chamber orchestra featuring strings, harp and piano. In keeping with the story's wistful romantic narrative, he composes music in a gentle vein, writing transparent lines for violin over piano and harp. The moving score highlights a side to this veteran horror composer previously unheard. With delicate nuance, Young weaves into and out of dialog with unobtrusive melodies, always working towards a warm, particularly haunting finale. This release is limited to 1000 copies.
For cover art, track listing, and sound samples, please visit
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.ACCT67745/sc.2/category.5/it.A/id.3242/.f
Hollywood Records has released a soundtrack CD to ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, Michael Gondry's speculative saga of mind control. The film stars Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, and Elijah Wood, and features a score by Jon Brion (MAGNOLIA, PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE). In addition to a heavy assortment of Indie-pop and rock vocals. The CD is actually quite compelling and not as jarring as such a diverse assortment of styles might initially convey.
Yet another composing Newman, 27-year-old Joey Newman, is about to make his film music CD debut. La-La Land Records has announced that they will release his score for STEALING TIME, an independent 2001 drama also known as RENNIE'S LANDING and featuring Jennifer Garner. Joey Newman is the grandson of Lionel Newman and cousin of composer colleagues Thomas Newman, David Newman, Randy Newman, and Maria Newman. He is also the great nephew of the legendary Alfred Newman and Emil Newman. Joey studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and has written music for television movies ANNA'S DREAM, MARY CHRISTMAS and television series PROVIDENCE. musicfromthemovies.com
Hollywood Records will issue Carter Burwell's expansive score for THE ALAMO on April 6th.
Prometheus Records has announced an expanded edition of Jerry Goldsmith's music for BASIC INSTINCT. No release date has been noted yet.
Italy's GDM specialty label has issued the Ennio Morricone's complete Western score to DEATH RIDES A HORSE, Giulio Petroni's revenge thriller starring Lee Van Cleef and John Phillip Law. The score, centering on a droning choral theme, has been available only in compilation tracks until now. The CD contains 16 tracks, including a number of alternate versions, including a vocal version of the main theme.
Coming from Chandos in April is The Film Music Of Dmitri Shostakovich, Vol. 2. This follow-up to last year's first Volume, includes suites from THE GOLDEN MOUNTAINS, THE GADFLY, and a premiere recording of incidental music from the film VOLOCHAYEV DAYS. Performance again is by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Vassily Sinaisky.
Claudio Simonelli's score for Dario Argento's new horror thriller, IL CARTAIO (THE CARD DEALER), is available as an import from CDD Records in Italy. Screen Archives currently has it in stock.
Notable New Scoring assignments, reported by Film Score Monthly:
Tyler Bates: DAWN OF THE DEAD remake
Danny Elfman: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Tim Burton)
James Horner: THE DA VINCI CODE (Ron Howard)
James Newton Howard: THE VILLAGE (M. Night Shyamalan)
Basil Poledouris: KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON
Graeme Revell: CATWOMAN
Edward Shearmur: SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
Vangelis: ALEXANDER THE GREAT (Oliver Stone)
Soundtrack sources:
Soundtrax is our weekly Movie Soundtrack column.
For questions or comments, contact the author at Soundtrax@cinescape.com.
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