Recent Soundtrack CDs

by | Feb 20, 2013 | Special Features

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 Davis
 

JAMES 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 Orchestra
 
 

MARC 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

Related Reviews
Logo Pure Pleasure
Logo Crystal Records Sidebar 300 ms
Logo Jazz Detective Deep Digs Animated 01