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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
The score may, at first, seem like a typical harpsichord and string period piece, but Newman creates a much more modern score than you might think. In fact, the harpsichord itself may be one of the few weak elements to the entire effort, with the rich themes and diverse instrumentation stealing this score away from the usual realm of 18th Century English stereotypes. The mass of the score is not that large, which is its only major flaw. While the Hollywood Studio Symphony did an adequate job performing Newman's work, the score for The Affair of the Necklace would have been best performed by a larger, more reknown ensemble. The composition itself deserves more, though Newman compensates for the lack of sonic muscle by introducing just enough exotic and unusual instruments for the genre. Over half of the score cues are accented by an impressive choral array --sometimes deep in chant, sometimes wordless and high, and sometimes echoing with solo female voices. The chorus carries The Affair of the Necklace in nearly all of its best cues, punctuating surprisingly gothic action sequences and mystical romance ones all within a matter of minutes apart. The female vocals offer a curious ethnic twist on the score, Celtic in some parts, and almost East Asian in others. They're often inserted in short bursts to accent a thought or action by the main character of the film, and are compelling in their sharp and rugged edge. Newman's touch for a romantic theme is not lost in The Affair of the Necklace either. The title theme, labelled "Jeanne's Theme," introduces and finishes the score in the form of elegant and soft piano performances. Its consistent presence in the bulk of the score brings even more modern appeal to the scenes of romance between Jeanne and Retaux. The softer cues are among this score's best; aside from the longer cues of piano, female vocals, and the occasional burst of a full orchestra, the mysterious and haunting choral passages will bring back memories of Danny Elfman's excursions into the same emotional scoring. Perhaps more intriguing about the score is its Middle Eastern sounding cues of intense rhythm. The gothic, drum-pounding of the scene of Rohan's arrest yields to an exotic counterpart in a later courtroom scene, further displacing this score from the realm of the usual music for the setting. Despite the creative use of instrumentation that drives the action sequences, the most attractive parts of the score are those which rely on the simple choral and orchestral bursts of theme. The combined cues in tracks 15 and 16 on the album ("Cagliostro Leaves Town" and "Going Home") provide some of the best thematic and vocal music of the past year. David Newman's success in producing both an uneasy mystery score and romantic choral one in a single package is why his achievements for The Affair of the Necklace are among the best of the year. The score has frightening moments of despair, sharp individual vocals for ethnic flavor, delicate themes of romance, and extended choral performances that range to all kinds of emotional power. No one section of this score will impress; in fact, it takes a while to gather its steam. But the ease with which it combines all of the elements I've describe above, and doing so while remaining loyal to each of those elements for several performances each, qualifies The Affair of the Necklace as an interesting listening experience at the very least. Its seductive and exotic edge is just as jagged in parts as its timpani rhythms, and thus, it reaffirms itself as belonging to a period film that borders between character drama and historical epic. The album release includes only fourty minutes of music --though it's not precisely known how long the entire score was to begin with-- so it is a listening experience that travels quickly through several short cues. The sound quality, however, is clear, especially in the collective and solo vocal performances. The all too close mixing of the harpsichord is a detractor. If the film gains the momentum it needs to become an awards contender, don't be surprised if the score receives its fair share of due recognition as well. ****
The insert includes a list of performers in the Hollywood Studio Symphony, as well as credit information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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