Buy it... if you have an open mind about Mychael Danna's style of operating off the beaten path, with true ethnic authenticity overshadowing a Western orchestra.

Avoid it... if you can't tolerate lengthy and restrained solo performances by traditional folk instruments of Armenia in between occasionally lush orchestral passages.

Danna

Ararat: (Mychael Danna) It was speculated by many viewers of the 2002 Miramax film Ararat that writer, director, and producer Atom Egoyan attempted too great a challenge in its production. While most movie-goers associate Egoyan with Canada, he also has heritage in Armenia, and it is because of his passion for the topic that he decided to illuminate the extermination of the Armenian people by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire in 1915, an ethnic cleansing that Turkey has long denied ever existed. Instead of choosing to present the tale in the form of either a dramatic narrative or a documentary, the director tackled the tale from the perspective of another film crew attempting to do just that. As a result, it's difficult to become attached to any of the characters in a way that would cause you to care about the actual event. Still, the project was a worthy exploration of an all too forgotten topic, and Egoyan's attempt to use his largest budget (in his fourth major film) to create an atmosphere of authenticity for the production extended to the score. The collaboration between Mychael Danna and the director was well into its second decade, with the composer continuing to produce a unique, worldly sound when compared to the works of his contemporary peers. His ability to generate authenticity in any historical setting or any age remains his calling card. The topic for this assignment was grim, defiant, and heavy on the religious aspect of the event, and Danna therefore produced a score rich with human emotion, historical context, and simplicity in its constructs. Much of the music for the film was recorded on location by Danna in Armenia, a technique familiar to several of his internationally flavored projects. While the orchestral portions, including the massive performances of theme in a selection of tracks, were recorded in London, the choral voices and many traditional instruments were performed by native musicians on location (with a few elements added in Canada at a later date as well). The most daunting part of the task of recording Ararat, therefore, was the piecing together of all these elements into the impressive finished product as heard in the film and on album.

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The success of Danna's work for Ararat lies in its ability to adequately portray the region's history through the use of a balance that emphasizes truly authentic instrumentation and performances while also retaining enough size and power from a Western orchestra to draw that sound closer to the comfort zone of mainstream listeners. Those casual listeners should beware, though, that although the orchestral might heard in a few cues is considerable, it is the collection of very low-key, somber performances by the duduk (the common Armenian flute heard in many film scores), zurna, and other Armenian folk instruments which dominate this environment. The sparse surroundings in which the recording was largely made produce an admirably precise impression of Armenia during the time of the war. These lengthy periods of restrained, respectful minimalism can test the patience of even some of the most experienced film score listeners, but rest assured knowing that you will be rewarded when those native instruments are added to the depth of the London orchestra. That ensemble was co-orchestrated and conducted by Nicholas Dodd, the usual collaborator for David Arnold, and in a cue like "Siege," you can hear a hint of the snare-ripping bravado that some of Arnold's more resounding scores have exhibited. Some of the score's most compelling moments of harmony summon uncommon performances from layered strings, including "The Ghost of My Father" at the score's conclusion. The highlight of the presentation on album is the operatic vocal performance in "Oor Es Mayr Eem," during which Danna's theme for the film takes flight with soaring soprano tones and steals the album. The elegance of this lamentation does overshadow the score, and the album's primary detriment exists in the related juxtaposition between the extremely somber ethnic solos and sudden outbursts of orchestral energy. Still, attention to detail and authenticity of sound makes this score a clear winner. You may need to reserve judgment about the work until the end of the album to truly evaluate Danna's careful balance between the Armenian aspects and those that you are more accustomed to hearing in film scores today, but there can be no denying that the composer's astute sense of ethnic authenticity is impressive. ****   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

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For Mychael Danna reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.33 (in 12 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3 (in 3,845 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.