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Band of Brothers on DVD
• "intense soundtrack" • DTS Digital Surround More DVD info... |
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Band of Brothers on DVD
• "intense soundtrack" • DTS Digital Surround More DVD info... |
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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
One listen to the opening titles for Band of Brothers will explain exactly why Kamen fled from Tomb Raider for this project. Kamen was nominated for his title theme and episodic work on another Tom Hanks HBO production, From the Earth to the Moon, and Kamen rises to the occasion again. Many film score collectors believe that Kamen's best recent work has been for HBO, with his feature film scores like X-Men failing to stimulate much of a widespread response. The composer has spent much of his time writing classical pieces (which he has always been interested in doing in addition to film scoring) for concert and album performances, and this experience would prove important to his approach to Band of Brothers. With such a mass of music to present for the series, Kamen had the opportunity to compose miniature classical movements for each episode. Both the style and orchestration, as well as (to an extent) the handling of themes, will likely prove to be popular with collectors of contemporary classical writings. The title theme for the show is nothing short of spectacular, combining the very best of Kamen's classical and concert style with the adventuresome brass and percussion of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which is Kamen's most popular score to date. The show's primary theme is superior to even that of From the Earth to the Moon, capturing both the danger and historical proportion of the epic story. Kamen pulls it off with a sense of class and significance that will elevate the stunning visuals even further. The use of voices throughout, ranging from the heavy adult chorus in the opening, to the lighter, more contemporary female vocals in the final requiem, are a stunning highlight. Comparisons will undoubtedly be drawn between this film/score and Saving Private Ryan, for which John Williams wrote a score that was ultimately respected by all, but liked by only some. The construction of the Band of Brothers album (and this could hold true with the show as well, once all ten hours are watched) is very similar to that of Saving Private Ryan, with a noble hymn/requiem built into a title theme at the beginning and end. Both scores feature a somber and introverted underscore extending for the mass of the album and film time. The 5th through 19th tracks of Band of Brothers are very melancholy in heart, though they retain a vaulted stature using Kamen's classical influences. But compared to the momentous title theme, the two lengthy suites, the opening cue of the mission, and the finale requiem, the underscore will pass with little notice. If you want to take the total amount of thematic time in Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers and compare them, then the latter score features a more rounded and complete balance of honorable theme and underscore. The instrumentation used by Kamen is very traditional, closer to Williams' approach than Michael Giacchino's for the video game adaptation of Saving Private Ryan called Medal of Honor. Ironically, Both Medal of Honor and Band of Brothers have turned out to be more dynamic and exciting scores than Saving Private Ryan, though a true fan of the WWII fighting genre will easily be able to appreciate all three for what they are and how they represent their composers. Kamen's work for Band of Brothers, even with its less inspiring moments of underscore, is an outstanding achievement. Not only does it impress in length, but its title theme and choral elements are of rare quality in the television film genre. Any fan of the historical score genre will enjoy Kamen's work for Band of Brothers, and its dramatic sense rivals that of James Horner's Legends of the Fall, which was used in the television trailers for the show. ****
Insert includes extensive credits, but surprisingly offers no extra information about the film or score. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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