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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
The year 2002 has had no shortage of small scale, intimate scores, but Frida excels beyond all others in its ability to produce an intimate score that transcends the typical kinds of underscore we hear in many scores today. It is a musical work --songs and score together-- that is remarkably both intimate and huge in scope at the same time. Goldenthal employs a nucleus of several acoustic instruments native to the style of Mexican and greater Central American circles, including Mexican guitars, classical guitars, Mexican bass guitars, an accordion, Mexican harp, marimba, and glass armonica. Because the guitars turned out to provide more than adequate lyricism and percussion, Goldenthal adds only a small orchestral ensemble of primary strings to the mix. Also of vital importance to the construct are several vocal performances that very tactfully blend the score and songs together into a cohesive whole. Goldenthal explains that it was a difficult task to capture the "spirit of Mexican music" since it varies so much around different regions. However, his choice to stay true to the simplicity of rhythms and themes in Mexican music (it should be noted that the heritage of Mexican music is based in simplicity of theme and rhythm) turned out to be a success. He states, with humor, that "the few times I tried to reach for more complex harmony and structure, the movie kicked me out with pointy Mexican boots." He continues, "These ideas remain on my studio floor under a pile of empty Corona bottles." For people who cannot tolerate accordions, rest assured that they are only present at the forefront of two short cues --and one of them is as accompaniment to a great outburst of orchestral theme in the "Journey" cue. The score sequences are pleasant and lively on the whole, with only the "Suicide of Dorothy Hale" and the gruesome "La Cavalera" (back to back) cues showing signs of the Goldenthal's brooding modernism showing through. Otherwise, there is nothing to connect these fantastic Hispanic cues with Goldenthal's larger body of work. Given that the Frida album is selling out in nearly every store and ranked very highly worldwide, this is probably a favorable turn of events. As interesting as the score selections (which appear scattered throughout the album) are, so too are the songs. Traditional songs are a vital part of past and present Mexican culture, and they are central to this score as well. Goldenthal pays close attention to the indigenous songs that Frida Kahlo would have probably listened to herself, based on era and subject matter. Chillingly, one of Frida's lovers was legendary singer Chavela Vargas, now in her 80's and a performer of new material for this film. The album presents a comparison of her performances forty years ago with the performances of the same songs today. Goldenthal composed some of the songs heard in the film, including some material for Lila Downs and Caetano Veloso, whose voices grace the film with their spectacular recording quality. The album is very true to the music heard in the film, which is a rarity in soundtrack releases these days. The score and songs are seamless in their continuity, and although the film and album become more somber as they reach their conclusion, they both end with the excellent final track on the album. The "Burn it Blue" song is a compilation of themes from the film, with additional harmonious development to the themes of the film into an elegant and strong finish to a diverse, emotional roller coaster of an album. That suite is likely responsible in part for the magnificent fan response to the music for Frida and consequently, its album. The coordination of music, as well as the often spectacular recording quality of the songs, makes this album a definite winner. Its only weakness is the occasional movement back to older studio sound quality. The enhanced features of the CD include video/text interviews with Goldenthal, Taymor and actress Salma Hayek about the music, as well as musical excerpts from the film. Overall, the texture and rhythmic breadth of this score is outstanding, and it will cause you to gain an enormous amount of respect for Goldenthal's talents. *****
The CD is enhanced with interactive music videos and interviews. The insert contains extensive information about the music for the film, including a lengthy note from Goldenthal, lyrics to the songs, detailed credits, and a picture of Goldenthal with Julie Taymor. It shouldn't be surprising to note that while Taymor looks animated and lively, our friend Elliot appears to be staring menacingly off into oblivion, as per usual. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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