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Into Thin Air: Death on Everest

Composed and Conducted by:
Lee Holdridge
Orchestrated by:
Ira Hearchen
Lee Holdridge
Performed by:
The Philharmonia Orchestra
Produced by:
Lee Holdridge
Tom Null


Label:
Citadel Records
Release Date:
November 25th, 1997


Also See:

Old Gringo
The Mists of Avalon


Audio Clips:

1. Main Title (0:30), 179K into_thin_air1.ra

5. The Summit (0:28), 168K into_thin_air5.ra

10. Decision Time (0:29), 168K into_thin_air10.ra

17. Finale - Krakauer's Words (0:34), 199K into_thin_air17.ra



Availability:

  Regular U.S. release.


Awards:

  None.









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Into Thin Air: Death on Everest

Audio | Availability | Viewer Ratings | Tracks | Viewer Comments | Notes & Quotes
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  Avg. Rating: 4.50

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Filmtracks Recommends:

Buy it... if you own a few of Lee Holdridge's scores and seek more of his engaging action material and grand, harmonic themes.

Avoid it... if you prefer your victory or tragedy tunes to be dripping with more obvious melodrama and readily listenable action rhythms.



Filmtracks Editorial Review:

Holdridge
Into Thin Air: Death on Everest: (Lee Holdridge) The commercialization of expeditions to the top of Mount Everest was the starting point of journalist Jon Krakauer's best-selling book on which this 1997 television film was based. Accompanying one of two competing groups attempting the treacherous climb, Krakauer would narrate how everything would eventually go wrong. Because the experienced guides would try to accommodate anybody willing to pay enough to be led to the top of the mountain, many unprepared people would make the journey. On this particular trip, with the help of some storms, five members of the teams would die. The story was unfortunately too long to be translated into an effective television film, with only 90 minutes of total length and significant numbers of fades for commercial breaks hindering the flow of the depiction. Critics and viewers seemed widely divided about the merits of film, though Sony would eventually release it on DVD. With poor development of the characters, the mountain becomes the primary character (despite the film being shot in Austria). The visuals and sound mixing were highly acclaimed, often compared to the IMAX feature Everest. One of the film's better qualities is the large-scale score by veteran television film composer Lee Holdridge, whose career was beginning to pick up in recognition in the late 1990's. While Into Thin Air: Death on Everest didn't prove to propel Holdridge over the top and into a flurry of theatrical films (as some had hoped), the score still stands on its own as one of the composer's most respected compositions. Holdridge collectors are familiar with the composer's competent ability to coin romantic or tragic themes for the dramatic genre of stories. To some degree, Into Thin Air: Death on Everest would utilize some of these sounds, but moreso than other Holdridge scores released on album, this one is distinctively on edge. It is a suspense score more than anything else, and it is based primarily upon a series of staggered rhythms meant to represent the equally staggered pace of the climbers as they move upwards (and downwards).

Holdridge states that the initial inspiration he had for the film was the jagged series of notes at the very outset of the score that establish a rhythmic motif to represent the perils of the journey. The same rhythms inhabit most of the major climbing scenes, adapted to different scenes by the intensity of their performances. The fully orchestral ensemble is aided by daiko drums and a pounding piano in the low ranges for appropriate fright. A slight element of dissonance is inherent in these progressions, and they're not readily listenable on album for extended sequences. For moments of tragedy, the ensemble drops the rhythm but maintains some of the disharmony; there are a limited number of standard horror hits that the score nails you with periodically. The appeal of the score for most listeners will be the two other major themes developed by Holdridge. First, the victory theme is presented during vista shots at the opening and closing of the film. It is also one of the composer's most grandiose career statements, gracing the scenes involving the summit of the mountain. A gong is utilized during many of the key moments in this theme to accentuate a sense of accomplishment. A gentle subtheme heard in "Sarah" and "Lost Friends" is more in tune with the usual Holdridge sound, providing an opportunity for solo piano and woodwinds to present simple, pleasant ideas. The title theme is given similar treatment in "Epilogue." On album, the score presents a generous 45 minutes of music, more than enough to represent the story. Holdridge was proud to say that he deviated from normal recording practices when recording Into Thin Air: Death on Everest, opting to skip some of the usual mixing process to provide the listener with the same raw sound that he or she would have experienced in the studio. While this approach is relatively unique in today's industry, the casual listener will not hear much of a difference; the overall sound quality is closely rendered and lacking nearly any reverberation. As for the score itself, Holdridge has written more vivacious action themes before, though his "victory/summit" theme for Into Thin Air: Death on Everest is easily among his best achievements. The somewhat rare Citadel album will likely please his collectors without fail. ****

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   Viewer Ratings and Comments:

    Regular Average: 3.46 Stars
    Smart Average: 3.39 Stars
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   Track Listings:
Total Time: 45:53

    • 1. Main Title (3:03)
    • 2. Khumbu Icefall (3:12)
    • 3. The Hillary Step (3:17)
    • 4. Chumalunga (1:30)
    • 5. The Summit (2:35)
    • 6. "I Can't Breathe" (1:38)
    • 7. Not For Humans (2:35)
    • 8. Rob and Doug Summit (2:49)
    • 9. Sarah (3:05)
    • 10. Decision Time (4:22)
    • 11. Lost Friends (0:57)
    • 12. Scott's Journey (2:04)
    • 13. Night Storm (3:22)
    • 14. Scott at the Top (1:07)
    • 15. Descent (1:24)
    • 16. Beck's Return (3:52)
    • 17. Finale - Krakauer's Words (3:05)
    • 18. Epilogue (1:44)




   Notes and Quotes:







All artwork and sound clips from Into Thin Air: Death on Everest are Copyright © 1997, Citadel Records. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications. Audio clips can be heard using RealPlayer but cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 12/5/97, updated 12/16/06. Review Version 4.2 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 1997-2008, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved.