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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you enjoy lyrical, orchestral children's scores with lovely themes and a charming demeanor. Avoid it... if the cost of importing the German-only release is not worth a merely pleasant surprise. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Glennie-Smith's primary theme is performed by woodwinds and string in several cues, with the same sensitivity of James Horner's children's writing of the early 1990's. Much of the lyricism in the simple thematic construct of Lauras Stern will remind you of Once Upon a Forest or The Pagemaker in its sole focus on soothing the heart of a child and imply a touch of magic in its instrumentation. While resorting to some light prancing in a handful of circumstances, Glennie-Smith's rhythms avoid the pitfalls of slapstick construction and instead flow with the same woodwind and string dancing often heard in Rachel Portman scores. Of the underscore cues, there really is no standout piece to describe in any great depth, testimony to the score's fluid conceptualization between the composers. As more of Henning Lohner's contribution is heard in the latter half of the score, a strikingly ambitious choral approach is provided for flying sequences. For American listeners only familiar with Lohner due to his involvement with the Ring films, there cannot be any greater of a contrast in style. The contribution by Zimmer seems to exist in a secondary lullaby that is introduced later in the score and is performed by solo cello in the final track on the album (Zimmer's only solo credit). The score lacks the heavy, neo-classical dramatic touch that often defines Zimmer's writing. While Glennie-Smith's lovely title theme will likely maintain your interest in the first half of that album, it is the grouping of cues with Lohner's work that truly causes this score to fly with beauty. A suite forming the "Finale" cue sums up Glennie-Smith's material and throws a performance of Zimmer's lullaby in at the end. Two English-language songs performed by the girl-duo "Wonderwall" are streamline pop injections, however the second song, "Touch the Sky," is partially based on material by Zimmer and Glennie-Smith. The first is a tad annoying, but the more relevant second one fits reasonably well with the attitude of the score. On album, Lauras Stern was released in two forms in Europe by BMG/Warner. One album contains 14 tracks of underscore with substantial dialogue, and that one is to be avoided. A 23-track score and song album is free from dialogue and provides a very satisfying selection for score collectors. Only available commercially in Europe, American collectors will likely pay a premium import price for the album (only through some online specialty shops). Overall, Lauras Stern is a spirited and pleasant surprise. ****
* contains music by Hans Zimmer ** contains music by Nick Glennie-Smith *** contains music by Henning Lohner
The insert contains extensive credits in German, but includes no extra information about the score or film. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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