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| • | Newest Major Reviews: | . | • | This Week's Most Popular Reviews: | • | Best-Selling Albums: | ||
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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Even the composer's biggest fans may be blown away by the momentous quality of his score for The Mists of Avalon. This is, without a doubt, the largest and most beautiful score of 2001 so far, and both the consumers and Hollywood are taking notice. Holdridge has always had the ability to write compelling themes for his scores, and his sense for melodrama is superb. For The Mists of Avalon, Holdridge finally has the opportunity to project those talents onto a huge canvas, with a mammoth orchestra, choir, and female vocal ensemble, as well as a story that requires a broad range of thematic material. His score is monumental in scope, theme, and sound quality, and to remember that this is a score for a television film makes the event all the more astounding. To compliment the lush, green visuals of the film, Holdridge paints a picture with poignant strings, resounding brass, and an array of percussive soloists. Fans of James Horner's Braveheart score will note some of the same percussive soloists lending their talents to the highland score, with an even more ambitious effect. The orchestra was recorded in Bavaria with members of the Munich Symphony Orchestra, and their performances are remarkably true to the pagan and vibrant nature of the story and its setting. An oversized drum section, highlighted by spectacular timpani, provide action sequences of a quality unparalleled in recent years. The album begins with the well-known Loreena McKennitt song, "The Mystic's Dream," which first appeared on her 1994 platinum-selling album, "The Mask and Mirror." For avid film score collectors and movie fans, you might recall that the most famous use of that song was alongside James Horner's highly controversial score for the sex thriller Jade in 1995. While the song may have sounded out of place in that film, it is a perfect match for The Mists of Avalon, repeating several times throughout the film and setting a seductive, but ominous tone for the story. The Holdridge score features countless female vocals by the artist Aeone, whose voice matches McKennitt in many ways. For a Camelot adaptation from the female perspective, these vocals are an eloquent and enjoyable move by Holdridge, and he uses Aeone's voice sparingly so that she doesn't overwhelm the orchestral base of the music. To bookend the album and film, Holdridge and Aeone collaborated on the song at the end of the album, "I Will Remember You Still," (arranged, produced, recorded, and performed by Aeone) and it is a classy Celtic/new age piece based on Holdridge's score. Throughout the score, Holdridge also employs a full adult chorus to accentuate the barbarism of the action sequences, as well as the mysticism of the magical elements. Together, the vocals, chorus, and song are masterfully woven together with the orchestral performances, and in sum, they can easily take your breath away with their harmony and scope. People are catching on to The Mists of Avalon at breakneck speed, too. Holdridge has caught the attention of the industry with this effort, and it is hopeful for all his fans that this will lead to projects on the big screen. Viewers of the show, and more likely the female variety, have made this album a commercial success thus far, which stands as proof of the music's powerful role in the two part show. The Varèse Sarabande label has created a hit success. The sound quality of the recording is stunning; with many television scores dampening sound too heavily, The Mists of Avalon is one of those exceptions in which the full, reverberating effect of the live performance is preserved after the mixing process. The inclusion of the McKennitt song, in addition to the 65 minutes of Holdridge's music, makes this a knock-out album. Holdridge wrote two and a half hours of music for the show, and thus, the lengthy album is a treat for fans of the composer and show. With The Mists of Avalon being reshown after its initital mid-July debut, it is highly recommended that you watch it, if not only for the magnificent score. Holdridge's music is a richly textured and thematically provocative accompaniment for the film, and is easily the best listening experience of the year on album. It bridges the appeal between new age, Celtic, classical, and film music, and if you're a devotee of one of those musical genres, then you will likely enjoy it. Go out and get this album... with haste! *****
Insert includes a short note about the score from Lee Holdridge. More information about the artists for the original score can be obtained at their official sites: Lee Holdridge and Aeone. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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