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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you're a fan of Kenneth Branagh's Shakespearian adaptations and want the Patrick Doyle score that most heavily influenced a Branagh film of the era. Avoid it... if Doyle's hopelessly optimistic orchestral and vocal themes are nothing more to you than useless, whimsical fluff. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
While the score offers these themes in various intriguing incarnations of rhythm and instrumentation, the hopelessly optimistic fanfare performances of the two together are the highlights. As the men of the story march back from war, they're led by snare and brass in "Overture" and "Contempt Farewell." Their theme mingles with the one for the waiting women, and as the women eventually win the hearts of their appropriate mates, this theme receives its own dramatic statements in "Hero's Wedding" and "Strike Up Pipers." There is always scheming going on in any good Shakespearian story, however, and Doyle treats these sequences (especially involving Reeves' treacherous Don John) with the few moments of minor-key rumblings that the score has to offer. Even in these slightly more ominous cues, however, a general lack of emphasis on the bass region helps the score retain its endlessly positive attitude. Several individual cues should be mentioned; the preview of the women's theme exists softly under Emma Thompson's recitation of a line from the play in "The Picnic." While her voice is always appropriate for the genre, her spoken words sound a bit forced into the rhythm of the score, especially compared to the other vocal performances, which are all sung. The only distracting period piece is "The Masked Ball," with an accentuated percussion section and more heathen rhythms. Doyle's own two performances (he also has an interlude in "Pardon Goddess of the Night") are as enticing as his short appearance in Henry V. The short "The Prince Woos Hero" is an outstandingly sophisticated rendering of the men's theme in an almost faux romantic setting, complete with clanging sword-like percussion. That percussion section would be heavily employed throughout Much Ado About Nothing, with the verbal swordfight complimented by an equivalent metallic presence in the rhythms. Likewise, the expected tolling of the chimes and rolling of the timpani grace the victorious cues at the end of the film (as well as early fanfare performances). The weakness of Much Ado About Nothing exists in its relative absence of depth. For a score with so much personality, it lacks the resonance in the bass section to really impress you in many of its middle portions. Overall, the score compensates for this lack of bass presence (which you can manually adjust to some degree) with undeniable charm, and it would be a welcome addition to any Patrick Doyle collection. ****
The packaging includes the following (March 18th, 1993) note from Patrick Doyle:
Ken and I discussed preparing in advance many of the music cues required for play-back purposes on the set. We both agreed consequently that the atmosphere of being on a location in such a gorgeous setting would be a crucial element in achieving the appropriate moods. By the end of the rehearsal week, all the actors had learnt the melody and harmonies for 'Sigh No More Ladies', and the small strolling band of players had learnt their dance tunes for 'The Masked Ball'. The melody for 'Pardon Goddess Of The Night' proved to be the most elusive as each time I presented Ken with what I thought he was searching for, I was sent back to the 'Drawing Board'. After much hair pulling, I was fifth time lucky. Although we had very limited resources and time on location, I managed to grab the actors and teach them a very rough version of the funeral hymn, which we recorded on the 'Villa Vignamaggio Tennis Court' during lunch! Also I shall never forget the assembly line of actors in the central courtyard, literally learning and recording a capella all the harmonies and countermelodies for 'Sigh No More Ladies'. They were magnificent! Much later back in London, with the help of Gavin Greenaway and a barmoniser, we managed to save almost all of the frenetic work, which proved to be invaluable for the previews as Ken predicted. There were many difficult moments to address in the underscore. The most obvious one was the opening montage sequence which needed to he big, romantic, melodic and dramatic, but at the same time the music needed to have lots of drive. Along with all these other requirements the music had to underline the obvious masculine and feminine aspect. The end result culminated in what turned out to be a traditional 'Overture', containing virtually every theme. The other difficult moment was where Claudio rejects Hero at the wedding ceremony ('Take her back again'). Here, there were so many changes of mood to capture and on top of that virtually non-stop dialogue. It was one of the last cues I addressed for (apart from terror) every element from either side of this scene had to be drawn upon to give me ideas. In my view it became the most operatic use of underscore. I am immensely proud and privileged to have been part of Much Ado About Nothing and I don't know why I am surprised, but yet again I am amazed at the talent, strength and inventiveness of its creator. He has done a magnificent job. My many thanks to Ken yet again!" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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