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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... only if you are one of the few people who have seen the film and seek the original neoclassical music written by Joel McNeely. Avoid it... even if you are a McNeely enthusiast, for Samantha is among his most mundane works. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Unfortunately, Samantha doesn't really manage to excel in either category. McNeely wanted to distinguish the underscore from the classical quartet pieces in the film, and thus employed a small orchestra that is handled well enough that it produces some fierce noise now and again. The comedic elements bubble along with almost waltz-like rhythms and occasionally boil over into full-fledged timpani-rolling pomp. The girl's whimsical adventures are occasionally served by outward comedy such as "Infant Abduction," which opens with light drums and a jazzy rhythm for piano and brass that is faintly reminiscent of Lalo Schifrin's 1960's endeavors. The primary theme for the girl was intentionally made as catchy as possible, and it succeeds in tormenting that character, though it's hopelessly flighty nature also succeeds in annoying the listener as well, especially when interspersed with neoclassical mannerisms. A solo violin is sometimes used to represent her talents, though not with enough frequency to be a distinguishing factor. The few moments of dramatic underscore shed light on the problem with the film itself; after the prancing comedy cues, the dramatic subthemes seem to lack a necessary sincerity. In these regards, the comedy music in Samantha resembles Mark McKenzie's Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, and the dramatic side scratches at the style of John Debney's established works for similar projects. On album, the classical music by Mozart, Dvorak, Haydn, and the likes is included in pieces throughout the short underscore cues, causing a disjointed listening experience. Included on the album, however, is McNeely's cutely concocted "Mrs. Schtumer's Fifth Symphony" in both quartet format and the original organ performance that torments the girl in her youth. Overall, Samantha is basically functional, but lacks the focus and depth to same unfortunate end as the film itself. **
The insert includes the follow note from Joel McNeely:
In addition to providing an underscore, music also plays a role in furthering the plot. When a young Samantha accidentally becomes locked in the church belfry, she is held an unwitting audience to a performance of the eccentric old church organist Mrs. Schtumer's, "5th Symphony". The music roils and boils into a feverish frenzy, leaving little Samantha temporarily deaf - the music forever imprinted on her brain. In composing "Schtumer's Fifth" I tried to introduce a theme catchy enough to stick in Samantha's ear. In addition I wanted it to be neoclassical and derivative of a few too many styles that don't quite go together, helping make Mrs. Schtumer seem slightly crazy. As Samantha is an accomplished musician, there is a rich variety of classical music entwined into the plot of the film. The string quartet literature was selected for not only its musical value, but its dramatic content as well. An added feature was that actor Dermot Mulroney, who plays the character Henry, the cellist, is actually a fantastic cellist himself, and played all of his own parts in the string quartets. I felt it was important to set the underscore apart musically from the chamber music in the film, so I opted for a small orchestral score in which I tried to capture Samantha's quirky ways. The main theme is comprised of a tune which is very active, jumps all around in register and hopefully conveys a whimsical feeling. The secondary theme is more singing and romantic. Working on this film was indeed a labor of love, as what composer could not love a film which treats music with such reverence and respect. I hope you have as much fun listening to this score as I had in creating it." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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