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The score may, at first, seem like a typical harpsichord and string period piece, but Newman creates a much more modern atmosphere than you might think. In fact, the harpsichord itself may be one of the few weak elements in the entire effort, with the rich themes and other diversity in instrumentation stealing this score away from the usual realm of 18th Century European stereotypes. Newman deserves significant kudos for a marvelous composition that, in its more intimate portions, is breathtaking. The work's only major flaw exists, unfortunately, in the lack of massive scope in the full ensemble performances. While a smaller version of the usual Hollywood Studio Symphony did an adequate job performing Newman's work, the writing for The Affair of the Necklace deserved a far more robust existence with, perhaps, a London group. Newman compensates for the lack of sonic muscle, however, by introducing just enough exotic and unusual instruments for the genre (in addition to the lovely harmony that exists almost continuously throughout). Over half of the score's cues are accented by an impressive choral array, sometimes deep in chant, sometimes wordless and ethereal, and sometimes echoing with distant solo female tones. The chorus carries The Affair of the Necklace in nearly all of its best cues, punctuating surprisingly gothic action sequences and those of mystical romance with little problem maintaining a cohesive whole. In these regards, the score is very stylistic similar to Lee Holdridge's music for the television film The Mists of Avalon earlier in 2001. The female vocals offer a curious ethnic twist on the score, Celtic in some parts and almost East Asian in others. They're often inserted in short bursts to accent a thought or action by the main character of the film and are sometimes even more compelling in their sharp and rugged edge (through electronic manipulation, likely). A layering effect in some places gives them a new age feel.

Newman's touch for a romantic theme is not lost in The Affair of the Necklace, either. The enchanting "Jeanne's Theme" introduces and finishes the score in the form of elegant and soft piano performances, which is appropriate given the countess' goal of reacquiring her childhood home. Its consistent presence in the bulk of the score brings a more contemporary appeal to the scenes of romance between the countess and her lover. The softer cues are among this score's most engaging; aside from the longer cues of piano, female vocals, and the occasional burst of a full orchestra, the mysterious and haunting choral passages will bring back memories of Danny Elfman's excursions into the same emotional realm. Perhaps more intriguing about the score is its Middle Eastern style of intense rhythm in parts. The gothic, drum-pounding "Rohan's Arrest" yields to an exotic counterpart in a later courtroom scene, further displacing this score from the usual style for the setting. Harmonic resonance isn't neglected either, and the combined material of "Cagliostro Leaves Town" and "Going Home" provide some of the most beautiful orchestral and vocal music of 2001. Overall, Newman's success in producing both an uneasy score of mystery and choral romance in a single package is why his achievements for The Affair of the Necklace are among the best from any composer for the entire year. The score features frightening moments of despair, sharp individual vocals for ethnic flavor, delicate and heartbreaking themes of romance, and extended choral performances that range to all levels of emotional power. It reaffirms its place in the period while also reaching towards the guilty pleasures of contemporary romance. No one section of this score will unilaterally impress; in fact, it takes a while to gather its steam. The album release includes only forty minutes of music, though the sound quality (especially in the layering of vocals) is crisp. The all too close mixing of the harpsichord is the only detractor. Otherwise, this score is the definition of a diamond in the rough.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For David Newman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.17 (in 12 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.26 (in 19,000 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 41:09