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Review of The 2008 Ghent International Film Festival: Angelo Badalamenti (Compilations)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... on either the 2009 "For the Record" 2-CD set or the
condensed Varèse Sarabande single-CD version of 2010 if you seek
a competent selection of extremely faithful recordings of Angelo
Badalamenti's most memorable themes.
Avoid it... on the Varèse album if you desire Badalamenti's alluring collaborations with Dolores O'Riordan or the morbid love theme from Blue Velvet, three worthy tracks heard only on the 2009 2-CD set.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
The 2008 Ghent International Film Festival: Angelo
Badalamenti: (Compilations) Since 1986, New York based
composer Angelo Badalamenti has provided screens big and small with
original scores often saturated with tragic sensibilities. The pianist
and songwriter spent several of his early years concentrating on
arranging songs with many mainstream pop artists, though his hiring to
coach lead actress Isabella Rossellini in her vocals for the David Lynch
movie Blue Velvet in 1986 launched both a collaboration with the
popular director and an extremely varied film score career over the
subsequent few decades. Instrumentally, Badalamenti's palette has always
been highly varied and unpredictable in some cases, concentrating on
orchestral depth in many of his best film scores but also never afraid
to incorporate electric elements in his more contemporary projects.
Highly diverse vocals are also a common thread in his work, from the
traditional musical environment of The Edge of Love to the world
music ensemble performances of Holy Smoke! and the lovely,
traditional choral majesty of The Beach. A tragic sense of
lyricism is the most defining aspect of his music, and although he has
strayed into the realm of dissonance and challenging turbulence in
scores like Arlington Road and The Wicker Man, the full
range of his music typically emphasizes a significant amount of tonal
emotional weight. In many regards, Badalamenti has written the most
depressing body of work of any film music composer in the 1990's and
2000's, his tempi often extremely slow, his ensembles rooted in the bass
region, and his chord progressions as melodramatically ominous and dark
as they are beautiful. His music has been recognized with nominations
for all major awards with the exception of the Oscars, earning a Grammy
for "Twin Peaks" and a BAFTA for The Comfort of Strangers.
In 2008, Badalamenti received a lifetime achievement award from the World Soundtrack Awards, deserved recognition from a group that otherwise usually makes itself known for some truly bizarre choices in its annual selections of the best film music. As part of the presentation of this award at the Ghent International Film Festival, a concert of Badalamenti music for film, television, and solo projects was assembled for performance by the Brussels Philharmonic. This concert also represented the third time that an album was pressed of these performances, each titled "For the Record." Unlike the prior entries for Craig Armstrong in 2007 and Mychael Danna in 2008, as well as the subsequent concert for Shigeru Umebayashi in 2010, the assembly of Badalamenti music for the 2009 concert and "For the Record" album is far more diverse and comprehensive, spanning two CDs instead of one and amounting to 90 minutes in total length. It touches upon most of the composer's "greatest hits," as well as a few hidden gems, and the performances under the direction of Dirk Brosse (along with the mix of the recording for the album) are so faithful to the original versions that some listeners won't be able to notice any difference. As necessary, electronics or vocals matching what is heard in the original recordings were contracted as well. This review will move quickly through the chronology of "For the Record: Angelo Badalamenti" before summarizing the album and Varèse Sarabande's follow-up product that presents an abbreviated collection of the same performances. The complete "For the Record" album opens with the "Main Title" from Blue Velvet, an elegantly lithe, squirming string theme with suspense and discomfort inherent in its allure. From there, a pair of Badalamenti's most famous romance scores explores two very different sides of the same genre. The fluid, melancholy progressions of the restrained suite from A Very Long Engagement will please many, though the score is likely overrated by fans of the film. The hopelessly optimistic "Love Theme" from Cousins is conversely a bright beacon of light, arguably the composer's most buoyant and fluffy career piece. The original album for Cousins is not only difficult to find but also features terrible sound quality, so to hear the rambling piano and grand strings performing this Italian waltz in sonic clarity is a great pleasure. The flavor turns Latin in "Dark Spanish Symphony" from Wild at Heart, castanets and acoustic guitar joining Badalamenti's usual strings for a theme highly reminiscent of Michael Kamen's Don Juan Demarco. The guitar continues with softer, less exuberant shades in "Rose's Theme" from The Straight Story. Among the most interesting but ultimately frustrating works in Badalamenti's career is The City of Lost Children from 1995, its troubled score featuring elusive melodies and carnivalesque French tones but never really making use of its stunning song, "Who Will Take My Dreams Away?" It's a case where a three-minute original song absolutely dominates the score that it accompanies. Marianne Faithfull thankfully returns, and her grisly, chilly voice performs heartbreaking lyrics over resolute, beautiful strings in what has to be among the most depressingly powerful songs ever written for a film. That said, there is no doubt it is a highlight of this set, its performances seemingly identical to the one on the original soundtrack album. The BAFTA-winning 1990 score for The Comfort of Strangers is represented by a long suite that opens with its light percussive rhythms and exotic woodwinds before segueing to the primary theme complete with a heavy emphasis on lower brass. The 2008 period musical The Edge of Love features a handful of decent underscore cues in between its songs, none as consistent as "Fire to the Stars." The only thing that could have improved the soft string and guitar reflection in this cue would have been the inclusion of Badalamenti's short but impressive opening cue for the film (with or without its dialogue). Included instead is Beth Rowley's strong but somewhat out of place performance of "Careless Talk" from that musical. The morbid realm returns with a long suite of the two most famous themes from "Twin Peaks." The Vertigo-like "Laura Palmer's Theme" is afforded two performances before extended treatment of the electric guitar coolness in "Main Title Theme." This is always nice to revisit, but it has difficulty sustaining an eight minute suite. Closing out the first CD in the set is a dull violin and cello duet version of "Rose's Theme" from The Straight Story. The second CD is a bit more eclectic, starting with the television music for "Inside the Actors Studio," pleasantly inoffensive background tonality that reminds of Lee Holdridge's documentary style. Equal in its orchestrally stoic character is the Lincoln Center Commission's "Snapshot From Prague." Returning to more familiar territory is the "Mysteries of Love" instrumental from Blue Velvet, a blend of strings and synthetics that meanders through a hazy romance theme at an appropriately slow, excruciating pace. Similar in its electronic enhancements but lacking the same element of sleaze is "Sacrificing Reality" from The Adversary. Two tracks featuring Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries are an unexpected highlight, beginning with her contribution to the song that brackets the 2004 score for Evilenko. The album for that soundtrack is difficult to obtain, so the song's inclusion here, as hauntingly depressing as it may be, is a positive. Even better is a 2006 single O'Riordan recorded for Badalamenti that has never seemed to find a home in a larger work for the composer or any of the singer's solo albums of the late 2000's. Conservative electronic backing and O'Riordan's trademark performance emphasis makes "The Butterfly" a clear winner. One final trip back to Badalamenti's gloomy orchestral tendencies is taken for the "Main Title" from Mulholland Drive. The set concludes with "The Torch Theme" from the Barcelona Olympics of 1992. There are plenty of trumpet fanfare figures and heroic ensemble choral performances in the bright theme, residing far closer to Basil Poledouris' take on the games than John Williams' unashamedly American variety. It's a bit strange to hear Badalamenti write such immense, outwardly positive, major-key expressions of action for brass, and while its inclusion on this set is welcomed, it's an awkward way to wrap up this compilation. On the whole, the "For the Record" compilation is a solid representation of Badalamenti's various talents, though it does omit the composer's scores that remain memorable and popular because of their ensemble vocals, most notably The Beach and Holy Smoke!, both deserving of more attention in their highlights. The set also exposes his tendency to write his film music themes in the form of a song, repeating each primary phrase twice with a standard bridge sequence or interlude in between. He's not as obvious in this respect as John Barry was, but some listeners may find his themes to be a bit monotonous when heard in succession here. The sound quality of the product is outstanding, and the only quibble that could be made with set is its ordering of tracks in a non-chronological presentation. The 2009 compilation was not a regular commercial release, though it could be purchased as a promotional item through soundtrack specialty outlets for $20 to $25. A little over a year later, Varèse Sarabande condensed the contents of the set down to a single CD and titled it "Angelo Badalamenti: Music for Film and Television." The twenty minutes of material dropped from the prior album includes most of the electronically-defined music from the second CD of the set, notably "Mysteries of Love" from Blue Velvet and, most unfortunately, the two O'Riordan tracks. Also removed were the least impressive tracks on the set, however, led by The Adversary and the duet from The Straight Story. The disparate style of the song from The Edge of Love is omitted as well, leaving the absolutely necessary and engrossing "Who Will Take My Dreams Away?" as the only vocal track on the Varèse version. Ultimately, these products include the same recordings and mastering, however, and listeners not interested in the higher price and challenging availability of the "For the Record" album can hear most of the same music for standard retail prices on the 2010 follow-up. Still, the O'Riordan tracks are an undeniable highlight of "For the Record," and while it's understandable why Varèse probably had to drop them, they are reason alone to spend a few extra dollars to receive the 2009 set. Either way, it's great to hear Badalamenti receive this recognition. His musical voice has a tendency to break hearts in a way no other composer can achieve. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
2009 Ghent Album:
Total Time: 90:34
* co-written by David Lynch 2010 Varèse Album: Total Time: 71:39
* co-written by David Lynch
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert of the 2009 "For the Record" set contains long notes
about the festival, composer, conductor, and orchestra, as well as extensive
photography from the event. The 2010 Varèse album features only a
short editorial comment about the composer and, surprisingly, no information
about the event or recording.
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from The 2008 Ghent International Film Festival: Angelo Badalamenti are Copyright © 2009, 2010, Ghent International Film Festival (Promotional), Varèse Sarabande and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 7/8/11 (and not updated significantly since). |
