Nothing Danna accomplishes in Breach will be remembered as being remarkable compared to his other career achievements, but what is noteworthy here is his ability to execute his tightly woven ideas for this assignment with near perfection. What little there is to this sparse score (both in length and depth) is very well arranged. Two general thematic devices are at war in Breach, and Danna's manipulation of these ideas is worth exploring the score on album. The government is afforded a brooding minor-key progression one would expect to hear in relation to its covert activities, though despite this unoriginal tactic, the motif grows from ominous bass string hints to full blooded, nearly action-oriented moments of grandeur in the "Double or Nothing," "The Last Drop," and "I Matter Plenty." The gravity that Danna instills upon the motif as it reaches its climax generates genuinely engaging suspense despite the known outcome, an impressive feat of dramatic writing. The theme is slowed for ultra-melodramatic power in a display of quiet, resolute power in "The Arrest," leaving no doubt about the government's victory. On the other side of the score, and also culminating in a powerful statement in "The Arrest," is the theme for Hanssen himself, the pretty, major-key piano melody heard earlier in the score during "Morning Mass" and other moments meant to humanize the flawed character. The theme's progressions mutate to match the ominous tones of the government's material but, in a highly effective move, dissolve back to their lonely and distinctly human form at the end of "The Arrest" and "The Why Doesn't Mean a Thing," actually supplying an environment of sadness to the final words shared between the two leads. Outside of the thematic development, Danna supplies mostly ambient drama and suspense, the synthetic elements crucial to keeping the pace but not really impressing by themselves. The mix is very well handled, no single instrument other than the piano dominating a cue. Tasteful French horn backing and occasional woodwind solos (especially in the latter half of the score) are welcome but not spectacular. The almost complete lack of percussion is an interesting choice, with rhythms sustained by harp, piano, glockenspiel, or other lighter elements. Overall, there is ten to fifteen minutes of music in the latter half of Breach that will entertain you with the weight of its drama, but the piano material, which very well developed in the narrative arc, is rather mundane. The first half the score is likewise cold in demeanor, and some listeners will not have patience for the time it takes to start generating some heat.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download