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| Arnold |
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn
Treader: (David Arnold) Oh, the woes of a franchise of religiously
allegorical fantasy shunned by its original parents for not raking in
enough dough. Much has been made about Disney's decision to abandon the
series of adaptations of C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia," fearful
that the third film couldn't turn a profit on a budget over $100
million. After many delays and creative differences, however, Disney
finally relinquished rights to the continuation of the franchise to 20th
Century Fox, an original possible suitor for the films, and production
of
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
commenced for a debut a year and a half behind schedule. The story on
screen is faithful to the plot of the book. The protagonists,
now-teenage children of the English Pevensie family, are once again
transported into the whimsical world of Narnia through an object in
their house. This time, a nasty younger cousin is along for the ride and
they unite with now King Caspian from the previous story to set off on
an adventure aboard the titular ship. Narnia is threatened by an evil
island and the monsters unleashed from its realm of darkness, and
Caspian fashions the first of the kingdom's ships so that he can collect
seven swords for Aslan, the god-like lion that remains king of kings in
the land. The production is expectedly cute, with the children
effortlessly charming their way through their trials and the convenient
talking mouse in a sidekick role. Reviews have been mixed because
special effects are clearly the order of the day;
The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader is meant as an escapist spectacle for the senses
that can win crowds of families (and, of course, the Christians that
made the first film a box office success) away from Disney's concurrent
sequel to
Tron. With the switch in studios came a new director
and crew to accompany returning actors, and because Michael Apted took
the job of helming
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, composer David
Arnold followed. With success, Harry Gregson-Williams had provided
scores to the previous two films in the franchise, both entertainingly
melodic and exuding a broad sense of fantasy but both also less than
ideal given the composer's choice to beef up the ambience of his
symphonic music with electronics (did Aslan really need a power
anthem?). When offered the assignment of
The Voyage of the Dawn
Treader, Arnold reportedly suggested that Gregson-Williams' be asked
to return and reprise his own themes with likely similar results.
Apted's confidence in Arnold, however, led to the British Bond-franchise
anchor adapting portions of Gregson-Williams' material into a sweeping
sequel score very much rendered in Arnold's own, distinctive blockbuster
style.
Arnold has, ever since his sudden emergence in the
mid-1990's with epic scores in his collaboration with Roland Emmerich,
remained one of the darlings of the film music community. His tenure in
the Bond franchise has only solidified that impression, his voice for
the famous spy evolving and rebooting with impressive intelligence,
especially in his merging of synthetic and organic tones. With that
franchise once again mired by legal turmoil and thus paused, Arnold's
fans have been without many major new feature film scores from the
composer for several years. Aside from the Bond music and a handful of
comedies and less notable ventures, you have to reach back to September
11th, 2001 as the ironic release date of
The Musketeer, Arnold's
previous large scale action work. Arnold has, in fact, been busy with
other projects in recent years, among them producing a collaboration
with Dame Shirley Bassey that yielded what many fans consider a
frustratingly magnificent alternate title song for
Quantum of
Solace (a recording that truly cannot be missed for enthusiasts of
that score). Understandably, expectations for Arnold's
The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader were sky high and, not surprisingly, some initial
reactions (even in reviews) diminished his achievement for the
franchise. On the contrary, while this score may not top the very best
of 2010, it is certainly a powerhouse to contend with, a more
complicated and richly orchestrated fantasy/adventure score than many
give it credit for being. A long score-only album release for
The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader (the Carrie Underwood song is only
available separately, as are tons of different songs for the
international offerings) has been criticized for failing to maintain
interest in its less exciting middle passages. Comparisons to
Gregson-Williams' music have also been inevitable. What listeners need
here is a dose of perspective. How often do you get to hear Arnold
flourish in mid-90's form? Or, for that matter, at all these days? While
the album for
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader could have used some
better equalization of volume levels from track to track, it is still a
marvelous 70+ minute presentation of a familiar, likeable orchestral
sound that we simply don't hear anymore. Rearrange the cues if you must,
but those who find no value in the less bombastic choral-cooing portions
of the score simply haven't spent enough time appreciating the score's
intricacies. What may sound like meandering filler material in
The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader actually contains a wealth of development
of secondary thematic identities that do, in most cases, accomplish
various tasks in the narrative. So for those of you complaining about too
much of a good thing, despite the fact that the album really could have
been boiled down to 45 minutes for the best casual perusal, ponder for a
moment the alternative.
The most obvious difference between the Gregson-Williams
and Arnold sounds in the franchise is the latter's abandonment of the
electronic enhancements. Indeed,
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
is a gloriously symphonic achievement, reaching swashbuckling heights
and cranking up the adrenaline without requiring drum pads, bass boosts,
and deep thumping. This development is something of a surprise given
Arnold's affinity for applying a variety of such synthetic layers to his
Bond music (appropriately, of course), but a welcome one. Along with 87
enthusiastic orchestral players are 40 singers applied in two different
styles of performance: softly cooing and angrily chanting. A definite
holdover from the Bond scores is the application of live percussion,
with medium-range drums and mad cymbal-tapping often punctuating the
action cues in
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. On the whole,
however, while there are a few snazzy trumpet lines (9:13 into "Into
Battle") that will remind of the jazz in the Bond franchise, the score
has much, much more in common with the sound of
Independence Day
and other Arnold scores of that generation. The usual Nicholas Dodd
touch is present; the orchestrations he has used through the years to
help define the Arnold fantasy sound are all intact here. During some of
the grandiose combinations of full adult choir and orchestral majesty,
you could be tricked into thinking you're hearing
Independence
Day instead. The issue of continuity with Gregson-Williams is
handled primarily through the continuation of the existing theme for
Aslan. There are times when the music for the children is reminiscent of
the previous scores, especially in "Ship to Shore," but on the whole,
the two clear references to the Aslan theme is the sum of what carries
over. Even the instrumentation of those performances ("High King and
Queen of Narnia" and "Aslan Appears") is significantly different, Arnold
translating the idea out of its sometime over-wrought dramatic stance
when heard with Gregson-Williams' instrumentation and affording it more
regal orchestral tones in slow tempi. Aside from these references,
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fresh new musical direction
for the franchise. Arnold did not skimp on the introduction of new
themes, either. He has not been known to be the type of composer to
write a dozen themes in a score and constantly mingle and manipulate
them; instead, he tends to write a couple of really good overarching
ideas and sprinkle them with solitary secondary ones. You get both in
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, starting with two great,
frequently referenced themes and a host of others for supporting
concepts that form the kind of intriguing musical tapestry not typical
to Arnold's career.
It's a shame that Arnold did not have the opportunity to
record a concert suite arrangement parading the five main identities of
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in glorious succession; such a
suite of these themes could have been fantastic and likely would have
helped those trying to identify them in the cases of the less obvious
ones. Fortunately, the two major themes from Arnold are presented in
easily digestible fashion right off the bat in "Opening Title." Most of
the notoriety will come for the primary Dawn Treader theme heard in the
latter half of that cue. It's a vintage Arnold fantasy theme of the best
variety, evoking the same sense of unrestrained escapism that made him
famous in his early years. The first three descending notes are the
score's most obvious musical tool, switching from major to minor when
necessary and, because of the phrase's brevity, applied as counterpoint
in a variety of situations all throughout the score. It's unique enough
to sound fresh but simple enough to use in a fragmented form as at the
start of "The Painting." The only detraction to this theme is the fact
that Arnold suffered the same fate as Christophe Beck in
Percy
Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief; as such, it also ends
with a phrase seemingly inspired by John Powell's Phoenix theme from
X-Men: The Last Stand (in fairness to all, it's a pretty common
series of notes in film music and you could point to its use in a dozen
major scores). After a whimsical string performance with delightfully
plucked basses, light snare tapping, and all of the dainty percussive
techniques you'd expect to suggest a sense of "magic," the theme is
unleashed when the youngsters set their eyes on the ship in "The
Painting," a moment of pure Arnold majesty. The theme is treated to
several lighter variations in the mid-section of the score, including
softer performances on woodwinds with lofty, comedic heart in "Eustace
on Deck" and flowing, dreamy fantasy in "Blue Star." As the heroes say
goodbye to the ship and Narnia in "Time to Go Home," Arnold unleashes
wholesome chimes to one final massive string performance of the theme
complete with magnificent brass counterpoint. The idea closes out the
album in more melancholy tones. Aside from this very clear identity, the
other major theme that Arnold introduces in "Opening Title" is the one
for the children. It's a joyous, highly lyrical identity often
accompanied by singing that emulates James Horner's application of
children's choir rather than Gregson-Williams' more muscularly robust
adult sound for his theme for the same characters. The first 40 seconds
of "Opening Titles" conveys this idea with its usual whirling fantasy
elements in tow and establishes the same sense of building anticipation
in the genre heard in Ilan Eshkeri's
Stardust (which conversely
under-delivered thereafter).
A more buoyant performance of the major theme for the
children in
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is heard at the start
of "Land Ahoy," though is versatility is proven when it is reduced to
solo harp in "Lord Bern." When aided by choir, as at 1:00 into "Lucy and
the Invisible Mansion" and at the conclusion of "Aslan's Table," this
theme yields the score's most innocuously lovely moments. Arnold also
tortures the melody with dissonance when necessary, as in the temptation
cues. Mixed in between the two major identities from Arnold are three
secondary themes of particular interest, all of them developed well
throughout the score. The one heard first is the score's only really
controversial aspect. Many years ago, Arnold stated that his theme for
the American military in his 1998 score for
Godzilla was his
favorite from that work; indeed, it completely overshadowed the rest of
the score and contained an extremely elegant interlude (listen to the
"Evacuation" track in that score for reference). That interlude has now
resurfaced for the character of the talking mouse in
The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader. Despite the fact that the instrumentation and
demeanor of the theme has been completely changed, toned back to the
fluffiest of performance elements, the progression is so obviously
copied in its entirety that it will give a chuckle to any avid Arnold
collector (note to Arnold: okay, it's a great, obscure melody and
re-using it once gets an enthusiastic endorsement. Do it a few more
times in the future, however, and you'll be forever linked to James
Horner!). This theme is only rarely heard on the album, gracing
"Reepicheep" in full and the ends of "Under the Stars" and "Ship to
Shore." A little more elusive for some listeners will be the remaining
two themes, the first a noble identity presumably for the swords in the
story. First heard at 0:10 into "1st Sword," this theme occupies that
cue with restrained horn stature worthy of lost kings. Its slight
performances in "The Golden Cavern" and "The Calm Before the Storm"
eventually produce full development of beauty late in "Sweet Water."
Finally, no score of this sort would be complete without a snorting
brass theme of evil, and Arnold delivers with his identity for the
villains and their island. With dexterity, the brass players forcefully
maneuver around notes on key to deliver a resounding message of dread,
first announcing itself late in "The Green Mist." A short but
unadulterated performance at 2:30 into "Coriakin and the Map" is likely
the easiest place to discover the theme on its own for the first time.
The idea's less obvious statements are just as effective; solo brass
give it an ominous tone in second half of "The Golden Cavern," a solo
flute allusion in "Blue Star" is creepy, and it is reduced to battle on
woodwinds with the children's theme in "Temptation of Edmund."
All together, these themes are constantly heard in
development and each enjoys a satisfying performance or two on its own.
The villains' theme is perhaps underutilized, referenced in fragments in
the action cues but not as obviously as one would hope, especially at
the climax. The action material in
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
contains its own set of motifs that will thrill Arnold collectors. While
most of these resemble his previous scores, touches like the angry
choral chanting in "The Green Mist" and "Into Battle" are a nod to Jerry
Goldsmith's
The Final Conflict. The latter, eleven-minute cue is
simply phenomenal, ranging from Bond-like propulsion to
ID4-like
bravado and even approaching the territory of John Williams' "Duel of
the Fates" from
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace at about 5:30 into
that cue. Handling of the various brass musicians in "Into Battle,"
including Arnold's trademark triplets on trumpet, is superb. Some may be
surprised by how little straight action music there is, but you will be
rewarded by the twenty or so minutes that can be heard. The specialty
instrumentation in the score is not particularly overwhelming, the ram's
horn unfortunately only used in "Market Forces." The Irish jig in "Duel"
contains most of the cited specialty items. In terms of the score's
mixing, the strings, brass, and choir are all provided some reverb to
give the score a good fantasy vibe. The woodwinds and percussion are
sometimes too dry up front; the latter is especially distracting, but
having the dry layer of drums seemingly dominate the rest of the
ensemble is an unfortunate tendency in Arnold's recordings. The tapped
cymbals in "Dragon Attack," for instance, are so obvious that some
listeners may make undue associations with the Bond scores simply
because of them (and distract from the awesome
Stargate-like,
final half minute of that cue). Overall,
The Voyage of the Dawn
Treader is a score that on the surface may not seem any more
impressive than Gregson-Williams' strong and entertaining, but not
lasting predecessors. The change in direction in terms of instrumental
tone and themes may bother some franchise enthusiasts. A very long album
will still be an issue for some. The borrowing of a theme from
Godzilla is obvious. All of these points are valid criticisms,
but they dissipate with time. Ultimately,
The Voyage of the Dawn
Treader is much like
Tomorrow Never Dies, a score that grows
on you with repeated attention. It luckily has enough fantastic
highlights to hook you, but searching between the opening three and
closing four tracks will yield rewarding intelligence in this superior
fantasy genre effort. At the very least, it's great to hear Arnold in
full symphonic glory another time, and he so well captures the sense of
magical whimsy and swashbuckling adventure that it's a shame a
Harry
Potter assignment was never the destiny for this immensely talented
Brit.
***** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
| Bias Check: |
For David Arnold reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.47
(in 15 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.27
(in 43,528 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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