At the time of The Deep End of the Ocean's release, Bernstein commented about the shift towards synthesized scores and lamented their lack of a personal touch. He specifically went out of his way to define The Deep End of the Ocean as a throwback score, stating, "the orchestration leans on musical sounds we associate with people rather than machines." The fact that Bernstein so explicitly rebutted synthetic film scores at this time remains an impressively defiant posture, even if this film would likely never have received such treatment. To favorably compare The Deep End of the Ocean to the equally beautiful Frankie Starlight and Far From Heaven should likely suffice for the majority of Bernstein collectors curious about this late entry. Bernstein's knack for perpetuating the Golden Age in respectfully restrained scores like this was a great treat in those final years, and admittedly this work's style is something of an acquired taste compared to the composer's later counterparts. There are hints of To Kill a Mockingbird to be heard in The Deep End of the Ocean, a testament to Bernstein's prolific career given the (more than) four decades in between the works. As expected, Bernstein relies on one elegantly sensitive theme for the score, heard immediately on piano at the outset of "Main Title." This theme is translated into a more jovial variant later in the cue (over playful snare and tambourine rhythms) and receives several lighter alterations as the score passes the theme between piano, strings, and woodwinds in its midsections. Listeners can expect a return to full ensemble performances in "Reunion" and "End Credits."

While The Deep End of the Ocean may technically seem like a monothematic score, Bernstein's ability to adapt it for the various concepts of joy and anguish is remarkable. In its progressions, the theme can flow with a grace that reminds of Jerry Goldsmith's The Russia House in its piano performances while also launching into spirited renditions on strings that remind, interestingly, of Mark Mancina's Twister. In tone, Bernstein proved once again that he was still among the best composers for the piano. The performances on the instrument roll and reflect in a masterful combination of loneliness and hope. The use of the ondes martenot by Bernstein was fading by this time in his career, and the instrument barely contributes to the distant background of a small handful of tracks. The suspenseful moments in the score, highlighted by the determined rhythm of "Photographs," revolve around sharp piano notes in the bass and strong tension in the middle strings. These are countered in the reflective cues by the use of a warm acoustic guitar and woodwinds that recall the composer's earliest years. On the whole, The Deep End of the Ocean is, as with many of Bernstein's other late small-scale scores, an atmospheric experience. It has nothing that will blow you off your feet, but then again, Bernstein's classic style has always been more subtle than most. The main theme is not as memorable as those for Frankie Starlight or Far From Heaven, but its soft, nostalgic, and sensitive renderings are the key. The album from Milan only runs 30 minutes in length, though the eight minutes of the opening and closing tracks are really all you need to supplement your Bernstein collection.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download