The atmosphere of Djawadi's Elephant will alone float the score for most listeners. Like most nature documentaries, there are a bevy of individual situational cues that branch off into new motifs or instrumental usage. In this case, associate composers Brandon Campbell and William Marriott assisted in fleshing out these heightened moments of play and suspense in five cues. But the score's broader elements of journey, including its several recurring themes, are reportedly the work of Djawadi. The sum works well even with the diversionary cues because many of them access either the main themes directly or suggest similar orchestrations and solos, allowing the narrative to flow extremely well regardless of the emotional needs per scene. Only in "Lion Hunt" do Djawadi's synthetic enhancements interrupt with a rough edge. The composer conveniently previews all of the main themes for Elephant in the powerhouse opening cue, "Elephant Prologue." The score is anchored by a primary identity for the animals' journey as a whole, though the bulk of the heavy lifting is done by the family-oriented themes for the two lead adult elephants, Gaia and Shani. Two of these themes also have notable interludes or intro sequences that figure separately at times as well. Together, the three dominant themes and their supporting motifs can still be overwhelmed by the general tone of the score for some listeners, but the themes' applications are intelligent and deep. The main theme of the film is a bit deceptively enunciated in some cues by Djawadi because he sometimes omits the first two notes of the identity in major performances. Its core consists of the three descending notes at the start of a measure that comes after those first fickle two notes, heard first in full form at 1:49 into "Elephant Prologue" and without the opening notes and with greater size at 5:18. Fragments of the idea are altered for suspense at 2:33 into "Mud Rescue" but the performances thereafter in the score are all obvious and often massive. The theme informs all of "A Thousand Mile Journey," highlighted at 1:16, and continues with immense scope at 2:57 into "Victoria Falls" and drama at 0:11 and 2:49 into "Angola Rains." All of these performances drop the first two notes. The full version of the theme shines again at 1:18 into "Floodwaters Return" and 2:02 into "An Unforgettable Journey," the latter cue offering a finale performance at 3:19 with a slower tempo for emphasis and closure.

The interplay between the Gaia and Shani themes is important in Elephant, the two initially accompanying the elephants individually but the designation of "main family theme" switching as necessary from the former to latter in later cues. The Gaia/initial family theme debuts with noble reverence at 3:40 into "Elephant Prologue" and prevails at 1:49 into "Mud Rescue" as the elephant rescues a suffocating youngling. The theme's secondary phrases emerge late in "Stepping Stones." The idea repeats at 0:40 into "Bones" for soft female vocals and exotic woodwinds, transitioning to piano at 1:36. Soft choral humming performs the theme at 1:31 into "Under the Stars," but it starts to lose will power in its performances as Gaia's age slows her, the idea nervous and tired at 1:15 into "Victoria Falls," determined but fragmented at 1:19 into "Crocodile Crossing," and reduced to solo woodwind at 2:12 into "Angola Rains." Fragments of the theme's secondary phrases recur in the first half of "Lion Hunt" before the theme poignantly occupies the entirety of "Death of a Matriarch," starting at 0:17. (The electronic bass effects are a little too much in this cue, added for gut-sinking emotional weight.) Memories of the theme haunt "The Final Push" at 0:32 and 1:52 into that cue, the latter returning to earlier choral respect. Also disappearing by this point in the score is an extension of this Gaia/initial family theme that seems to serve as an inspirational representation of wisdom. Often ethereal or conveyed by soft choir, this idea offers beauty at 4:37 into "Elephant Prologue," 0:55 into "Under the Stars," and 2:29 into "Victoria Falls." An alternate version of this melody with an extra note (three ascending trios) opens the score. With Shani taking over the elephant herd as matriarch, her theme evolves to greater familial applications late in the work. Heard first at 2:24 into "Elephant Prologue" and 1:12 into "Family Reunion," this theme serves as an interlude to the action at 2:54 and 3:09 into "Lion Hunt." A solo female vocal performs the idea at 0:11 into "Mourning," and it matures wonderfully on triumphant and muscular brass at 1:20 into "Rival Herd." Djawadi concludes the theme at 0:45 into "An Unforgettable Journey," with a few hints continuing at 2:25. The final notable recurring motif is the interlude to the main theme that also serves as its introduction at times, possibly representing water. This series of descending trios, often vocalized, is heard at 1:18, 1:35, and 2:07 into "Elephant Prologue," 0:10 into "Floodwaters Return," and 2:59 into "An Unforgettable Journey."

If there is a general negative criticism to level at the themes of Elephant, it is Djawadi's technique of stating only one of them at a time and often expressing their long lines more often than pieces of the ideas alone or as counterpoint to each other. This habit is, perhaps, a holdover from the normal Zimmer/RCP methodology, and while it deprives the brain of intellectual satisfaction, the fuller performances of each idea in succession does make for an enjoyable album presentation. As mentioned before, being that Elephant is a documentary, there are individual cues that explore situational or location motifs that don't recur elsewhere, and some of them are truly incredible in this score. The "Pool Party" is absolute fun, a variety of percussion and woodwind accents joining acoustic guitar and plucked strings for some innocuously buoyant jubilation. The "Leaving the Delta" journeying cue is a direct homage to Blood Diamond, using the first three notes of main theme but branching off in a new direction. The subdued piano solo in "Family Reunion" is a pretty moment of rest. An exuberant, offshoot of "Pool Party" awaits with brass and woodwinds in the dancing "A Magnificent Bull." Watery percussion and dulcimer in "Caterpillars" yield to an upbeat discovery theme the emerges at the cue's climax. The very best of the individual highlights in Elephant is "Palm Island," a short but very bright celebration with an utterly awesome passing of its melody between sections of the orchestra; especially note the interplay between horns, flutes, and trumpets in this cue. The score's darkest moments in "Crocodile Crossing" and "Lion Hunt" tend to maintain hints of the score's optimistic tone, as do the more ethereal, ambient passages in "Stepping Stones," "Bones," and "Under the Stars." The entirety of the Elephant score provides engaging music that is sprinkled with some of the best African and Western merging ever recorded for a film. The thematic consistency of the work is immensely satisfying, the main journeying theme and its vocalizations a highlight of Djawadi's career. Some will argue that this score is the pinnacle of the composer's output for cinema to this point, and it certainly is a pleasure to hear such fine execution of an ethnic mode that could just as easily have sounded like tired rehash. The album presentation is dialogue-free and offers a generous hour of music from the short film. While it is a digital-only product, a lossless option exists and is highly recommended given the recording's resounding soundscape. Few film scores surprise so thoroughly as Elephant, a clear triumph for Djawadi and among the best of 2020.  *****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download