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Gods and Generals
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Composed and Produced by:
Conducted by:
Nick Ingman
Solo Performance by:
Mark O'Connor Mary Fahl Bob Dylan
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LABEL & RELEASE DATE
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ALBUM AVAILABILITY
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Regular U.S. release.
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AWARDS
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None.
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ALSO SEE
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Buy it... if you seek an extremely well written, performed, and recorded
tribute to the American Civil War and the ethnicity of its soldiers in both the
song and score for Gods and Generals.
Avoid it... if dramatic war genre scores of immense orchestral and choral
resonance upset you by reminding you of the tragedy of death, dismemberment, and
other hideous topics.
BUY IT
 | Frizzell |
 | Edelman |
Gods and Generals: (John Frizzell/Randy Edelman) With Michael
Shaara's "The Killer Angels" translated onto screen in 1993's popularly successful
television production of Gettysburg, Jeff Shaara's equally precise prequel,
"Gods and Generals" made the leap to the big screen in 2003. Covering the two years
of intensive warfare in the American Civil War between 1861 and 1863, Gods and
Generals introduces the commanding officers central to both stories and leads
them up to a climax which ends just prior to the pivotal battle of Gettysburg in
1863. The prior film was likewise produced under the heavy hand of Ted Turner, and
the authenticity conveyed in many of the production values was retained. For the
prequel, much changed in the cast, with only Jeff Daniels reprising his role as
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain in the second film. Robert Duvall received significant
criticism for underplaying in the role of General Robert E. Lee. As for the music
for these Shaara adaptations, the choice of Randy Edelman as a composer for the
newer project was met with a wide range of responses, from those who praised the
elegant themes of his Gettysburg score to those who damned its electronic
nature as inappropriate for the genre. He returned to provide some filler cues for
Gods and Generals, though his dramatic theme for Gettysburg makes no
appearance. The mass majority of score material for the production is provided by
John Frizzell, whose career up to 2003 had been noteworthy for most film music
collectors in the form of adequate, but not particularly outstanding action and
horror scores. Here, he was given the largest opportunity of his career and made
the most of it. The marketing of the Sony Classical album for Gods and
Generals focused mostly on the songs performed by Mary Fahl and Bob Dylan for
the project, in addition to the violin performances by master fiddler and violinist
Mark O'Connor. The more voluminous inspiration in the film, though, is created by
Frizzell. The score occupies roughly fifty minutes on the album and was a powerful
and thematically rich early introduction to the year of film music in 2003.
Unlike Edelman's music for Gettysburg, Frizzell walks no
tightrope between his budget and authenticity. The score is fully orchestral and
choral, written for solo performances appropriate for the time and the people
fighting the war, and it's a work saturated with its dramatic title theme. His
music is a serious tribute to the war, with close attention to detail that led,
ultimately, to the inclusion of several noteworthy solo performances. O'Connor's
violin performances are crisp and well-placed, and his talents as person who can
turn his violin into a fiddle also came in handy when performing for the
Confederates at several junctures. The well recorded and mixed sound of the
orchestra offers a wet ambience that conveys a level of reverberation that makes
the violin and orchestra sound distant enough to represent the 1860's and epic
enough to establish a sense of weight in the environment. At the same time,
however, the sound is rarely so diluted as to lose the integrity of individual
performances. The only exception is the stark death procession heard in the "VMI
Will Be Heard From Today," a cue by Frizzell in which the chorus fiercely
overpowers the orchestra. A varied adult chorus is included in several tracks
throughout the score, functioning much like the expected snare drum to represent
wartime topics. Frizzell maintains great loyalty to the title theme he expresses
with bravado in "Gods and Generals" and "To the Stone Wall." These two cues are
momentous powerhouses of explosive orchestral and choral weight with grand harmony
that is rarely heard with such conviction in film scores of the era. The Irish
influences on the music, meanwhile, are perhaps the more surprising aspect of the
work. They aren't limited to O'Connor's name in this case; Frizzell utilizes two
pivotal score cues (comprising six minutes on album) to combine the fiddle with a
tin whistle and uilleann pipes. As history buffs will recall, the number of Irish
regiments from New York was considerable (and some of them didn't even speak
English, much to the dismay of the Confederates and often their fellow Union
fighters as well). Their heroism in battle is addressed in the story and is
subsequently reflected by Frizzell, whose use of those elements in his score is
well placed within the framework of the rest of the ensemble.
The music flows effortlessly between the Irish influences to
something such as, for example, the fiddle representing Appalachia, and you rarely
realize it while it is happening. The most impressive aspect of Frizzell's score is
its strong consistency of high quality, melodic and instrumental balance from
beginning to end, which is something not heard in his larger commercial efforts.
The score functions, with the exception of "VMI Will Be Heard From Today," as a
lengthy, symphonic, concert-like tribute to the Civil War, the likes of which had
not been recorded before. Even Randy Edelman's contribution, which is about ten
minutes in length on the album, sheds his tiresome, synthesized sound and yields
superb piano performances in the place of obvious electronic keyboarding. Film
score collectors will also be pleased with the original songs presented at the
beginning and end of the album. The album opens with a hauntingly gorgeous,
Irish-styled song co-written and performed by Mary Fahl, who was also heard in the
later 2003 score for The Guys. Her voice has a naturally evocative and
sincerely deep tone, and when partnered with the melody of the song "Going Home"
specifically, the Irish twist of her tongue and the variety of accompanying
instruments of similar ethnicity are lovely. The fully orchestral and choral
backing to this recording is stunning. Likewise appropriate for the film and score
is Bob Dylan's own ballad at the end of the project, for which he contributes his
distinct, echoing voice and keyboard talents. His lengthy "Cross the Green
Mountain" is equally sensitive to the spirit of the Civil War, modern in its
instrumentation but true to the character of the era with its melody and mellow
vocals. Overall, Gods and Generals is a vast improvement over
Gettysburg, which should come as even better news to those of you who
enjoyed the previous score. Frizzell has captured the momentous scope of the war
while also conveying the atmosphere of personal tragedy, and it is clearly the
defining score of his career to date. With strength in both of the songs, the album
is without a fault, and even devoted historians of the Civil War will be pleasantly
surprised by the overall package. If only it had been released later in the year,
this could easily have been an awards contender for its songs and score, and its
album comes with the highest of recommendations. ***** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check: |
For Randy Edelman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.06
(in 18 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.17
(in 28,040 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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My first score David Lounsberry - January 27, 2009, at 9:51 a.m. |
1 comment (2132 views) |
Excellent score Sheridan - August 26, 2006, at 2:53 a.m. |
1 comment (2852 views) |
Orchestration N.R.Q. - July 19, 2006, at 12:06 p.m. |
1 comment (2698 views) |
Total Time: 61:58
1. Going Home - performed by Mary Fahl (4:56)
2. Gods and Generals - written by John Frizzell (3:42)
3. You Must Not Worry for Us - written by John Frizzell (2:09)
4. Loved I Not Honor More - written by John Frizzell (3:13)
5. Lexington is My Home - written by John Frizzell (1:23)
6. The School of the Soldier - written by John Frizzell (3:58)
7. Go to their Graves Like Beds - written by Randy Edelman (2:24)
8. My Heart Shall Not Fear - written by Randy Edelman (1:46)
9. These Brave Irishmen - written by John Frizzell (2:51)
10. To the Stone Wall - written by John Frizzell (3:41)
11. You'll Thank Me in the Morning - written by John Frizzell (3:20)
12. The First Crop of Corn - written by John Frizzell (3:26)
13. My Home is Virginia - written by Randy Edelman (4:24)
14. No Photographs - written by John Frizzell/Randy Edelman (2:53)
15. VMI Will Be Heard From Today - written by John Frizzell (2:42)
16. Too Much Sugar - written by John Frizzell (1:56)
17. Let Us Cross the River - written by John Frizzell (2:48)
18. The Soldier's Return - written by John Frizzell (2:02)
19. Cross the Green Mountain - performed by Bob Dylan (8:14)
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The insert includes lengthy information about the score and film from
director Ronald Maxwell. The packaging includes a "limited edition" DVD in
addition to the regular music CD. The 24-minute DVD contains music videos of both
songs as well as bonus footage from the film and its theatrical trailer.
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