As evidenced in his classical period works and the phenomenal Agora, historical drama involving strong women (which one could extend to V for Vendetta in an alternate universe) seems to inspire Marianelli to write morbidly beautiful music for strings and piano that maintains control over a niche in the film music world at the moment. The bleak, gothic nature of Jane Eyre allows the composer to brood some more in a classical environment using his most identifiable musical voice, this time featuring the solo violin performances of British virtuoso Jack Liebeck and solo vocal contributions by Melanie Pappenheim as striking though appropriate representations of the pulls of affection and dread in the story. The ensemble underneath the omnipresent violin and/or vocal solos in Jane Eyre is very conservative, expressing itself with strings, piano, and harp while employing woodwinds sparingly. Brass seems to be completely absent. The tone of the performances is almost always restrained and subdued, emulating the thoughtfulness of the characters, the mores of the time, and the underlying societal tragedy on display. The few moments of upbeat expression of delight, as in "Waiting for Mr. Rochester," "Yes!," and "Awaken," are extremely welcomed but necessarily few and far between. The tone of the majority of the romance material is not optimistic by any means, often bleeding into the suspense cues with little transition required. The performers, especially on piano, seem to have been instructed to emphasize technical mastery without exerting any depth of passion in the music, creating the perfect balance of cold austerity and romanticized historical stature for the story. Some listeners will be turned off by the emotional distance Marianelli keeps in Jane Eyre, and it indeed takes several listens to warm up to. But where he excels, as usual, is in the marvelously developed constructs and subtlety built into his handling of the string section alone. The largely monothematic score seems more melodically complex than it actually is because of the composer's ability to shift his main melody (clearly evident as Jane's voice on violin and piano throughout the entire score) between the soloists and underlying strings with amazing skill.

As evocative as the solo violin can be when expressing the primary theme in its various states of emotion, the highlights of Jane Eyre exist in cues like "Awaken," when the melody is carried by the string ensemble while the violin blows in the wind on top (all the while slowly building to a crescendo as in V for Vendetta and Agora). The violin is taxed at very boundaries of its performance capabilities, stretching the scale down to emulate a cello in "The End of Childhood" and "Yes!" and several times reaching agonizing heights not often heard from the instrument. The interlude sequence in the main theme shifts progressions in such a way as to recall the broad melodrama of Danny Elfman's most serious moments of his hidden 1993 gem Sommersby. A secondary theme of sinking guilt and oppression causes uncertainty in the middle section, culminating in the torment of "A Restless Night" and the remarkably challenging but technically interesting dissonant shades of "An Insuperable Impediment," the latter using a rare touch of electronic grinding at the 2:00 mark. Marianelli seems to apply the solo female voice to represent the calls of Rochester's insane wife, especially in how the performance is mixed into the background of the soundscape. In the middle of the score (and as late as "The Call Within"), this elegant cry of warning and lament makes sense, though the composer applies the technique before Thornfield Hall comes into the narrative picture, perhaps suggesting the voice as a more generalized gothic device. These accents won't compete with the power of equivalents in Agora, but they lend an eerie atmosphere to Jane Eyre that refreshingly shakes up the normal period romance equation. Altogether, the atmosphere shines elegantly at times while fading into brooding contemplation for the majority, and unless you have established yourself as a fan of dynamic virtuoso violin performances in prior film scores (such as in James Newton Howard's Defiance recently), Jane Eyre could leave you doubting all the positive buzz about this score. It's music that is meant to give you chills in subtle doses, and it clearly transcends Pride & Prejudice and will rival Atonement for sympathetic ears. Patience will be required to fully appreciate this very somber score's well-timed 44-minute album experience, one that is far easier to respect for its technicalities than enjoy for its demeanor.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download