The story of the Easter Rebellion and the Irish struggles in the streets required a score that is far more lyrical than Goldenthal's action and horror scores had been. Works such as Batman Forever and Alien 3 utilized an often dissonant sound, without harmony in key sequences and shrill in the brass section, and the previous year's Heat had used starkly effective, but chilly instrumental combinations that would not suit a character story as dramatic as this one. In Michael Collins, little of Goldenthal's obvious postmodern style is evident, and the somewhat mainstream sound could be considered a precursor of the even more robust Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The balance between sweeping themes of independence, delicate piano solos, and the incorporation of female vocals is well handled in Michael Collins, presenting a sense of straightforward lyricism that was relatively rare for the composer at the time. The scenes of fighting and raids are understandably troublesome, as Goldenthal allows himself to slip into a few 2-minute sequences of dissonant sound (led by the awful "Football Match") that reside in his career's comfort zone. But the greater mass of this score consists of harmonious statements of theme and pulsating underscore. It is noble music in stature, leading to a grand anthem at the end. The highlights of the score, however (just as in Final Fantasy), are the softer cues of melody performed by a solo trumpet or piano, such as "Train Station Farewell" and "Boland Returns (Kitty's Waltz)," which are nearly unrecognizable compared to Goldenthal's norm; in fact, the soft piano work in the former cue almost resembles the warmth and simple progressions of a typical Randy Edelman theme, which should come as something of a shock to the ears of any veteran film music collector. The score's two other thematic elements aren't as obvious, but they both offer a much stronger dramatic punch. The first is the theme of conflict and its inherent tragedy, presented beautifully and with resounding resolve in "Easter Rebellion." The second is the propulsive action rhythm heard first in the impressive "Fire and Arms." The first three tracks on the album present all of these main ideas in succession and are an undeniably powerful trio.

The "Funeral/Coda" cue at the end of the film and album is a remarkably compelling string piece, offering the culmination of an album that continues to build steam until its last moments. The ethnic, operatic romance piece at the end of the album is no less enjoyable (even with the dreaded accordion), providing one last reminder of the locale of the story. Most importantly, Goldenthal accomplishes two important things with Michael Collins. First, he manages to insert enough Irish influence into the score without beating the listener over the head with it, as James Horner has been known to do. The ethnic instrumentation is applied with a light touch, and the action scenes largely include the full orchestra mixed in the forefront with the addition of one or two soloists on the pipes or whistle at a distance. Secondly, Goldenthal successfully incorporates very heavy strings and a weighty bass without becoming distractingly brooding, as Basil Poledouris does at times in the nearly concurrent Les Misérables. The sense of gravity and importance of the title character and the burden of an entire people is handled well by Goldenthal's bass region. The most likely reason this score was nominated for an Oscar, though, was the obvious use of Sinead O'Connor for the vocals in three pivotal scenes. The first two appearances by the popular singer are mostly wordless accompaniment to the full orchestra, but her final performance, in "She Moved Though the Fair," is a solemn classical song, weaving in and out of Goldenthal's interludes of underscore. While the mass of superior music on the Michael Collins album cannot be attributed to her, the contribution she makes helped it become a mainstream attraction. The opening track, "Easter Rebellion," is a masterful combination of all of the aforementioned elements, along with an ethereal choir, to produce a monumentally emotional and ominous introduction to the score. Overall, Michael Collins remains one of Goldenthal's strongest compositions to date, and it sustains itself for most of the duration of its powerful album. There are a few singular cues of troubled, dissonant noise, as to be expected from Goldenthal, but such moments are minimal compared to the beauty of the score's major thematic statements. As such, Michael Collins is a good score with which to start a Goldenthal collection.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download