Still, even within the realm of Portman's tendencies, Nicholas Nickleby is a conservative effort. Its emotional range never varies very convincingly, with the cues of ominous tone (such as "Squeers Captures Smike") not really raising a believable atmosphere of tension. Portman's theme for the score is a hybrid, technically speaking, of the title themes from The Cider House Rules and The Legend of Bagger Vance. Some casual listeners will likely confuse the three of them. Part of the problem with the reuse of previous thematic fragments arises from Portman's habit of utilizing her themes so frequently in some of her scores that the situation is artificially exacerbated. Likewise, the chord progressions in her non-thematic material had also become predictable and extremely recognizable by this time. The only somewhat fresh sound heard in Nicholas Nickleby is the subtheme written for the Smike character, and in "More Jobs for Smike," "Squeers Captures Smike," and "Smike is Captured," you at least hear some additional depth in the bass string writing (addressing this theme) that breaks the mood of the constant violins and woodwinds. Both brass and percussion are highly marginalized for the effort, which is also typical of Portman's approach to these kinds of topics. Notable solo performances come from flute, harp and especially clarinet. Even Portman's most ardent fans will have to admit that Nicholas Nickleby is a case of just more of the same. But even having said that, she maintains a consistent level of pleasant, lush melodies, and some forgiving listeners tend to forget during the height of her themes that the material is recycled. As a listening experience, Nicholas Nickleby is a moderating, soothing, and easy album (to such a degree that it can almost be tuned out), though it will likely offer nothing to impress the casual film music listener. Unlike the previous Hart's War, there may be little reason for non-Portman collectors to give it a chance. The opening and closing tracks each serve as a good representation of the remainder of the work. Compared to her later, far more varied work for Oliver Twist in particular, Nicholas Nickleby remains anonymous and somewhat disappointing. No matter the context, however, this is still good music, and it may even impress those who haven't heard a Portman score before.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download