| CLOSE WINDOW |
|
FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Robin and Marian (John Barry)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... on the 2001 re-recording if you seek the only version of John
Barry's last minute replacement score with any hint of the romanticism it badly
lacked in its original performance.
Avoid it... if you only have the money to purchase one or two of Silva Screen's 2001 re-recordings of Barry's work, because both The Lion in Winter and The Last Valley are far more entertaining.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Robin and Marian: (John Barry) In the early 1970's, the idea
of producing a film about the death of Robin Hood was kicked around between
several studios until it was picked up by producer Ray Stark, director Richard
Lester, and a production team experienced in the lightning-quick creation of
swashbuckling films. For the novel script depicting the late years of the
characters in the Robin Hood tale, a magnificent cast of Sean Connery, Audrey
Hepburn, Richard Harris, and Robert Shaw was assembled. Despite the dynamic
combination of actors, Robin and Marian was understandably a significantly
depressing experience, with the deaths of all of the major characters and a
heartbreaking story of lost love and endless battles with old foes. The score for
the picture was meant to be a lush, string-oriented affair from the very
beginning, and veteran French composer Michel Legrand was hired to add that spark
of romance. Legrand composed and recorded music for the entire film; his work
featured only a string section and offered solo performances by each of the
different string instruments for his thematic material. This approach, however,
led to a surprisingly jumbled and overly complex score, and although Lester had
been very pleased with Legrand's music, Stark was not impressed, thus firing
Legrand and immediately searching for a replacement. The next choice was Maurice
Jarre, a composer more seasoned in the category of epic films, but he turned down
the project because of short notice and respect for Legrand's work. The third
choice was John Barry, who was already well known for scoring a wide range of
cinematic styles, from pop action to sweeping epics and romantic heartbreakers.
Barry had less than three weeks to provide a replacement score for Robin and
Marian, and he responded with a fully orchestral and thematic approach that
would meet with the approval of the producer, but not the director. Barry's music
in parts of the film was reworked by a fourth composer on the project, pop
television specialist Richard Shores. With the mass of Barry's work remaining
intact for Robin and Marian, though, he received primary credit for the
score. Despite all of these problems, Barry's music is a decent effort
considering the short time frame in which he had to work.
Indeed, Barry's vision of Robin and Marian is more diverse in its instrumentation than Legrand's had been. Instead of the simple string approach, Barry carries the personality with the woodwinds, which better represent the era of King Richard and the location of Sherwood Forest. His statements of the love theme for the film vary in their intensity, and it is this often subdued nature of the music that causes the score as a whole to drag its feet. Even though it is more than sufficient for the film, the only truly charged performance of that theme is heard during the mass death scene at the end of the film, with previous performances meandering softly without much romantic power. Likewise, the music for action and escape scenes is often understated as well. Depending strongly on a solo timpani for two or three pivotal scenes of action in the story, Barry's score lacks the depth that you often heard in his more broadly conceived scores of the 1970's and 1980's. In these regards, Legrand ironically produced music for the film that Barry probably would have written in the late 1980's. Barry's hasty effort does have its moments, but it lacks the resounding bass and engaging energy that his scores often thrived upon to propel solo performances of his themes. Richard Shores' work for the film compensates by providing that action, but it stands out like a sore thumb compared to Barry's more melancholy approach. Barry himself believes that his score worked well in context, though he too will admit that circumstances surrounding the entire project were far less than perfect. Robin and Marian went on to lose money at the box office, and thus only a promotional LP record was offered in 1976 to film score collectors. A 1990 bootleg CD was produced from that 40-minute LP master, though it featured a dull, distant sound that compounded the problematic aspects of Barry's music. A 2001 re-recording of the entire score by Nic Raine and the City of Prague Philharmonic is superbly executed, and proved once again that Raine is the master of reproducing Barry's older works in electrifying surround sound quality. Prometheus Records took a mono safety copy of the masters and pressed a slightly longer, limited album in late 2008, sacrificing Shores' material for a few alternate cue takes by Barry. Overall, if you are interested in Barry's merely average work for Robin and Marian, seek it on the Silva label, for the re-recording begins to inject life into an otherwise dull atmosphere of light Barry romance. ***
TRACK LISTINGS:
1990 Sherwood Bootleg:
Total Time: 39:28
2001 Silva Screen Re-Recording: Total Time: 45:06
* arranged and orchestrated by Richard Shores 2008 Prometheus Album: Total Time: 47:56
NOTES & QUOTES:
The Sherwood bootleg insert includes no extra information about the score
or film. The 2001 Silva re-recording contains detailed notes about the film,
score, and re-recording process. The 2008 Prometheus album contains extensive
information about both the film and score.
Copyright ©
2003-2024, Filmtracks Publications. All rights reserved.
The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Robin and Marian are Copyright © 1990, 2001, 2008, Sherwood Bootleg, Silva Screen Records, Prometheus Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 7/6/03 and last updated 3/18/09. |
