: (Alan
Williams) Countless nature documentaries have feature the unique animal
migrations of the lovely Serengeti National Park in Tanzania through the
years, but the filmmakers behind the 2022 3D IMAX film
had the advantage of filming during
the global pandemic from 2020 to 2022. Fewer tourists meant a better
playground for cinematographers, and this entry managed to secure
footage above and beyond its competitors for its 45-minute length. Like
other similar pictures, this one follows a handful of young animals as
they discover and adapt to their surroundings and make their first
migration, the wildebeests in particular well known in this area. These
short, unrated films are often funded as this one was, by governments,
the national parks, and large-format screen operators. The end products
make the rotation between IMAX cinemas and endless museum and zoo
showings, and
did
those rounds in 2022 and 2023. Such productions frequently have sparse
crews, and because of the inherent need for impressive music to
accompany the typically dazzling visuals, it's common to see the music
crew match the size of the remaining crew for the project. No stranger
to such circumstances is veteran documentary and short IMAX film
composer Alan Williams, who has been active in this arena for decades
and whose work has been described both affectionately and otherwise as a
stylistic extension of the broad John Barry romanticism of the 1980's
and 1990's. Williams' scores for IMAX documentaries like
in 2022 are frequently accomplished though
sometimes rather anonymous in character. After a sparse few years of
completed scores, his production in 2022 was particularly notable,
however, adding the impressively dramatic music for the Chinese
theatrical release of
to arguably his best
year of the prior ten. While some listeners consider Williams' animal
and landscape-based music to be interchangeable,
Among African documentary film scores, Ramin Djawadi's
Elephant reigns supreme, and Williams' work for
Serengeti: A
Journey to the Heart of Africa accesses many of the same basic
ingredients, albeit on a smaller budget. It wouldn't be unfair to
describe this score as an
Elephant-lite alternative, though
Williams' trademark lyricism is a unique aspect to this smaller score.
The breadth is still entertaining, a moderately-sized orchestra joined
by vibraphone, ethnic African vocals (which could very well be stock
given the lack of any credit for them), and a variety of ethnic
woodwinds that offer genuine distinction with their various tones and
inflection. Subtle synthetic shades lend suspense to a few cues. As
usual for a documentary, much of the score for
Serengeti: A Journey
to the Heart of Africa is compartmentalized into musical vignettes
for specific animal groups, but true to Williams' own natural
inclinations, a strong main theme weaves in and out of the work. This
idea is among the composer's best career identities and alone buoys this
score to success. Debuting at 1:03 into "Serengeti" on full ensemble
with vocal, percussion, and flute accents, the theme is simple and
gorgeous, swaying with absolute romanticism and enthusiasm as needed for
the topic. The idea enjoys alternate primary phrasing at 2:10 in
"Serengeti" until the theme returns to original form at 2:21 for a pair
of beautiful renditions. It recurs at 0:28 into "Extraordinary Canvas"
in similar form to the prior cue but minus the solo vocals. A brief but
full moment for the melody follows at 0:39 into "Arriving at the Grass
Plains," yielding to solo flute. The main theme begins "Herd Arrive at
Mara River" in only its chords and counterpoint lines after exotic wind
effects at the outset. The highlight of its performances may exist
throughout "Back Home on the Plains," which is a fuller arrangement of
"Serengeti;" the flute emulates Naoki Sato stylings in the conclusive
moments, bringing excellent scope to the soundscape. A motif for water
also runs through the score, highlighted by repeated three note phrases
in distinct John Barry harmonies. Hinted at 1:43 into "Serengeti" as an
interlude to the main theme, this idea informs early moments of "Simba
Roars" but debuts fully and resoundingly at 0:27 into "Lake Natron,"
building to momentous ensemble force. This stance continues through the
second half of "Herd Arrive at Mara River" but with less melodic
clarity.
For the individual animals in
Serengeti: A Journey
to the Heart of Africa, Williams offers the most air time to his
theme for Tembo, an elephant that receives a friendly vibraphone theme
at 0:17 in "Tembo the Elephant," joined by percussion and strings. It
persists at 0:10 into "Tembo Bath" for only vibraphone and drums, and
"Serengeti End Credits" reprises "Tembo the Elephant" at its start.
Otherwise, the early vignettes include "Kijana the Little One," which
develops a flute theme with spritely strings and xylophone, and "Nyumbu
the Wildebeest," its low flute, heavy string weight, and thunderous
percussion sharing the initial water motif phrasing from 0:59 forward in
the cue. The latter half of "Arriving at the Grass Plains" explores
lovely lyricism, and "Duma the Cheetah" features the most exotic wind
and vibraphone tones, with playful rhythms like
Elephant that are
reprised at 1:55 into "Serengeti End Credits." Later, "Simba Roars"
offers a stoic string and brass crescendo of resolve while "Wadudu Dung
Beetle" also shares the water motif's first three notes but adds low
flute, drums, and choppy strings similar to "Duma the Cheetah." (This
passage is reprised at 0:45 into "Serengeti End Credits.") Two more
serious cues include "Oldoinyo Lengai," with melodramatic and weighty
strings in broad strokes over synthetics launching into an accelerating
string and drum motif at its end, and "Monsuni Winds," which alternates
between massive drums and solo harp as it gains ensemble dread. Brutal
percussion solos await in "Predator Gauntlet and Vultures," the slight
synthetic ambience leading to an exuberant build-up of brass
anticipation. Finally, "River Crossing Crocs" contains the most striking
dissonance of the score in its first half, but its vicious strikes give
way to propulsive and tonal action rhythms with distinctly Basil
Poledouris-like brass pulses in its epic second half. Together, these
cues combine with the tremendous heart of the main theme and water motif
to form a 37-minute presentation that stands above most Williams works.
The sheer majesty of "Serengeti," "Lake Natron," "Herd Arrive at Mara
River," and "Back Home on the Plains" is magnificent. The only major
detraction is that "Serengeti End Credits" is an assembly of three
specific animal motifs with no concluding statement of the main theme.
The composer made lossless digital download options available for most
of his 2022 works. While
Legend of the Forest earned Williams the
most recognition due to its grand ethnic scope,
Serengeti: A Journey
to the Heart of Africa prevails with singular highlights that are
among the best of the composer's career.
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