The core instrumentation for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan will be familiar to any Portman enthusiast, but she expands her palette for the occasion by incorporating elements you would expect to hear in this situation. Joining a harp and string ensemble (with its trademark violin and cello solos) is an erhu, pipa, and ethnic flute for authenticity, but at the end of the day, it's no surprise that the piano steals the show once again. The layering of the Chinese instruments with Portman's typical ensemble is tastefully handled and will basically remind of other famous historical Chinese scores that also use Western sensibilities to address Eastern romanticism. The tone of these performances is extremely consistent throughout the score, never expanding to the depth of Portman's most robust melodic statements of the past but also maintaining its pretty demeanor for all but a few cues. The exceptions are "Bicycle" and "Snow Flower Arrives Late," two instances in which the composer applies very slight shades of dissonant electronics to instill a feeling of dread. Thematically, the score is stereotypically true to Portman's habits, her main idea expressed immediately and frequently. After a trademark three-note Portman piano motif in "Lily Meets Snow Flower," she presents the main theme in the fullest rendition the listener will hear until "We Will Be Laotong" at the end. The latter cue opens with Portman's pretty interlude sequence to this theme on piano, arguably a stronger identity than the main idea repeated thereafter. A few other secondary ideas permeate the score, also often on piano, though without fail Portman always returns to the stoic primary theme. While there is certainly gorgeous appeal to this main theme, it is never really romantically expressed to the same degree as the secondary one. The score rotates between subtle, simplistic, and elegant performances of its themes almost perpetually, its consistency an obvious detraction. Regardless of the Chinese flavor, the composition is so blatantly reliant upon established Portman norms of writing that it becomes lovely sonic wallpaper fast. Portman may have been able to cure this issue had she chosen to address the two different timelines in the movie with significantly different instrumental language. It would have been interesting to hear her apply discordant instrumental shades to the same themes to represent the like bond but different eras. As it stands, however, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a score that has a built-in ceiling to its audience. Unashamed Portman fans who fondly recall their discovery of The Joy Luck Club will likely embrace it unilaterally, but the lack of dynamic development to her style will impede interest from others. The opening and closing cues offer eight minutes of solid four-star material. The rest will pleasantly sedate you while reminiscing about the composer's past.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download