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The ensemble employed by Beck for Under the Tuscan Sun is very typical for this specific genre and setting. He begins with a partial orchestra (heavy on the strings and including only four brass players) and spices it up with solo roles for traditional guitars, a piano, accordion, several woodwinds, and a boy soprano (heard specifically in two cues). With these players, Beck chooses to form a textured score of pleasant ambience rather than one of obvious, thematic domination. He walks the line between a foreign interpretation of highly thematic Italian life (as expressed best by Rachel Portman in Only You) and the smaller-scale style of authenticity that you would hear in a Nicola Piovani or Luis Bacalov score for the same genre (such as Il Postino, which is perhaps the best known such soundtrack in America). Despite the talk from the director about three distinct styles in the score, the overarching approach is a very consistent atmosphere that doesn't stray from its set personality, even in the non-Italian locations. There is a hint of professionalism in the systematic rhythms heard in the opening cue (not to mention a slight touch of Thomas Newman), but for the most part, the Italian flavor is established right off the bat. With the piano and guitars leading the way, Beck pleasantly offers one lightly textured cue after another, occasionally including an accordion or keyboard over an appropriately lazy rhythm. While he does present a handful of thematic swells opposite the moments of anonymous, conversational material, Under the Tuscan Sun plays without the sense of grand scope that you might expect from the setting. There is no overwhelming, memorable theme that lifts you up and transports you to Tuscany, although Beck compensates just enough in the instrumentation and rhythm of the music to suffice in convincing the listener of its authenticity. Perhaps more troubling to the score is the lack of stylish swing, or true Mediterranean spirit from the orchestral or solo performers. This is something you hear the native Italian composers do with great ease, and whether the problem is inherent in Beck's writing or simply in the performance of that composition, Under the Tuscan Sun lacks a certain amount of pizzazz, energy, and flamboyance that could have helped the score transcend the oceanic barrier between cultures. Overall, it's still an easy listening experience, though not the most convincing for a setting under the Tuscan sun.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Christophe Beck reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.06 (in 16 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.06 (in 4,996 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 48:27