World Wide Web James Horner Shrine

[TheOnlyOne]

Well, I didn't review Spiderwick and I didn't review Life Before Her Eyes despite being fond of both scores because I didn't feel motivated to say something I hadn't already said before.

That changes now.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, my guess is, the last new Horner score we'll get until Avatar next year since James is full throttle into that. In the mean time, we're treated to a very pleasant gem of a score from Horner.

This score grows progressively darker from start to finish. The first tracks are dreamy, almost mystical at times, featuring piano work reminiscent of Bicentennial Man and Field of Dreams, evolving later toward the type of piano work heard in The Spitfire Grill. These passages are so focused, and so precise with detail of piano-on-strings that it is hard not to be moved. Throw on a very magical main theme (yes, its from Swing Kids but is rendered so much better than it was in Swing Kids that it makes Swing Kids sounds amateurish and boring). Thankfully, this theme never disappears, even as the score gets darker, though it is migrated over to low strings (okay, so yes, then it sounds like Swing Kids). This provides the connection between the lighter and darker ends of the score--very nice stuff.

As the score gets darker, the strings and piano thin out a bit while starting to wander, and it ends up sounding quite a little bit like The Life Before Her Eyes, even down to the very same synth voice singing along. For me, this isn't a bad thing since Horner's more personal type of scoring is more personal to me as well. However, I can imagine some people ending up bored with the middle sections of the score. As it gets even more darker, Horner's piano playing starts to sound like the darkest moments of Sneakers, with that same extension of the piano thrum and some of the same drawn out string lines, and it works marvelously.

The final two tracks are certainly impressive. "Strange New Clothes" starts out like a hybrid of The Life Before Her Eyes and Sneakers, but then yields to a theme that begins to overlay itself on top of itself over and over again as it gets louder and overlaps more and more in that way Horner so does amazingly to build to what must be a devastating climax. Of course, the one caveat here is that this theme is the power theme from All the Kings Men (which itself can be traced back to A Beautiful Mind). The final track "Remembrance, Remembrance" starts off where "Strange New Clothes" leaves off, but then restates the first track in a much more somber, reflective tone--not at all happy and bright.

I have a two oddities to note, of course. The first is track 5, "An Odd Discovery Beyond the Trees." There is some incredibly impressive piano work here, very much in the vein and a mutation of what was heard in A Beautiful Mind. Of course, what makes it so odd is Horner attempts to manipulate his synth voice (the one from The Life Before Her Eyes) to emulate Charlotte Church, using the pitch bend to his advantage in the process. He nearly gets away with it, too (it is convincing in parts!), but here he tried much too hard to emulate A Beautiful Mind and the synth voice sounds too fake in the end. I was able to get past it on repeated listens, but the first time it was a little jarring.

The second is the track "The Funeral" which features some incredible work on the strings, hitting notes of sadness and treachery all in one. Its very bassy, celloy--excellent stuff that breaks up the more Life Before Her Eyes-type tracks. I'd almost say it reminds me of The Four Feathers--no complaints! The oddities comes in the choice of call Horner makes with his trumpets at the beginning and end of the track. Yes, its our old friend the danger theme. The trumpet synth sample sounds quite convincing, but it (and the danger theme) seems out of place amongst the strings and piano theme of the score.

One note that has to be made. There are some places where the synth strings sound hissy and, well, like synth strings (usually in the middle of the score). But during the beginning few tracks and ending few tracks, you'd be hard pressed to declare the score synthesized. The detail Horner performs the strings with, the rapidity of their movement, and the quality of the samples he used allowed him to create a musical world that sounded frighteningly real, despite it being synth. These areas avoid Horner's tendency to noodle with his synth strings and he performs them as though he's written strings for a live orchestra. This is especially true during the statements of the power theme in "Strange New Clothes." It just does NOT sound synth at all. It is, but it just does not sound like it. Kudos to Ian Underwood (I'd assume he's responsible for the quality check on the samples) and Horner for writing so well.

So that's that. If you can't get past the fact that the themes are not original, you are denying yourself a treat, especially because the performance of the main theme puts its original source to incredible shame. I think some people may get turned off by the center of the score where synth noodling is all around, but even so, the first few tracks and the last few are worth the purchase anyway. This is a strongly recommended score. While I won't call this Horner's best in years, I think its excellent stuff anyway. Its a solid effort for what I've come to understand is a fantastic movie.

To end my review, I will let James Southall at Movie-Wave.net sum my thoughts up for me. This is a quote from his review to The Life Before Her Eyes (of course ignoring reference to the guitar):

[Ray]

I too was glad that that theme was given a second chance, as it is so much better here, and for me the highlight of the album.
The piano sections are good, notably in the final track, and add a wonderful shade to the darker material toward the end of the album. Some of Horner's best piano work in years i'd have to say, and put to great use supporting the main theme.
I also found the danger motif appearance a little odd, but I'm sure all will make sense when paired with the visuals.
Sounds like it may be a very good film!
However, too much of the album duration was as i feared, and probably won't be listened to again for a good long while.

[Dimitri]

I have found a bit of Brainstorm in this score, mostly in the string chords. Very ethereal, very beautiful. I can't wait to hear the full score.
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Dimitri Ntatsos

[Dave]

Thanks for that review!

I should be getting the score tomorrow!
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"I'm different from some other composers, because I don't look at this as just a job. I think of music as art." - James Horner.