Berlioz: Choral & Orchestral Works

Advantages: An exciting action score of great power and stature
Disadvantages: The constant action will tire you easily

...Symphony & Hollywood Film Chorale Vocal Soloist: Deborah Dietrich Orchestrated by Mark McKenzie, William Ross & David Slonaker Supervising Music Editor: Kenneth Karman Music Recorded and Mixed by Dennis Sands Recorded at Sony Pictures Scoring Stage Decca Records, 2004 (986 1999) © berlioz... Read review

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Advantages: Is simply one of the best and most beautiful soundtracks out there
Disadvantages: Some complain about being too gloomy listening

...minor keyed underscore, the soundtrack works quite well outside the film. As a listening experience there is the undoubtable repetitiveness that film scores often feature, but it does sustain itself remarkably well. The score is based on three themes. The main theme is originally based on a Jewish folk song and its use here is quite appropriate. The tone is plaintive and sensitive, often performed by the solo violin with gentle orchestral backing. The theme is not exactly free flowing and is characterised by rather striking intervals, making the music sound a little restricted what is quite fitting when taken into account the conditions of the Jews at the time (as well as Schindler). The second theme is more purely ethnic, a theme that is more a portrayal of the people than the main theme is. The quirkiness of this theme somewhat lessens... Read review

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Advantages: John Williams still knows his Star Wars
Disadvantages: Not as original as you'd hope and the last film cue

.... His big stylistic brake came at about the turn of the 1990s with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Hook. At around this time his music took on a more streamlined approach and sometimes even a little derivative one, with his orchestrations becoming more predictable and repetitive in future projects. That is not to say that Williams' music became worse over the years, but, especially with Star Wars, there is a certain learned professionalism inherent in his music that translates as the "Williams Sound" everybody so well knows. For The Phantom Menace, Williams composed two major new themes. The first and most impressive is the grand choral piece "Duel of the Fates". It opens very powerfully, with the choir, unaccompanied, singing out the opening lines. The orchestra joins quietly after this, with the strings scintillating in their lower... Read review

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