Well, August is here and summer is in full force.  I hope everyone is enjoying their hot dogs and ice cream.  As for me, I’ll have my ice cream inside and listen to some good music.  Is it odd that at the moment, I’m in love with Thomas Newman’s wonderful score for the film, Little Women?  I think not.  Sure, if it snowed here in Southern California I’d probably listen to this soundtrack everyday.  But, for me, anytime is a good time to listen to Newman’s beautiful music for Little Women.

Just listen to the music during the movie’s main titles.  It’s simply beautiful.

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It perfectly evokes the time period and captures that frontier spirit.  I love the horn section and the wonderful trumpets with their triumphant and regal presence.  The soft moving melodies of the woodwinds and strings compliment the horns in this piece.

What I like about Newman’s score is how he captures the film’s emotions.  This score really needs to be heard in its entirety.  The score evolves and each composition has a different tone to them, yet they compliment each other and together create a wonderful film score that can stand on its own.  Even in the middle of the summer.

I love some of the simpler works in this score, where Newman uses traditional instruments including, a piano, flute and strings.  A technique rather far from the Newman scores we hear today.

The flute is beautifully featured in several great solos.

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The piano solo in the piece “Valley of the Shadow” is so moving in film.  Newman knows how to warm your heart during such emotional scenes.

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Newman’s music shines when the film transitions into a new season (my favorite parts of the film).  I love the woodwind and harp intro in the “Spring” piece and how the beautiful main theme flourishes during the “Harvest Time.”

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Jo’s ambitions trip to New York is set to big sounding horns and a rumbling timpani, again capturing that early American spirit of pursuing your dreams.  This is one of my favorite tracks.  The later end of this piece reminds me of his Revolutionary Road theme.

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Another great feature of this score is Newman’s tribute to early composers of the time, such as Francis Johnson’s tribute to the French General LaFayette’s celebrated visit to America, and a waltz by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti.  Newman’s compositions fit interchangeably within theses pieces.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Newman’s own touch is still there, of course.  I love his use of chimes and pizzicato strings.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

This score was a well deserved Academy Award nomination.  Newman was the only double-nominee that year. He was also nominated for The Shawshank Redemption and the two were his first nominations.  Little Women will definitely remain one of his finest works.  Although, I love his inventive style and the more contemporary sound of his recent scores, it would be great to hear another more traditional score.

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What about the music?  Well first, there’s been a lot of news around the Harry Potter film scores.  Everyone has been speculating who will write the music for the next two films.  Yes two, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2.  Anyway, director David Yates, who has directed that last two films is set to direct the next two.  Many thought Yates would continue his collaboration with composer Nicholas Hooper, since Hooper has composed music for the last two films.  Producer of the Harry Potter series, David Heyman, was asked recently, if he has considered John Williams to return and write music for the films.  To much joy, Heyman has thought about it.

“We have talked to John Williams and a lot of it will depend on his schedule for [Harry Potter] seven part two. If we can make work, and that’s a big if, for his schedule and ours then yes.”

Then we learn, from an interview with Film Score Monthly, Hooper has decided to step down and not write music for Deathly Hallows.

“I actually decided I wouldn’t. It impinged on my life and my family too much to do it again. We managed to cope with two of them, and I just felt it was time to hand it on. I’ve always felt in my heart that a certain composer whose name you know well should do the last one anyway, since he started it off. As for the penultimate one, I don’t know. But sadly, no.  I felt I needed to withdraw at this point.”

We’ll wait and see.  I’ll cross my fingers for another Williams score.

So what about the Half-Blood Prince film score?  Love it, hate it?  Honestly, I’m on the fence about it, as usual.  I can’t hate it, but I’m not a big fan of it.  I want to like Hooper’s music, but I just can’t.  His themes are never really prominent, and I feel his scores for the films have been purposely understated.  However, he has had some great moments.  He did a wonderful job capturing the mystery, sadness, and darkness to Harry’s later years.  Here are a couple of my favorite cues:

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Hooper uses some heavy percussion to describe the Death Eater attacks.  This reminds me of the Goblet of Fire soundtrack although definitely not as bombastic.

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Hooper’s love themes really capture the heart wrenching emotions of the characters.  It’s beautiful, yet full of sadness and little frightening; a perfect match for the adolescent love surrounding Harry’s world.

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I love when the strings swell a bit in this cue, showing Hermione’s anger towards Ron. (I wished the birds actually attacked Ron, liked they did in the book).

A lovely guitar waltz continues the love theme later when Harry and Ginny finally kiss.  This scene doesn’t quite match the emotion in the book, but it was a beautiful rendition.  I like how the strings slowly take the stage in this cue.

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Hooper gives a noticeable nod to Williams’ themes from the previous films.  Listen for that four note motif from “Quidditch, Third Year” in the queue “Ron’s Victory.”  He really lets the orchestra have some fun here.  I wish he had more action cues like this in the film.

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A surprise cue for me was the lovely send off to the Acromantula, Aragog.  It’s a beautiful piece of music, but sadly, it seems out of place in the film.

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“In Noctem” was written early in the process to allow filming of the Hogwarts school choir sing the piece.  Unfortunately, it was cut from the film, but the music remained and provided the basis for much of the score.  Hooper described it as the “musical DNA for Dumbledore’s story throughout the film.”

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Again, like the rest of the score, these cues didn’t quite hit the mark, maybe with the exception of “Dumbledore’s Farewell.”  I’ll admit, I cried during this scene.  But that was expected, since I cried reading the book (I know, dweeb).  So even though Hooper’s scores don’t quite compare to some of the earlier works, he has made some wonderful music and was a great addition to the series.

Now on to November 2010.

I was first introduced to Alexandre Desplat when Stephen Frears’, The Queen was released into theaters.  I remember thinking in the theater how beautiful the score was and how it was unlike any I’m used to hearing.  I’ve been a huge fan of his work ever since.  Most would say he is too restrained, but that is why I love listening to his scores.  I find his music so relaxing and comfortable.  However, that doesn’t mean his music is boring; well to me it isn’t.  His music is full of texture and color.  Every time you listen to a track you find new layers and interesting sounds you may not have heard before.  That is what I find most fascinating about his film scores.  His scores are meticulously crafted and delicate, yet they still manage to bring the film to life.  Very rare with most film scores today, usually filled with heavy brass melodies and percussion (not that I don’t like such film scores).

Desplat’s score to Frears’ latest film, Cheri, is a beauty.  Here is a little preview to the wonderful score.

The first track “Cheri” is a fun and sprightly cue, with percussive elements and short bright notes giving it a playful feel.

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With “The Rose Acacia”, Desplat quickly introduces the main theme.  I love the interesting rhythmic beats supporting the theme.  I also love how Desplat shifts his themes.  The strings are leading when suddenly, but subtly, they fall back and a soloist is featured or the percussion section takes front.

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What I love about Desplat’s themes are the supporting rhythms.  Listen carefully to the repeating notes underlying the main theme in the cue “Flower Tunnel.”  It gives the cue so much more texture and depth. The solo violin is wonderful in this.

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“To Biarritz” is the biggest piece of the soundtrack.  It starts with a low sounding beat, then adds repeating strings and various solos, finally culminating into a beautiful grand chord. I can’t wait to hear this cue in the theater.

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It’s too bad I haven’t been able to see the film.  Cheri premiered at the Berlin Film Festival back in February and will be in limited release here in the U.S. on June 26th.  I usually try to watch the film first before buying the soundtrack, but I’m not too disappointed this time.  Being such a Desplat fan, I had to have my hands on it the minute it was released.   

If you’re in the mood to relax and relish in the beautiful strings of the London Symphony Orchestra, then Cheri is the score for you.

Check out the score over at Amazon.com.