Incanus

Agatha Christie’s Poirot

Music composed, orchestrated and conducted by Christopher Gunning

 

Christopher Gunning is a British composer, who is relatively unknown to the larger film music fandom, but whose career spans several decades of film and television music, over 100 scores and a considerable repertoire of concert works. The composer has received recognition for his work and awarded with numerous British film music accolades including several BAFTAs  (the last win was for La Vie en Rose/La Mome Piaf) but his career has firmly stayed in British Isles and working on British films and television productions instead of travelling to Hollywood, which might explain his relative obscurity to the larger public, which is a shame as he is a composer of indelible ability and passion and skill.

 

One of Gunning’s most popular and enduring creations has been for television, the scores for the adaptations of Agatha Christie’s novels featuring her most famous character, the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot with incomparable David Suchet in the title role. Gunning was hired for the series in 1989 and stayed as the show’s composer-in-residence until 2005, when a new production company took over and during this time composed some 40 odd scores for both the short 50-minute and feature length 90-minute episodes of the series. The varied subject matter of Christie’s detective stories featuring murders, thefts, espionage and a whole host of puzzling mysteries offered the composer a chance to explore it all through colorful musical expression and all of this was to be rooted in a central theme that would capture the capricious, slightly humorous but brilliantly intelligent central character of Poirot, “the world’s greatest detective”.

Gunning toiled quite a bit before he finally discovered his central theme, the iconic main title music featuring soprano saxophone and which has since become emblematic of Poirot himself and is so well remembered by fans of the show throughout the world. This main theme seems all at once to capture the setting of the stories, the Europe of 1930’s with its urbane and elegant melody and hint at the turbulent and darker undercurrent of the stories themselves, while also lending a debonair, witty and refined air to the main protagonist with just the right amount of mystery to it. This theme was used by Gunning in most of the episodes in fragments and endless variations that mirrored the mood and disposition of Poirot  and the plot as he was solving the conundrums set before him.

 

As mentioned above the mood and style of the scores vary widely because of the events, places and times these plots take place and Gunning takes up the opporturnity to form almost self contained musical worlds for each episode with new themes for the individual stories but everything is tied together by Poirot’s theme and the certain stylistic traits, the moody, tradegy and mystery tinged atmosphere reflected in the orchestrations. The work is mostly orchestral with subtle use of electronics applied here and there for unusual effect and employs numerous soloists besides the saxophone. Gunning's work for the series is intelligent and highly thematic and has a suitably old fashioned orchestral air about it with even lingering hints of film noir in its often mysterious and darkly romantic musical style. As usual for a television production the orchestra was of moderate size, numbering less than 30 players most of the time but the composer’s skill in orchestration and eliciting nuanced and powerful performances from his ensemble add a touch of class to the scores, setting them worlds apart from most TV-music. The music is big, dramatic and thematically driven but without enormous forces behind it. I feel that the chamber sized orchestra works to the benefit of the show in that it doesn't drown the often intimate and small scale of the stories while still retaining enough size and scope to support the biggest scenes in the episodes.

 

Despite the popularity of the show the music from the series has not been widely available. A soundtrack album was issued in 1993 featuring a selection from the first 4 seasons of the Agatha Christie’s Poirot. This was a re-recording that contained suites and concertized themes from several episodes of the series but it soon sold out and became a collector’s item. In early 2013 the composer re-released some of his music from Poirot on a new album on Discovery Music & Vision label that contains selections from the previous re-recording album but adds several new tracks to the programme from the newer episodes, which are all taken from the actual film recordings. This release at last gives the film music audience a new chance to explore Mr. Gunning’s wonderful music for Poirot.

 

The album opens with an extended performance of the main theme in The Belgian Detective featuring sultry and dexterous saxophone solo by Stan Sulzmann, who was the “voice” of Poirot through the entire run of Gunning’s association with the show. The piece presents a series of variations on the main idea and casts the saxophone in central role, not only in this piece but also in the soundscape of the whole series, the voice of the times, place and character. This theme is part of nearly all the episodes in some way and accompanies the main character much of the time while he is on-screen and thus it can also be heard making appearances on many of the tracks on the album.

 

As majority of the stories take place in England, the composer explores many allusions to British musical tropes in his scores. The pastoral A Country Retreat (from The Mysterious Affair at Styles) with lovely clarinet and viola solos paint a sunny and carefree idyll of British countryside and the gentle folk song stylings of To the Lakes! (from the opening episode of the series The Adventure of the Clapham Cook), where lilting strings and solo clarinet conjure a lyrical portrait green rural England with hints of Poirot’s theme thrown in for humour as the thoroughly urbane character can’t actually stand the untidy and disordered countryside. Some welcome humour and lightness of touch is also heard in The Height of Fashion (from A Wasp’s Nest) which presents a breezy and jazzy 1930’s styled saxophone solo over urbane orchestral accompaniment that simply shouts snooty worldly elegance of the times.

 

Gunning also created an independent secondary theme for Poirot’s mental powers of detection heard in a long concertized version Grey Cells, which is derived from the main theme, where the saxophone once again takes the lead role in a smoky and mysterious exploration of the idea, which is heard in the series whenever the Belgian sleuth is solving the crime, thinking and pondering alone. The constant repeating motion of the motif seem to evoke a more moody side of the character, the hint of dark elegance and melancholy inherent in his persona. This same melancholic atmosphere infuses The Double Clue, but here it is of Slavonic origin as Gunning creates a passionate piano and saxophone led love theme for Poirot and the Russian aristocrat (and jewel thief), countess Vera Rossakoff, the piece full of longing and bittersweet romance as the two characters are diametrically opposed but share a mutual admiration for each other.

 

The series offered the composer fair share of chances for heightened drama, where the music carried the implications of the murders and lead the action and enhanced foreboding and suspense and was allowed to be bold and larger than life. Good examples of this come from music of The Mysterious Affair at Styles when the composer introduces a brooding melody on track called War that originally underscores the curtain raising scene where captain Hastings, Poirot’s friend and associate, is recovering from war wounds in a military hospital during WWI but later we realize that this music actually represents not war but murder when Gunning transforms it into the agitated and frenzied death throes of an old rich woman in The Death of Mrs. Inglethorpe. Similarly the ABC Murders grows from the simple ominous basis of the notes A-B-C repeated in various orchestrations into a forceful musical hunt that keeps building as Poirot and Inspector Japp try to catch a devious serial killer. The Victory Ball features solo cello but the tension is built not on fast pace or thunderous orchestrations but rather on a languid yet threatening melody that winds ever on in smoky register punctuated by rhythmic jabs of piano and xylophone for suspense.

 

Agatha Christie often chose English nursery rhymes or children’s poems as the titles of her novels and short stories. Christopher Gunning likewise chose to incorporate these rhymes into his music, and if there was a melody, to integrate it in the underscore as well. Two examples, One, Two Buckle My Shoe and How Does Your Garden Grow can be found on this album. One, Two Buckle My Shoe is a ghostly piano and whispering children’s chorus evocation of the English hopscotch rhyme, that underscores a brutal murder and forms a good part of the underscore of the episode in question.

How Does Your Garden Grow is a long suite from the episode of the same name, where a Russian au pair is suspected of murdering her employer in hopes of inheritance. The music is a mix of highly dramatic and romantic Slavonic colourings interspersed with playfully orchestrated interpolations of the children’s rhyme melody and the violent orchestral convulsions for the murder of the old rich woman and the capture of the real villains of the story.

 

The new additions to the album’s programme are three selections from 2004 episodes of the series. The Innocence of Caroline Crale (from the episode Five Little Pigs) carries childlike simplicity in its sad, halting piano melody full of nostalgia and sense of loss, a warm and affecting piece that still ends mid-phrase to imply a tragic conclusion to the tale. Amyas’s Last Painting (also from Five Little Pigs) is a mix of supremely lyrical clarinet and violin led melodies and intense and driving rhythmic and jabbing music for scenes where an obsessed artist feverishly paints a portait of a young woman unaware that she has in her jealousy poisoned him. It is a wonderfully inventive, beautifully flowing and balanced piece with two entirely contrasting moods mixing effortlessly.

 

The final new piece, a suite from Death on the Nile, also contains the only example of the album of the more exotic music composed by Gunning for Poirot’s numerous adventures abroad. The suite opens with a delicious fatal sounding musical allusion to the Near East before settling in on a very tragic love theme for two of the main characters of the story. Soon follows some faux-Arabic travelling music for the river boat Karnak that goes into the various supenseful and intense cues for mysteries and murder on the luxury-boat and the suite wraps up with dramatic, tragic and ominous musical evocations of the finale of the film, all done with supreme confidence, sense of melody and drama by the composer.

 

The 2013 album is well put together with welcome additions of new music from the 2004 episodes. Gunning also had to excise two tracks from the old programme of the 1992 album, The Plymouth Express and Death in the Clouds, to make room for the music from his newer work. This of course is unfortunate but at least to me the inclusion of the new music more than makes up for the loss. The sound quality is top notch and the performances are nuanced with solo instruments, saxophone, piano, clarinet, cello and various others shining in the recording. Christopher Gunning himself provides informative liner notes where he not only tells how he became associated with the series, how his famous main theme came together and how he and the producer Brian Eastman slowly worked on the musical style of Poirot but also gives short track-by-track commentary on the music. The 2004 pieces were recorded with an audibly larger orchestra (the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra) but blend effortlessly with the overall aesthetic of the sound of Poirot’s world. In the final analysis the album is a winning mix of romantic orchestral sensibilities, mystery and suspense. Let’s hope that the composer is inclined in the near future to release more of his music from the series as this album barely scratches the surface of  the musical bounties found in the 40 plus episodes Gunning scored for Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Highly recommended to all fans of great orchestral film music and especially to the fans of the show.

 

5/5

 

 

© Mikko Ojala

 

1. The Belgian Detective 2.30*

2. A Country Retreat 4.53§

3. The ABC Murders 4.34

4. Grey Cells 4.21*

5. To the Lakes! 2.18

6. The Double Clue 5.09†

7. War 2.29

8. The Innocence of Caroline Crale 5.30±

9. Amyas’s Last Painting 4.22±

10. How Does Your Garden Grow? 9.05

11. The Death of Mrs Inglethorpe 2.27

12. The Height of Fashion 2.08*

13. One-two, buckle-my-shoe 1.58

14. The Victory Ball 4.55¤

15. Death on the Nile 13:45

 

* featuring Stan Sulzmann, soprano or alto saxophone

§ featuring David Emmanuel, viola and Nick Rodwell, clarinet

† featuring Leslie Pearson, piano and Stan Sulzmann, tenor saxophone

± featuring Viktor Simcisko, violin

¤featuring Anthony Pleeth, cello

 

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14:

Executive producer, Maggie Rodford/Air Edel Associates Ltd.

Recorded and Mixed at the Lansdowne Recording Studios, London 1992

 

Tracks 8, 9 and 15

Produced by Christopher Gunning

Recorded by members of Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava

Mixed at Lansdowne Recording Studios, London August 2004

 

Link to the composer's site and soundclips from the album

I know this is just repeating what is said on the JWFan main page but I thought this would warrant its own thread for discussion.

 

BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA RELEASES NEW LIVE RECORDING OF JOHN WILLIAMS'S OBOE CONCERTO, IN CELEBRATION OF THE COMPOSER'S 81ST BIRTHDAY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8 AT BOSTONPOPS.ORG

 

In celebration of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams's 81st birthday on February 8, 2013, the Boston Pops is releasing a new live recording of the composer's Oboe Concerto at bostonpops.org. Written for principal Pops oboist Keisuke Wakao, the Oboe Concerto is the latest John Williams work to showcase the talented musicians of the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. The recording took place during the world premiere performance of the work at a Boston Pops concert at Symphony Hall on May 25, 2011. The concerto's three movements-Prelude, Pastorale, and Commedia-run approximately 19 minutes in length.

 

 

 

This is really fantastic news
 

I'll repost my review here at this point and I will be making updates once I have seen the film to make more accurate comments on how the music relates to the story and the drama.



 

Lincoln

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

by John Williams

 

A Review

 

By Mikko Ojala

The 26^th collaboration between Steven Spielberg and John Williams takes them to the turbulent Civil War era of American history, the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. The upcoming motion picture Lincoln focuses on the last four months of the president’s life and the momentous decisions he was faced with during the ending of the civil strife and drafting the 13^th Amendment to abolish slavery. Tony Kushner the famed screenwriter and playwright, who previously collaborated with Spielberg on Munich, provided a script based on the mammoth of a historical biography A Team of Rivals by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, which apparently took 6 years to forge into a workable script as the entire presidency and life of Abraham Lincoln proved too much for a single film to depict. The film boasts an impressive cast of Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, David Strathairn as the Secretary of State William Seward just to name a few and part of the film crew are the usual suspects in a Spielberg production, the cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, editor Michael Kahn and of course composer John Williams.

John Williams is certainly no stranger when it comes to portrayals of American history and Americana as he has scored numerous films in the spectrum of the idiom throughout his career from the rural, frolicking The Reivers and The River to the heart aching string led lyricism of Born on the Fourth of July, and from the Southern flavoured blue grassy Rosewood to the stately nobility of Amistad or quiet heroism of Saving Private Ryan or the brassy valour of The Patriot. His approach to this type of film could be said to be archetypical for such a subject matter, the composer describing his score in a May 2012 interview with Jon Burlingame as written in the 19^th century musical language and containing hymnal modalities in the spirit of the American music of the times. So it might not come as a huge surprise to Williams’ dedicated fans that he chose a mix of Coplandesque and his own inimitable brand of Americana to address Lincoln and still this might actually be one of his most outwardly traditional scores in the idiom to date, so strongly he embraces the modes and musical gestures, feel and inflections of tradition of American music.

You could say that this new score forms a walk down the memory lane to the long time afficionados of his music as the different facets of his Americana writing pop up constantly on the soundtrack album and we do encounter in Lincoln brass and string writing in line with the style of Saving Private Ryan and Amistad, folk music stylings from scores like The Reivers, solemn sections similar to those in both The Patriot and War Horse and elegiac tones of Born on the Fourth of July, JFK and Nixon, but it has to be said that Williams does not self quote his old music but rather the overall sounds and styles of what has come before and building again something new on this foundation. In this respect Lincoln might not be groundbreaking in style and sound but it is despite of this highly entertaining and accomplished, at times ravishingly beautiful and powerful music which showcases once more Williams’ strengths, his gift for strong themes, deftness of orchestration and dramatic instinct.

To enhance the connection of the music to the president himself the composer at Spielberg’s suggestion engaged the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to perform the music in honor of Lincoln’s old home state of Illinois and to evoke some of the local musical flavour through their talent on the soundtrack. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has to be complemented for its vibrant and warm sound and the beautiful and numerous heartfelt solos gracing the album, the playing further elevating the emotional appeal of the music. Violin, trumpet, clarinet, bassoon, horn, cello and piano all receive lengthy solo passages but the entire ensemble creates a very empathetic, resounding and warm sound that feels very appropriate for this kind of music, capturing both the tenderness and the stateliness with equal skill and certainly gives the studio orchestras run for their money.

The music on the soundtrack album travels between the two poles of stately reverent and lyrically intimate by the way of some rustic humour, reflecting perhaps the balance of these elements in the film, the public and private persona of the president and the affairs of his office. The above mentioned soloists play an important role in the music and on nearly every track one or more of the Chicago Symphony’s musicians are offered a moment to shine. This serves both the restraint for which this score audibly strives but also imparts a sense of simplicity, honesty and fragility, a certain sense of isolation, giving an impression a man amidst events that are greater than he is, and provides a great deal of emotional resonance to the music. A healthy amount of restraint seems to be a guiding thought in this project to both Spielberg and Williams so as not to overpower the performances of the actors or the reality of the film and the composer is obviously trying to do more with less in many instances, reserving grander musical histrionics only for a handful of moments on the album. This restraint and certain stream lined sparseness and reliance on gentle simplicity does not however dilute the musical expression of the score and I actually feel that it strengthens and focuses it, Williams saying perhaps more emotionally with reduced forces than with a complete symphonic ensemble blowing full steam ahead with brass section blazing through every track.


Themes:
The score boasts with a whole host of themes ranging from noble pathos to familial tenderness. As it might be clear from the above general description of the music all these ideas share a strong Americana feel, whether it is a down-to-earth and folksy or more classical hymnal one and here as in both of Williams’ recent scores (The Adventures of Tintin The Secret of the Unicorn and War Horse) these themes seem to form a family, that shares common musical roots. The composer’s decision to provide so many different ideas perhaps reflects the different aspects of Lincoln and the people close to him, the themes forming a tight knit fabric of motifs that flows from one to the next with fluid ease on the soundtrack album. Partly as a consequence from this way of writing and thinking Williams doesn’t obviously assign any of his themes a clear central position as the “main theme” of the score that then would be stated and restated with regularity, which might puzzle and frustrate some of his fans, and there are indeed several long and well developed ideas on the album vying for that title, appearing continously from one track to the next. Still after numerous consecutive listens With Malice Toward None seems to be for me the most important and emotional and certainly most memorable of all the themes on the album.

With Malice Toward None (Lincoln’s Theme): The name of the theme refers to the second inaugural speech of Lincoln and it is a folk song styled, simple, lyrical and honest melody that could be said to be main theme of the score. It seems to embody the down-to-earth nobility of the main character and his humanity. Coloured with lilting gait of folk music in some settings and slow solemn progression of traditional hymns in others, this theme paints a very humble, thoughtful and gentle picture of the president of United States.

Appears on the album:
04 The American Process: 1:18-1:47 and 3:10-end
06 With Malice Toward None
12 Freedom's Call: 0:24-2:29
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 1:49-3:13 and 7:40-8:25
17 With Malice Toward None (Piano Solo)

The American Process: A gentle lilting Americana "home and hearth" melody with almost folk song quality, the theme pensive yet optimistic with a sense of earthy wisdom. It is set often in the woodwinds, clarinet, bassoon and flute but this idea is also frequently developed on stately strings or brass, revealing a nobler aspect and aspirations in this guise.

Appears on the album:
01 The People's House: 2:16-3:09
04 The American Process: 0:00-1:19 and 2:10-3:00
11 Equality Under the Law: 0:00-1:36
12 Freedom's Call: 2:29-3:18
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 4:50-5:43 and 8:26-9:14

The People’s House: The most dramatic and triumphant of the themes, this noble and heroic idea is built on a leaping four note clarinet figure heard initially on the opening track and soon blooms to a full brass and strings setting, imparting a sense of victory and achievement, probably reflecting political and personal accomplishment. The idea is used sparsely on the soundtrack album appearing only on the opening track and the Finale track, and it seems that Williams is reserving this level of musical heroism for specific and crucial instances in the narrative.

Appears on the album:
01 The People's House: 0:00-2:15 and 3:10-end
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 3:14-4:49

Freedom’s Call (The 13th Amendment): A short and direct melody, composed of a series of a few alternating chords, depicts perhaps Lincoln’s just and good aspirations and goals, the 13 Amendment and the abolition of slavery and his gentle wisdom and noble humanity. There is stately grace in this simple yet affecting idea, bridging the public and personal side of Lincoln and Williams offers numerous alternating variations of it throughout the score in different settings from solo piano to brass chorale.

Appears on the album:
02 The Purpose of the Amendment: 0:55- 1:39 and 2:26-end
09 Father and Son: 0:34-0:52 and 1:08-end
11 Equality Under the Law: 1:37-end
12 Freedom's Call: 3:18-5:29
15 Appomattox, April 9, 1865: 0:24-1:08
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 0:24-1:20 and 6:19-7:39

The Elegy: A mournful and anguished string elegy, quite religioso in nature, that seems to exude regret, sorrow and horror all in one harrowing theme, a reminder of the Civil War and its ravages.

Appears on the album:
08 The Southern Delegation and the Dream: 3:06-end
13 Elegy

The Loss and Remembrance Theme: A theme that seems to relate both to Lincoln's personal loss, of his son William, but also to mourning of the tragedy of Civil War and remembrance. It is an unadorned piano melody that expresses bittersweet sorrow with a hint of regret. This musical idea is used sparsely and always retains the same guise, invoked on the piano, the most familial and "domestic" but also emotionally direct of instruments.

Appears on the album:
05 The Blue and Grey: 0:00-1:01
14 Remembering Willie: 0:29-end
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 9:29-end
 

***

Track-by-track analysis
As I have not seen the film nor do not know the full narrative of the movie, the below analysis and names of the themes are pure speculation on my part, made only to give the piece a structure and to help identifying recurring musical ideas on the album.

01. The People’s House (03:41):
A pensive 4-note phrase (a warm nod at Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring) on solo clarinet, played by Stephen Williamson, opens the album with an air of gentleness and optimism, the lilt of the melody almost asking a question as it repeats several times all the while developing the phrase, strings rising to support it. Flute and clarinet restate the original 4-note idea before Williams lifts the melody forth in key and strings sing out a fully formed upward climbing People’s House theme, noble and stately, as if denoting a moment of accomplishment and victory, brass accompanying the melody warmly underneath. Woodwinds present the second phrase of the thematic idea, slightly more thoughtfully winding melody implicating resolve before it is swept again into a majestically fanfarish and rousing full orchestra statement of this Americana theme, the 4-note motto of the theme slowly receding through the ranks of the orchestra to solo trumpet after the crescendo.

Clarinet and flute duet plays a new theme, The American Process, another Americana melody where the two swaying woodwinds interlace their voices in the song-like melody that is dignified and initially almost folksy but soon reaches stately proportions as suddenly glowing violins underpinned by lower brass take up the theme, giving the music an air of importance, solo trumpet rouding out the track with a calm and proud statement of the People’s House theme.

One of the stand-out pieces of the album, this is a wonderful way to open the CD but oddly the opening heroic musical idea does not return to the score until the finale. In overall feel this cue sounds like Amistad meeting Saving Private Ryan with a dash of the unabashed heroism of The Patriot thrown in.


2. The Purpose of the Amendment (03:06):
A new ruminating and stoic melody is heard on clarinet and bassoon, developing slowly phrase by phrase but then moving to a hopeful and warm string idea, the first appearance of the Freedom’s Call theme, that calmly rises forth on higher strings, the celli and basses playing accompanying figures underneath giving the music a sense of forward progress, the theme perhaps illustrating Lincoln’s ideals and political aspirations concerning the 13^th Amendment and healing the war torn nation. Clarinet and horns and trumpets all pass phrases, solo trumpet’s clear tones rising alone for a moment before autumnal strings and clarinet transition again to Freedom’s Call theme in the string section, this time more assured, glowing and reverent, clearly indicating a moment decision.

The writing here reminds me of War Horse and Saving Private Ryan, especially Williams’ way of combining flute, clarinet and bassoon voices and the way the broad long lined theme is developed on strings.

3. Getting Out the Vote (02:48):
Solo violin quickly and subtly hints at the chords of Freedom’s Call Theme, maybe a nod to the political action taking place during this light hearted cue, before Williams spins a wonderful jaunty Appalachian scherzando or dance for strings, solo fiddle, viola, woodwinds, tuba and light percussion, the music exuding wonderful hoe-down folk music feel and humour. The soloists have their moment to shine, violin and bassoon performing particularly delicious solos. This piece is a delightful interlude that offers not only variety and levity but allows the composer to explore a different side of Americana writing, the style and feel of the piece harkening back to his similar music in The Reivers. A terrifically sprightly and fun piece!

4. The American Process (03:56):
Clarinet and bassoon duet once more, this time giving a long rendition of the American Process theme, solo flute joining them and for a while the trio develops the music alone the melody full of tender warmth. Oboe’s lyrical voice has almost a bucolic air here supported by the gentle lower strings before stately and burnished low and slow brass choir introduces a brief first statement of With Malice Toward None that ends in very dignified sounding brass phrases, hinting possibly at official state business.
Randy Kerber, the only soloist not from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performs a simple yet emotional piano variation on the American Process theme with solo flute ghosting subtly, calm swaying string chords melting into Christopher Martin’s sublimely serene trumpet reading of With Malice Toward None, a perfect depiction of nostalgia and longing, which closes the track in soothing tones.

5. The Blue and Grey (02:59):
A dark hued theme plays on solo piano, the Loss and Remembrance Theme, slow and thoughtful, expressing in equal measure sorrow and regret, a warm yet sad memory. Randy Kerber’s reading is beautiful, the halting phrases of the theme capturing a quiet sense of loss and the toll of war.
A repeating string rhythm starts a slow tug, piano first striking paced rumbling chords underneath, the music expressing deliberation, slow wait for a moment of decision, pensive clarinet and bassoon appearing underneath the rhythm, which transitions briefly from strings to the woodwinds and then back again continuing inevitably and finally slides into resigned silence.

6. “With Malice Toward None” (01:50):
String orchestra performs the main theme of the film with sensitivity and grace, the melody in equal part hymnal and traditional folk music, the nobility, humane spirit and a sense of wisdom captured in this gentle lyrical melody. One of the highlights of the album full of emotion and tenderness of Williams’ best themes, the only downside being that it feels too short and I would have loved to hear Williams develop this theme further.

7. Call to Muster and Battle Cry Of Freedom (02:17)
Williams includes on the album this resounding reminder of the music of the Civil War era, a piece of diegetic music for militaristic drums and choir, where the traditional sounding military snare drum tattoo with a lively piccolo melody bookends a performance of a famous Civil War era song Battle Cry of Freedom sung by the Chicago Symphony Chorus with patriotic resolve.

8. The Southern Delegation and the Dream (04:43)
Somber strings and subdued militaristic brass calls give away to a solo trumpet intoning a tragic and dark melody above string harmonies, paced by subtle timpani, the atmosphere grave. The same grimly martial mood continues and after a brief passage for snare drum, elegiac strings and solo trumpet the music suddenly plunges into disturbing rumbling synthesizer textures and turbulently quivering murkily dissonant string layers, like a musical depiction of a nightmare. High strings slowly rise from the dark cloud of sound and begin a reading of the Elegy Theme, a mournful, lonely and subtly religioso composition, which seems to lament the tragedy of the Civil War and the countless victims of the conflict, the tone of the music forlorn and sad although the piece seems to find some measure of solace in the end.

An interesting mix of moods, this piece conjures up shades of the darker and more challenging music and elegiac writing from Born on the Fourth of July, Nixon and JFK.

9. Father and Son (01:42)
A solo bassoon presents a halting ruminating melody that moves on to a noble but grave horn statement before melting into a variation on the Freedom’s Call theme on celli and basses, a brief lyrical solo oboe phrase transitioning back to the theme, this time heard in a simple affecting solo piano reading, suggesting a moment of paternal wisdom.

10. The Race to the House (02:41) (Traditional, arranged and performed by Jim Taylor )
A selection of Civil War era folk music arranged and performed by the traditional and folk music expert Jim Taylor.
A jaunty jig for fiddle, banjo, guitar and hammered dulcimer that contains excerpts from "They Swung John Brown To A Sour Apple Tree", "Three Forks of Hell", Last of Sizemore" and Republican Spirit".
Another track that offers some authentic diegetic music from the era and at the same time some lighter tones amidst all the serious and solemn music. A very entertaining piece of music.

11. Equality Under the Law (03:11)
A dreamy clarinet solo over expectant string harmonies plays the American Process theme before whole string section takes up the phrase, hinting at the Freedom’s Call’s harmonies before horn and clarinet in somber mood move to a humble statement of American Process theme. Clarinet and flute pair to perform the Freedom’s Call again, this time with solemnity, developing the original melody further until string section rises through this build-up finally to a beautiful yet restrained and reverent reading of this idea that poignantly rises higher and higher, a powerful and emotional musical moment before subsiding in warm harmonies in a classic Williams style.
Another winner track, the slow build through the cue reaching a highly satisfying release at the end of the piece.

12. Freedom’s Call (06:06)
Tubular bells toll quietly over glowing strings that flow into a solo violin rendition of the With Malice Toward None, a soulful and yearning performance by Robert Chen of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the melody gently underlined by simple guitar chords. The solo is full of poignancy and idealism yet the violin lends the melody touching emotional fragility that would melt the hardest of hearts. The string section continues to develop the theme, finding new avenues for it and in solemn beauty raises the music to a magnificently emotional height.
After the theme has subsided clarinet and bassoon appear together, duetting and performing the American Process Theme that is taken over by the brass in almost heraldic proclamation, the theme working in this piece as a bridge melody that ushers in high strings that play the Freedom’s Call theme in its more developed and emotional guise while rhythmic figures on the double basses play underneath with a feeling of determination, the performance full of stately largesse and sense of accomplishment. Horns and trombones continue the theme reaching a triumphant peak with sense of finality when Williams suddenly releases an ethereal almost beatifically glowing variation of the theme on strings and ends the piece in a noble horn soliloquy by Daniel Gingrich.
A stunning composition by the Maestro, drawing together the three central themes of the film. The music is combining moods similar to those of Saving Private Ryan, War Horse and the fiddling of Mark O’Connor from The Patriot.

13. Elegy (02:34)
This track is a long development of the Elegy Theme that was previously hinted at on the track The Southern Delegation and the Dream. It opens with a duet for trumpet and muted horn in almost military bugle call style singing the main melody of the sorrowful and tragic theme before the strings come in and repeat the melody in harrowing tones, Williams’ elegiac writing strong as usual, the performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra highly emotional, the mood alternating from sadness to heart rending pathos and finally to religioso majesty, which ends the piece in a resigned calm.

14. Remembering Willie (01:51)
After a few harp notes, solo violin and viola receive their own passages, subtly quoting the Elegy Theme before the cello takes over and sings forlorn above simple guitar chords until Loss and Remembrance Theme appears on the solo piano as mourning and contemplative as before, now further enhanced by the sonorous emotionality of the solo cello that appears in brief duet with the piano, expressing quiet but powerful sorrow and feeling of loss. The fragile tone of the music is just superb here, this brief but powerful piece full of emotion.

15. Appomattox, April 9, 1865 (02:36)
Horn calls out alone, solemn and slightly mournful and a piano variation on the Freedom’s Call plays serene and unadorned, Williams relying on the simplicity of the most domestic of instruments to carry the emotion and message of the moment, before brass chords slowly flow into heart breakingly beautiful, ethereal sounds of ghostly choral voices, a moment of haunting sorrow, followed by solo clarinet and horn both equally sorrowful and pensive, deep woodwinds and strings bringing the cue to an ending full of dark foreboding.

16. The Peterson House and Finale (11:00)
This piece draws together all the themes of the score into a long tone poem styled piece, meditation on all that has gone before on the soundtrack, a stunning and emotional finale.
Oboe starts off alone, wandering and ruminating when solemn chords appear halfway between the opening of several of the main themes, showing their interconnectedness, but finally clarinet and flute settle on Freedom’s Call in a humble setting, oboe and cor anglais interrupting, a hint of the Elegy Theme darkening the mood. Reverently slow the With Malice Toward None rises in the strings, Williams omitting a few folk song styled decorative notes here and there in the melody to transform the theme into a more hymn styled variation, a regal deep brass choir repeating the theme full of telling solemnity, slow and dignified in their progressions from which the People’s House Theme begins in the flutes and surges quickly up into a fantastically triumphant full ensemble statement of the theme that slowly fades into a solo trumpet stating the 4-note motto of the idea.


The American Process theme on its emblematic woodwinds, clarinet and flute, appears and soon leaps into glowing and courageous string rendition that is followed by a heraldic trumpet solo interlude, showing again the skills of Christopher Martin, his voice sounding like a lonely bugle over a field of battle. From this grows the Freedom’s Call theme in the high strings with the rhythmic low string accompaniment, here perhaps even more expressive than on track 12 and it marches forth, the theme statelier here than ever before. The solo trumpet returns singing With Malice Toward None in serene, warm and clear tones over piano chords, a stunning moment of Americana before the piano continues alone performing an innocent and down to earth variation on the American Process Theme, flute appearing to ghost the theme and in the final reassuring chords the music seems to fade into silence accompanied by a swaying string figure but Williams gives the last word to the Loss and Remembrance Theme, its somber and sorrowful notes bidding farewell to the listener in bittersweet thoughtful tones.

17. “With Malice Toward None” (Piano Solo) (01:31)
A solo piano rendition of With Malice Toward None theme rounds out the album in a gentle, pensive mood, Randy Kerber’s performance liltingly warm and even nostalgic, a great finale to the entire listening experience.

***

Lincoln is a very strong entry in Williams’ dramatic ouvre and on album it is a highly entertaining and listenable score, permeated strongly by the spirit of Americana. It might not break radically new ground in its approach for such a subject matter but it makes up for it in engaging thematic material, emotional soloist performances and a strong dramatic arc. While the score does make an instant impression with its melodic nature and warmly emotional tone, this is music that benefits from multiple listens, the thematic ideas intertwining through the album so that it takes a few listens to explore Williams composition in full and appreciate the way he approaches the subject matter and Lincoln's different facets. Those who come to this score expecting for the music to impress with bold brassy themes, sweeping statements and grand musical gestures or some kind of complete reinvention of the composer's style might be disappointed but all I can say as a fan of his intimate scores for dramas, his writing for solo instruments and his trademark Americana, this is another wonderful and heartfelt score from the Maestro and shows yet again how Williams is still at the top of his game and going strong at the age of 80, continuing to create some of the best film music around. Lincoln is definitely among the best of the year for me for its mastery of the idiom and sheer emotional appeal.

© Mikko Ojala

Credits:
Music composed and conducted by John Williams
Performer: Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Chicago Symphony Chorus
Violin: Robert Chen
Trumpet: Christopher Martin
Clarinet: Stephen Williamson
Bassoon: David McGill
Horn: Daniel Gingrich
Piano: Randy Kerber

Additional Musicians:
Charles Bisharat fiddle
George Doering mandolin
Alan Estes, Don Williams percussion
Tommy Morgan harp
Michael Valerio arco bass

Producer: John Williams
Editor: Ramiro Belgardt / Robert Wolff
Recording Engineer: Shawn Murphy
Mixing Engineer: Shawn Murphy
Engineer: Brad Cobb
Contractor: Sandy De Crescent
Preparer: Jo Ann Kane Music Service
Mastering Engineer: Patricia Sullivan

Update: Film Cue List and approximate correspondence with the soundtrack album
I have tried to figure out how does the soundtrack album line up with the film and how much of it is used in the movie and how much left out. Below is a break down of the score in the film cue-by-cue with track times to indicate pieces found on the album. This list contains a rough estimation as some cues sound very similar to the music on the CD but might be different takes.
The track titles are either taken from the soundtrack album or the FYC promo and where none is found I have made them up myself.

1. Quickstep and the American Process/ The Dream (1;36) (OST track 7, approx. 0;00-0;32, 1;40-end + unreleased 0;30 + OST track 8, approx. 2;20-3;04)
FYC CD track 1: Quickstep and the American Process

The film version uses only a short portion of the Call to Muster found on the OSTberfore transitioning to the unreleased piano section and the music for the dream.

2. Sleeping Tad (1;42) (OST track 9)
FYC CD track 2: Sleeping Tad

3. With Malice Toward None (0;48) (OST track 4, approx. 2;09-3;01?)

FYC CD track 3 With Malice Toward None

The OST section is probably an alternate take or a more fleshed out version of this variation of the American Process Theme made for the album.

4. Getting Out the Vote (2;25) (OST track 3, (2;49))
FYC CD track 4: Getting Out the Vote
The album version is slightly longer than the film cue, which sounds like editorially shortened and looped.

5. The Southern Delegation Arrives (2;13) (OST track 8, 0;00-2;01)
FYC CD track 5: The Southern Delegation Arrives
On the OST the music crossfades with the dissonant Dream music.

6. Remembering Willie (1;41) (OST track 13)
FYC CD track 6: Remembering Willie

7. Trouble with Votes and Voters (1;20) (OST track 10, approx. 0;29-1;57)
Non-Williams material. The music differs slightly from the OST counterpart, the music edited at various points.

 

8. Fort Fisher Falls (0;39) (Unreleased)

 

9. Message from Grant and Decisions (2;35) (OST track 5, 1;01-end)
FYC CD track 7: Message from Grant and Decisions
The OST is missing some material and a clean opening.

10. No Sixteen Year Olds Left (1;51) (Unreleased)
FYC CD track 8: No Sixteen Year Olds Left

11. The Telegraph Office (1;44) (OST track 1, 0;00-0;48 + track 12, 4;46-5;05 + track 1, 3;07-end)
This piece is comprised of the clarinet and flute opening of track 1, which is edited into a short snippet of the Freedom's Call (track 12) and then quickly goes to the track 1 again.
FYC CD track 9: The Telegraph Office

12. The Purpose of the Amendment (1;28) (Unreleased)
FYC CD track 10: The Purpose of the Amendment

13. Equality Under the Law (1;34) (OST track 11, 1;37-end)
FYC CD track 11: Equality Under the Law

14. The Military Hospital – The Argument (Unreleased) (1;35)

15. Persuading George Yeaman (0;27) (OST track 11, 1;09-1;36)

16. Mr. Hutton (0;59) (Unreleased)

17. Welcome To This House (1;41) (OST track 2, 0;00-1;40)
FYC CD track 12: Welcome To This House

18. Race to the House (1;12) (OST track 10, partially unreleased)
This piece mixes both the authentic folk music snippet from track 10 of the OST with a short new variations on the Getting Out the Vote (track 3) material which is editorially spliced together.

19. The American Process (2;26) (OST track 4, 0;00-2;10, (alternate))
The OST album contains an alternate version of the cue with different ending.
FYC CD track 13: The American Process

20. Battle Cry of Freedom (0;50) (OST track 7, approx. 0;33-1;39)
This is probably for the large part the same performance heard on the soundtrack album.

21. Thaddeus Stevens Returns Home (1;44) (OST track 2, 1;40-end, alternate) (Film version: unreleased opening section + OST track 2, 1;40-2;24 + 0;55-1;40)
The version on the album is probably an alternate. The film version seems to combine a short unreleased opening section with the music found on the OST plus some tracked music from the Welcome to This House cue (incidentally found on the same track on the OST).

22. Lincoln Responds to the Southern VP (1;18) (Unreleased)
FYC CD track 14: Lincoln Responds to the Southern VP

23. City Point  (1;16) (OST track 5, approx. 0;00-1;00)
FYC CD track 15: City Point
The album cue crossfades with the Message from Grant and Decisions material.

24. Lincoln and Grant/Lee’s Departure (1;57) (OST track 15 (alternate) (2;38))
FYC CD track 16: Lincoln and Grant/Lee's Departure

25. Trumpet Hymn (1;06) (Unreleased)
FYC CD track 17: Trumpet Hymn

26. Now He Belongs to the Ages (2;47) (OST track 16, 0;00-2;47)
FYC CD track 18: Now He Belongs to the Ages

27. End Credits (8;13)(OST track 16, 2;47-end)
FYC CD track 19: End Credits

Entirely or mostly unused pieces/concert suites:
Track 1: The People's House: Aside from the opening, the whole middle section with the People's House theme and the whole American Process Theme are unused in the film.
Track 6: With Malice Toward None
Track 8: Southern Delegation and the Dream (3:05-end): A variation on the Elegy Theme, which was entirely discarded in the film.
Track 12: Freedom's Call: Again only a small snippet was used in the film, edited together with the music from the People's House track.
Track 13 The Elegy
Track 17: With Malice Toward None (Piano Solo)

 

 

Warning the following contains spoilers!

The Complete Score Analysis

 

Lincoln is among the most subdued of the Spielberg/Williams collaborations in terms of the amount of music and its function in the film. John Williams has spoken in several interviews of trying to work underneath the dialogue and enhance the words but trying not to be a too obtrusive partner to the images. The composer was also extremely aware of the style and focus of the film and he and Spielberg use the music more as a subtle support for the drama than as a forefront participant in the storytelling. On the other hand the score works in a very traditional way by accenting the small beats and nuances of the scenes, fleshing out the emotions, the subtext often the unseen emotional turmoil of the main characters. It underscores the important turn of events in the film, facilitates transitions and provides humour but there is audible restraint working in the music, the composer approaching the subject with deep respect, the music rarely rising above a gentle whisper.

 

The scoring approach in the film is restrained and reverent, the composer choosing to enhance the positive qualities of the main character with various themes, all drawn seemingly from the native Americana vocabulary of the times but still carrying Williams' indelible musical stamp on them. His inspiration were indeed the hymns and folk music of the 19th century but he has chosen rather to channel them through allusion than try to employ a strictly authentic approach involving rigorous scholarship. Williams also focuses much of the time on soloists of the Chicago Symphony, their numerous solo parts and duets and trios throughout the score evoking an intimate lyrical atmosphere.

 

Williams by his own word recorded over 90 minutes of music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus but only about 40 minutes of this material ended up in the finished film. The soundtrack album contains a good portion of this music but a few sections still remain unreleased. The CD also includes much music that went unused in the film or these pieces were perhaps meant as concept compositions that would enhance the album listening experience as they are obviously well rounded pieces in their own right. A For Your Consideration album was sent at the eve of the Academy Award season to the voters, which presumably contains the music as it is presented in the film (by Academy rules) and also is the source of some of the track titles in the below track-by-track analysis.

 

 

Themes

 

Freedom’s Call (The 13th Amendment):

A short and direct melody, composed of a series of a few alternating chords, depicting Lincoln’s just and good aspirations and goals, the 13 Amendment and the abolition of slavery and his gentle wisdom and noble humanity. There is stately
grace in this simple yet affecting idea, bridging the public and personal side of Lincoln and Williams offers numerous alternating variations of it throughout the score in different settings from solo piano to brass chorale. The music connects especially to the moment when a group of blacks for the first time in the history of United States arrive at the People’s House to observe the vote for the Amendment.
As stated the motif portrays Lincoln's noble qualities and humanity but also the great work of passing the 13^th Amendment and ending slavery and naturally becomes the central musical idea that travels through the entire film, appearing more frequently than any other theme in the score.

 

Appears on the album:

02 The Purpose of the Amendment: 0:55- 1:39 and 2:26-end
09 Father and Son: 0:34-0:52 and 1:08-end
11 Equality Under the Law: 1:37-end
12 Freedom's Call: 3:18-5:29
15 Appomattox, April 9, 1865: 0:24-1:08
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 0:24-1:20 and 6:19-7:39

With Malice Toward None:

The name of the theme refers to the second inaugural speech of Lincoln and it is a folk song styled, simple, lyrical and honest melody. It seems to embody the down-to-earth nobility of the main character and his humanity. Coloured with lilting gait of folk music in some settings and slow solemn progression of traditional hymns in others, this theme paints a very humble, thoughtful and gentle picture of the president of United States.

In interviews Williams said that he started the scoring process from this scene and worked backwards from the finale after he had gotten the theme for the inaugural address right. His goal was to find a melody close to the hymnal writing of the times and he mentioned that he had searched for something suitable from old hymnals but in the end found it better to try to convey the spirit of the music of the era and hymns with his own theme for the president.

 

While this theme is frequently used on the album, in the film it appears a scarce few times, the composer reserving
it for a few key scenes toward the end of the film, the most pivotal being the finale, where it gains a near beatific character.

Appears on the album:
04 The American Process: 1:18-1:47 and 3:10-end
06 With Malice Toward None
12 Freedom's Call: 0:24-2:29
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 1:49-3:13 and 7:40-8:25
17 With Malice Toward None (Piano Solo)

The American Process:

A gentle lilting Americana "home and hearth" melody with almost folk song quality, the theme pensive yet optimistic with a sense of earthy wisdom. It is set often in the woodwinds, clarinet, bassoon and flute but this idea is also frequently developed on
stately strings or brass, revealing a nobler aspect and aspirations in this guise. Williams keys this musical idea to the processes of state, the peace making overtures and especially the actual vote and work at the House of Representatives, the music exemplifying the positive force of democratic process.

Appears on the album:
01 The People's House: 2:16-3:09
04 The American Process: 0:00-1:19 and  2:10-3:00
11 Equality Under the Law: 0:00-1:36
12 Freedom's Call: 2:29-3:18
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 4:50-5:43 and 8:26-9:14

The People’s House:

The most dramatic and triumphant of the themes, this noble and heroic idea is built on a leaping four note clarinet figure heard initially on the opening track and soon blooms to a full brass and strings setting, imparting a sense of victory and achievement, probably reflecting political and personal accomplishment. The idea is used sparsely on the soundtrack album appearing only on the opening track and the Finale tracks. In the film this motif appears only as a single subtle quote of the opening phrases in one cue, the actual full melody appearing only in the end credits.

Appears on the album:
01 The People's House: 0:00-2:15 and 3:10-end
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 3:14-4:49

The Elegy:

A mournful and anguished string elegy, quite religioso in nature, that seems to exude regret, sorrow and horror all in one harrowing theme, a reminder of the Civil War and its ravages.

 

This musical idea went entirely unused in the film, the movie makers most likely deciding that the images of war spoke even more powerfully without musical accompaniment.

Appears on the album:

08 The Southern Delegation and the Dream: 3:06-end

13 Elegy

The Civil War:

This piece is more of a set of orchestral colorings, military styled brass calls, snare drums and tense strings conjuring a matrial and grim mood. A few alternating chordal progressions seem to convey the looming threat of the civil war and the military aspect of the political machinations. This style of music is reprised a few times in the film always either directly relating to the Southern Delegation and their military surroudings or the presence and danger of the war, which sets a dark backdrop to the whole story.

Appears on the album:
08 The Southern Delegation and the Dream: 0;28-1;39

The Loss and Remembrance Theme:

A theme that seems to relate both to Lincoln's personal loss, of his son William, but also to mourning of the tragedy of Civil War and remembrance of the dead. It is an unadorned piano melody that expresses bittersweet sorrow with a hint of regret. This musical idea is used sparsely and always retains the same guise, invoked on the piano, the most familial and "domestic" but also emotionally direct of instruments.

Appears on the album:
05 The Blue and Grey: 0:00-1:01
14 Remembering Willie: 0:29-end
16 The Peterson House and Finale: 9:29-end

 

***

 

Complete Score Track-by-track Analysis

The track names are taken from the For Your Consideration album and Original Soundtrack.

 

1. Quickstep and the American Process/The Dream (1;36) (OST track 7, approx. 0;00-0;32, 1;40-end + unreleased
0;30+OST track 8, approx. 2;20-3;04)

Following the unscored bloody opening scene where the black Union men are locked in a hand-to-hand combat with the Confederate forces, president Lincoln is shown sitting under a tent tarp in a military camp where he is having a discussion with two black soldiers. Then two young awed Union soldiers approach as they spot the president and start to recite the Gettysburg Address to the chagrinned commander-in-chief. And none too soon the snare drums suddenly stir and interrupt the men and call the troops to muster (to the tune of the Quickstep march rhythm) before they can finish their rather automaton-like litany. A black Corporal Ira Clarke, who has also been conversing with the president, continues to recite the ending of the Address almost as a reminder to Lincoln to heal the war torn nation and set the things right as he promised and a gentle piano rendition of The American Process Theme mixes with the snare drum tattoo, hinting at Lincoln’s important duty and work that still lays ahead of him.

 

The film transitions to the president recounting his dream of riding a tall metal ship towards unknown shore to his wife Mary and this dissonant rumble in the lowest reaches of the orchestra, a bed of tremoloing strings and sizzling rubbed gong depicting the flickering dream imagery, sepia and grey in Lincoln’s memory, before fading slowly away as he finishes his tale.

2. Sleeping Tad (1;43) (OST track 9, Father and Son)

Lincoln comes upon his son asleep before the fireplace with glass plates of African-American slaves sprawled beside his tin soldier on the floor. A solo bassoon presents a halting ruminating melody that moves on to a noble horn
statement as the president looks at the glass plate photos in grave sadness before the score melts into the first variation on the Freedom’s Call Theme on celli and basses, the theme associated here to Lincoln personally,  a brief lyrical solo oboe phrase transitioning back to the theme as Lincoln lowers himself beside his son and gently awakens him. This time the melody is heard in a simple affecting solo piano reading, colouring this moment of paternal love as Lincoln carries his son to bed on his back, the familial moment of tenderness gracefully captured by the music.

 

3. With Malice Toward No (0;48) (OST track 4 approx. 2;09-3;01)

After Lincoln makes a sojourn to the house of Preston Blair, the founder and head of the Republican party, and agrees to have him travel to Richmond to negotiate peace, we see the old man getting ready to leave in his carriage and a hopeful piano variation of the American Process Theme sees him off on his mission.

 

4. Getting Out the Vote (2;32) (OST track 3, (2;49))

A trio of agents (“skulking men” as the film puts it) is sent by the Secretary of State William Seward to procure the critical votes on Lincoln’s behalf  for the amendment. Solo violin nimbly opens this wonderful jaunty Appalachian scherzando or dance for solo fiddle, viola, woodwinds, tuba and light percussion and strings, the music exuding wonderful hoe-down folk music feel and humour when we see the various ways these voters are cajoled into changing their stance.

 

The efforts of these three gentlemen are met by various stages of success and the music comments their haggling accordingly as we see them reporting to Seward on their results. The soloists have their moment to shine, violin and bassoon performing particularly delicious solos, the former actually underscoring an on-screen fiddler in the film. This music provides a much needed sense of humour and lightness to the otherwise serious film and Williams has fun with the rather salt of the earth and no nonsense characters of Robert Latham, W.N. Bilbo and Richard Schell.

 

The film version is slightly different than the counterpart on the soundtrack album. Not only it is shorter but also contains repeated phrases to conform to the dramatic outline and beats of the scene.

5. The Southern Delegation Arrives (2;13) (OST track 8, 0;00-2;01)

William Seward confronts Lincoln concerning the rumours of a Southern peace delegation and somber strings slowly murmur to colour his feeling of apprehension on the notion, especially since the president neglected to consult him. When we transition to no-man’s land outside Petersburg, Virginia, subdued militaristic brass calls give away to a solo trumpet intoning a tragic and dark melody, The Civil War Theme, above string harmonies when the opposing forces have arrived to escort and receive the delegation, paced by subtle timpani, the atmosphere grave when the Confederates
and the Union men stare at each other in obvious tension. The same grimly martial mood continues and after a brief passage for snare drum, elegiac strings and solo horn, the music suddenly plunges into disturbing rumbling strings when the dismayed delegates find out that majority of their escort is made up of black soldiers but in a show of temperate diplomacy ascend their carriage courteously, the score portending that these will not be easy negotiations.

 

6. Remembering Willie (1;50) (OST track 13)

On the evening of the Grand Reception at the White House Lincoln is alerted of Mary’s sudden harrowing mood brought about by the party and grim memories. The president hurries to comfort her in Willie’s old room, their son having died 3 years prior during a party in the White House. The depressed and guilt ridden Mary is holding the portrait of their son,  a few delicate harp notes and solo violin and viola subtly quoting the Elegy Theme expressing her sorrow and remorse, the party another reminder of how they lost their child and how they couldn’t save him.

As she laments the death and their time in the house that reminds her of it all, solo cello takes over and sings forlorn above simple guitar chords until Loss and Remembrance Theme appears on the solo piano, inconsolable and contemplative, further enhanced by the sonorous emotionality of the solo cello that appears in brief duet with the piano. The instruments express quiet but powerful sorrow and the parents' feeling of loss, the fragile tone of the music capturing both the tender bond between the pair and their shared sad memory.
 

7. Trouble with Votes and Voters (1;20) (OST track 10 approx. 0;29-1;57)

A selection of Civil War era folk music arranged and performed by the traditional and folk music expert Jim Taylor.
A jig for fiddle, banjo, guitar and hammered dulcimer that contains excerpts from "They Swung John Brown To A Sour Apple Tree", "Three Forks of Hell", Last of Sizemore" and “Republican Spirit" underscores more efforts to get votes from rather reluctant Democrats, the troubles and unlucky incidents accented by this folksy and spirited music. Here the film makers saw an opporturnity to colour the characters of W.N. Bilbo and comrades and their rather unscrupulous dealings with sprightly humor and inject the score of the film with earthy and suitably playful music of the times.

 

8.Fort Fisher Falls (0;39) (Unreleased)

Lincoln and his Secretary of Defence Edwin Stanton are in the midst of the nervous bustle of the War Department telegraph office monitoring the progress of the assault on Wilmington. Stanton is on edge and when the president goes into one of his stories the secretary of defence storms out to oversee the war effort in less of a storytelling atmosphere. When he returns one of the telegraphs operators announces the news: Fort Fisher has fallen but Wilmington itself has not surrended. Tense heavy and slow bass drum strokes amid grave low string chords announces the sour victory for the North as both the president and the secretary look alarmed and dismayed demanding to know the tally of casualties, the music portending heavy losses.

 

9. Message from Grant and Decisions (2;35) (OST track 5, 1;01-end)
General Grant has had discussions with the Southern delegates and telegraphs the president that someone of authority in the government has to come and negotiate with them or the opporturnity will be lost. Seward in his usual habit presents Lincoln with the options, setting the peace and passing of the 13^th amendment side by side, leaving the president to make the final decision. A repeating string rhythm starts a slow tug, piano first striking paced rumbling chords underneath, the music expressing deliberation, slow wait for a moment of decision, pensive clarinet and bassoon appearing underneath the rhythm, which transitions briefly from strings to the woodwinds and then back again continuing inevitably and finally slides into resigned silence when we see Lincoln torn over the chance of peace and the chance to end slavery, both seeming to exclude each other at this juncture, the music enhancing the mood of his troubled pondering and the stakes of his decision.

10. No Sixteen Year Olds Left (1;51) (Unreleased)

Lincoln, who is plagued by heavy burdens of the state, can’t sleep and thus works through the night. He appears at the bedside of his young aides in the small ours of the morning, arguing to the bleary eyed young men of the Army’s  decision of executing 16 year old for laming his horse so as to avoid the battle. He wants to pardon the boy, the aides say that Secretary of War Stanton is against pardons to deserters. A pensive clarinet solo underscores Lincoln’s weary sorrow for such wasteful death and as  he mentions to the surprise of his aides the Southern peace delegation and the
rumours being true after all, the celli sing out a somber line. But when the president switches back to the issue of the 16 year old, finally deciding to pardon him, an optimistic string phrase and noble solo horn quote the stately but stoic military brass colours of the Civil War Theme but here the mood is optimistic and resolved, the music blooming into a tentative reading of the first chords of Freedom’s Call Theme as Lincoln heads for the War Department telegraph office, the transition earning another statement of the military material pertaining to the peace delegation, now on glowing woodwinds.

 

11. The Telegraph Office  (1;44) (OST track 1, 0;00-0;48 + track 12, 4;46-5;05 + track 1, 3;07-end)

At the telegraph office Lincoln, while he is sending a reply to general Grant, gets into a conversation with the two young men on duty, the subject Euclid and equality. The president takes the mathematical theorem and expounds on its universal law so that it should apply to people as well as mathematics, the noble sentiments heard in the burgeoning clarinet reading of the opening phrases of the People’s House Theme that is gracefully taken up by the flutes when the president makes up his mind and decides to stall the arrival of the peace delegation, his desire to see the amendment passed winning in his mind and we hear a tenderly glowing strings rise into a short statement of the Freedom’s Call Theme, a trumpet soliloquy of People’s House Theme escorting the president out of the telegraph office, his plans and mind made up.

 

12. The Purpose of the Amendment (1;28) (Unreleased)

Things are coming to a boiling point in the debates at the House of Representatives and Thaddeus Stevens makes his entry in the discussion on the 13^th Amendment bill. His word as the leader of the radical Republican wing holds a lot of weight and his colleagues plead him to compromise on his views in his speech and announce that the bill stands only for equality before the law and not universal equality for the blacks.

 

A solo horn opens the cue when Thaddeus Stevens glances at the balcony where Mrs. Lincoln sits watching the debate, the music giving the moment a thoughtful feel, Mr. Stevens torn between his own radical opinion and what would be a politically more temperate approach. The solo continues as a Democrat representative Fernando Wood deliberately goads Stevens by proclaiming that he had demanded full equality for the blacks and demands to know if this is still so.

 

When Stevens seemingly struggles with the answer, the Freedom’s Call Theme plays in humble yet proud woodwind setting with subtle lower string accompaniment that rises to the fore, the rhythm of the motif repeating as everybody is holding their breath before  Mr. Stevens answers, solo horn calling out in stately manner as we see the brief moment of inner struggle of the representative, the music stopping just before he announces his stance:
Stevens proclaims that the purpose of the amendment is to guarantee not full equality but equality before the law for the blacks.

13. Equality Under the Law (1;34) (OST track 11, 1;37-end)

George Pendelton, one of the leaders of the Democrats and rabidly against the amendment, accuses Stevens of  turning
his coat and prevaricating. Stevens then repeats his stance, Freedom’s Call Theme starting a slow development on clarinet, flute and bassoon, Williams extending the theme’s melody ever so slightly as the leader of the Republican’s ends his scatching speech on equality before the law on a triumphant note, the Republican party members cheering, the orchestral strings blossoming into a soaring and unabashedly hopeful reading of the Freedom’s Call Theme, which continues relieved and confident as he walks slowly out of the House chamber after finishing his speech, the score celebrating this small victory on the road to abolishing the slavery.

14. The Military Hospital – The Argument (Unreleased) (1;35)

Lincoln is visiting the military hospital accompanied by his eldest son Robert, who sulkingly accuses his father of deliberately trying to dissuade him from enlisting by bringing him along to see the wounded and dying. Defiantly he says that he knows all about the horrors of war and that his father won’t turn his head. To all this Lincoln answers with apparent calm.

 

As the president goes about his official business of meeting the wounded Robert sees two soldiers carting off a covered bloody heap on a wheelbarrow, their work leaving a grim red trail behind them as they go. He follows and sees to his disgust and horror that they were transporting amputated limbs to be buried, all unceremoniously dumbed into a pit behind the hospital. Robert walks away shaken and a tragic call of a solitary horn over whispering high strings exclaims his shock and sorrow. He stiffles a sob and when his father appears elegiac strings sing out the younger man’s defiant wish to enlist, the suffering of war only steeling his resolve and adding to his frustration.

Lincoln understands but reminds him of the suffering of those, who have to give up their children to war, Freedom’s Call Theme humanely calling out his fatherly concern on warm brass as the president dispences this wisdom as a father not as a head of state but he also reminds his son that he is the president and can decide on his enlistment if he so wishes. Robert snaps that his father is just afraid of his mother and what she might do or say, which suddenly provokes a slap from the president, the music turning tragic and ominous as Robert storms off shouting, the solo trumpet and accompanying grim horns quoting the militaristic mood of the Civil War Theme once more, the threat of war and death looming in the music as Lincoln exclaims in half-whisper that he doesn’t want to lose his son to the civil strife.

 

15. Persuading George Yeaman (0;27) (OST track 11, 1;09-1;36)

One of the uncertain Democrats, George Yeaman, is invited at the White House to discuss with the president. Lincoln in his typical way starts a story, this time about him and his father, but finally makes an honest plea to the representative to vote for the amendment, arguing his case emphatically. Solo clarinet in equally pensive style opens this short cue and as he makes his final plea the American Process Theme on woodwinds and brass seems to ask a decision from Mr. Yeaman before trailing off into silence.

 

16. Mr. Hutton (0;59) (Unreleased)

A somewhat gloomy and pensive clarinet and bassoon duet underscores Lincoln’s attempt to persuade Mr. Hutton, another Democrat representative, to vote for the amendment. The man refuses as he holds a deep grudge against the blacks as his brother died in the Civil War and the music remains stoic and melancholy as the clarinet and bassoon continue their discussion. As Lincoln says he is not going to try to turn Mr. Hutton around with any more speeches and that the amendment will likely pass without his help and that he has to acknowledge that the black people will live among them, the score subtly quotes a few opening notes of the Freedom’s Call Theme before warm string phrase ends the piece as Lincoln offers his condolences to Mr. Hutton’s family and steps into his carriage having made his case.

 

17. Welcome To This House (1;41) (OST track 2, 0;00-1;40)

And so comes finally the morning of the vote for the 13^th Amendment. The stoic melody heard in the previous cue is reprised again on clarinet and bassoon, developing slowly phrase by phrase as Thaddeus Stevens is seen arriving to the empty House floor obviously full of trepidation on the eve of this momentous occasion. The melody moves gradually to flute and clarinet coupling as we see people assembling to the House of Representatives.

 

When Asa Vintner Litton, a Republican representative and a fervent abolitionist, welcomes a group of African-Americans to the House balcony to observe the vote, first such group to ever visit the House of Representatives, a hopeful and warm string reading of Freedom’s Call Theme kindles in the orchestra that steadfastly rises forth on violins and violas, the celli and basses playing accompanying figures underneath. These are finally joined by low burnished brass to celebrate this historical moment, the music itself here winding into silence to observe the vote.

 

18. Race to the House (1;12) (OST track 10, partially unreleased)

The debate preceding the vote for the amendment comes to a standstill when the Democrats demand confirmation to the rumours of Confederate peace delegation in the capital and thus of postponing  the vote until a peace has been negotiated. The conservative Republican wing joins with the Democrats in their request and soon the president’s aides and N.W. Bilbo are rushing to the White House to inform Lincoln and asking him for the answer to the Democrats’ question. Williams answers this scewne with a brief humorous scherzando, which editorially combines his motif for the “skulking men” heard in Getting Out the Vote and the traditional folk music melodies, when we see the trio of men running from the Hill to the White House in breathless hurry to deliver their message and to save the vote for the amendment.
 

19. The American Process (2;24) (OST track 4, 0;00-2;10, (alternate))

The vote is finally drawing to a close and Williams underscores the action with the American Process Theme that evokes in its honest simplicity the rightness of the democratic process. A duet of clarinet and bassoon sings the theme alone for a moment when representative Alexander Coffroth announces his “yes” vote and soon a solo flute joins in, the action moving to the headquarters of General Grant where the troops are intently listening to the tally through the telegraph. The orchestrations gather strength as the woodwind section finally reprises the melody in full form as votes are cast one by one by the representatives.

In the White House Lincoln is seen sitting with his son Tad in his lap reading a book together and a serene and familial oboe solo expresses a tender and calm personal moment for the president in juxtaposition to the historical event taking place at the House of Represetatives, the deep and warm strings carrying the score back to the House where the roll call is concluding.

 

A sustained chord in high string plays as the Speaker of the House Colfax announces suddenly that he wants to cast a vote and George Pendelton objecting the rarely used priviledge as subdued clarinets play a phrase. Stately brass announces the Speaker’s “aye” vote and concludes the tally, strings rising with noble intent as the clerk hands the document to Schuyler Colfax, the cue ending in another sustained chord for suspence as he slowly reads the results.
 

20. Battle Cry of Freedom (0;50) (OST track 7, approx. 0;33-1;39)

The 13^th Amendment passes and the Republicans rejoice, the representatives beginning an impromptu chorus of Battle Cry of Freedom, a popular patriotic Civil War era song by George Frederick Root and the unofficial tune of Lincoln’s second term campaign. The song gradually morphs from the rough version sung out of tune at the House floor into a full chorus and orchestra, here performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, first male voices and then female joining with them when Thaddeus Stevens is seen taking the bill of the Amendment and walking home through the streets where people are celebrating, the song proudly calling out as a victorious march on this historical moment.

 

21. Thaddeus Returns Home (1;44)  (OST track 2, 1;40-end) (OST track 1;40-2;24 + 0;55-1;40)

The orchestra starts tentatively when Thaddeus Stevens closes his door and is welcomed by his black housekeeper to whom he hands the Amendment as a “gift”,  the melody in the strings and woodwinds reminiscent of the one that opened the Welcome to This House cue. Clarinet passes a proud and confident melodic phrase to horns and finally to solo trumpet as Stevens is seen getting into bed, where his housekeeper is already seen sitting with the bill in her hands and a gentle and tender clarinet voices the man’s affection for her.

She begins to read the Amendment aloud to him and Freedom’s Call Theme is evoked by Williams in its proudest and most resolute form yet, a musical reassurance of the values inherent in the document and the crowning moment to Mr. Stevens in his struggles against slavery, which as we now see has also had a very personal motive.

 

22. Lincoln Responds to the Southern VP (1;18) (Unreleased)

After the passing of the 13^th Amendment the president travels to meet the Southern delegation and their leader the Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens. Both parties express their views at the negotiation table, the Confederates bitter and resentful of their lot. As Lincoln expounds upon the ideal of democracy and its longevity, the futility of further bloodshed and war, a ruminating bassoon solo above subtle string accompaniment supports his words with quiet lyricism. Strings slowly grow more insistent as the tension grows and the same turbulent orchestral rumbles that underscored Lincoln’s nightmare at the opening of the film are suddenly quoted when the president makes a plea to stop the war, the question left ominously hanging in the air unanswered, the image dissolved into a raging inferno of a town burning in the night, a grim nightmarish visage of the destruction of the Civil War.

 

23. City Point (1;16) (approx. OST track 5, 0;00-1;00)

Outside Petersburg, Virginia Lincoln arrives at the scene of a recent battle, the land torn and burning, the countless dead, the Blue and Grey, lying side by side in the middle of the carnage. As the president rides amid the battle field a touching and unadorned rendition of the Loss and Remembrance Theme plays on piano, the head of state taking off his stove pipe hat and honoring the fallen soldiers as he passes in silence through the fields of the dead, the music giving the moment a poignant but mournful cast, the weariness brought on by this suffering reflected i

n the president’s face and in the score.

 

24. Lincoln and Grant/Lee’s Departure (1;57) (OST track 15 (alternate) (2;38))

The piece opens with an unused section of music. Lincoln meets with general Grant at the Thomas Wallace House at Petersburg, where he holds his temporary headquarters. A horn calls out alone, solemn and remorseful as the two men share a moment while sitting on a porch by the roadside, the horror of the field of the dead still fresh in the president’s mind.  A piano variation on the Freedom’s Call Theme serene and unadorned with a tinge of regret appears, Williams relying on the simplicity of the most domestic of instruments to carry the emotion and message of the moment, when Lincoln admits to Grant they have allowed each other to do terrible things, the gentle tone of the music almost rueful here as Lincoln is still shocked by the dead he has seen, a concrete reminder of  the toll of the war. The general admits this but also says that they have won the war and that now Lincoln should focus on healing the nation.
 

Slow and solemn brass chords (unused in the film) flow into heart breakingly beautiful, ethereal sounds of ghostly choral voices of the Chicago Symphony Chorus that seem to evoke the voices of dead of the Civil War as much as they mark this important moment of history as we see general Lee surrendering to general Grant and effectively ending the war. Here the significance of the relatively small and intimate scene and all the historical ramifications are carried by the score, which magnifies the near everyday scene with dramatic subtextual meaning. Solo clarinet carries a defeated and somber tones as Grant magnanimously salutes the defeated general with his men, horn answering for general Lee, both equally sorrowful and pensive, deep woodwinds and strings bringing the cue to a gloomy finale as the Confederate commander rides away from the Appomattox courthouse in silence, the music mirroring more the mindset of soldiers and their honor, won and lost, than the relief at the end of the civil strife.

 

On the album this piece is considerably longer than in the film, opening with a solo horn soliloquy, which then proceeds to the Freedom's Call Theme. In the film the score opens with the Freedom's Call Theme in different key and omits the longer bridge between it and the choral section.

25. Trumpet Hymn (1;06) (Unreleased)

At the White House Lincoln is holding a meeting with the Speaker of the House and some representatives, when his aide comes to remind him of his engagement at the theater and that he should be leaving to pick up his guests. Lincoln’s black valet Mr. Slade hands him his gloves and the president proceeds to leave and all the assembled rise to see him off and a solo trumpet sings With  Malice Toward None in poignant spirit, the music speaking clearer than words for the significance of the moment, the noble yet earthy decency captured in the melody, the music equivalent of a goodbye as the president says almost wistfully "I suppose it’s time to go, though I would rather stay".

 

The president throws away the leather gloves that he distinctly dislikes and his servant tries to catch up with him but stops at the last minute but turns to take a look at Lincoln with some premonition in his eyes. Williams catches this foreboding by weaving a subtle strain of the Loss and Remembrance Theme into the score on piano as we see the figure of the president slowly walking down the hall and disappearing from view, the trumpet’s voice receding into silence with him, the scene and music full of inevitability.

 

26. Now He Belongs to the Ages (2;47) (OST track 17, 0;00-2;47)
The president has been shot and has been taken to the Peterson House near the Ford Theater, where he has lain through the night. Oboe starts off alone, wandering and ruminating full of aching grief as Mrs. Lincoln is escorted out of the room where she has just seen her dying husband. The cabinet, the doctors, president’s aides and his eldest son have gathered around the deathbed and slowly solemn chords appear halfway between the opening of several of the main themes, showing their musical interconnectedness and common source in Lincoln's character when a physician finally announces the president dead.
When Edwin Stanton the Secretary of War exclaims “Now he belongs to the ages” clarinet and flute settle on Freedom’s Call in a humble setting as the camera glides away and moves to the flame of a lamp and we hear Lincoln’s voice reciting his second inaugural address, the president seen at the center of the flame. The speech continues and oboe and cor anglais interrupt the Freedom’s Call melody, a briefest hint of the Elegy Theme appearing as Lincoln reminds the listeners of the horrible cycles of hate and of the punishment for sins of which the slavery is among the worst to his
mind and he sees the Cilvil War as a divine punishment for this.

Reverently slow the With Malice Toward None rises in the strings when the president expounds upon the charity and humanity people should show in rebuilding the state, to friend and foe alike as they are still of the same nation. Williams omits a few folk song styled decorative notes here and there in the melody to transform the theme into a more hymn styled variation, the string setting reverent and solemn with deep benevolent warmth, the gentle strains of the melody drawing the film to a calm resolution as the screen slowly fades to black.

 

27. End Credits (OST track 17, 2;47-end)

This cue draws together all the themes of the score into a long tone poem styled piece, meditation on all that has gone before on the soundtrack, a stunning and emotional finale.

A regal deep brass choir with woodwind accompaniment repeats With Malice Toward None full of  calm solemnity, slow and dignified in their progressions from which the People’s House Theme begins in the flutes and surges quickly up into a triumphant full ensemble statement of the melody that slowly fades into a solo trumpet stating the opening 4-note motto
of the theme.
The American Process Theme on its emblematic woodwinds, clarinet and flute, appears and soon leaps into glowing and courageous string rendition that is followed by a heraldic trumpet solo interlude, showing again the skills of Christopher Martin, his voice sounding like a lonely bugle over a field of battle. From this grows the Freedom’s Call Theme in the high strings with the rhythmic low string accompaniment marches forth, the theme perhaps statelier in its progression here than ever before. The solo trumpet returns singing With Malice Toward None in serene, warm and clear tones over piano chords, a stunning moment of Americana before the piano continues alone performing an innocent and down to earth variation on the American Process Theme, flute appearing to ghost the theme and in the final reassuring chords the music seems to fade into silence accompanied by a swaying string figure but Williams gives the last word to the Loss and Remembrance Theme, its somber and sorrowful notes bidding farewell to the listener in bittersweet thoughtful tones.

None But the Brave is a 1965 film and one of Williams' first real dramas and a war story no less, directed by Frank Sinatra, who himself played a supporting role in the picture. It tells the story of American and Japanese soldiers, stranded on a tiny Pacific island during World War II, who have to form a temporary truce and cooperate to survive various tribulations and is told through the eyes of the American and Japanese unit commanders, who must deal with an atmosphere of growing distrust and tension between their men.
Film Score Monthly released the score in 2009 for the first time, the album featuring the complete score and even some bonus material and once again credit has to be given to the FSM for their continued interest in releasing and preserving the music from earliest eras of John Williams career. It is fascinating to chart the evolution of Williams' sound and style through his early scores as what you hear is a lot of talent ready to burst into full bloom as it later does but also a sort of learning curve of a composer slowly picking up certain skills of the craft and fine tuning them. However in the case on None But the Brave there is also a good dose of maturity found here. This score exhibits many of Williams' clear stylistic tendencies and gift for melody but perhaps in a slightly reduced or muted format than in many of his later scores. On album the score forms quite a strong listening experience though perhaps requires a bit more patience than your average JW soundtrack.

John Williams has always been a writer of memorable melodies and his main theme for the score certainly is a good example of this, a heroic, resolute but pensive melody often heard on solo brass but he weaves it through many orchestrational variations and uses fragments here and there to tie the score together. The film is not out to glorify war and Williams' somber theme and its rather sparse usage reflect that in an admirable way, the theme being a form of musical solace between the tragic and suspenceful elements in the music. Main Title and Kuroki's Introduction presents the main idea in an almost formal heraldic fashion, but we hear also another important idea in passing here, namely Kuroki's Japanese styled motif, very faux oriental progression on flute almost archetypical you could say, which is later explored in a more thorough fashion, the idea revealing more emotional depth later on in cues like Kuroki's Reflection and The Dream of Hope Is Ashes / Hirano's Problem. These two form the opposing musical sides of the story but in the end the composer uses the main theme for both the Americans and the Japanese, their tragedy of war itself becoming one and the same.

That said the score might not feel straightforwardly and winningly melodic at first as much of the opening half of the album is focused on suspence and action writing, both reminding of the concurrently written music for Lost In Space in their certain sparseness and terseness, even though small motific ideas spin throughout to tie the pieces together. Especially the wandering fluttering woodwind motifs remind me of the aforementioned TV-series as does some more suspenceful writing for forcefully rhythmic brass and lower strings. E.g. Busy Hands / Kuroki Prepares for War / Fishing Spear, Night Adventure, Brothers in Command / The Water Hole and Waiting for Battle all feature this tense militaristic suspence and action, snare drums and muted snarling brass and rumbling woodwinds. It is interesting to note how many of these techniques, e.g. furious kinetic string and woodwind runs and tense muted brass are carried to Williams' classic scores and appear still 20 or 30 years hence. Williams also has a few chances for light comedic scoring in places and he incorporates a few traditional Japanese tunes into the underscore, often to provide lightness and humor but this also brings some variety and colour to the tone of the otherwise suspenceful and tense music.

But the composer's definite dramatic sense is strong here, the emotional writing for some dire situations in the film gradually rising to truly satisfying heights but only in the latter half of the score (from Uneasy Peace / Okuda and Craddock onward) the music warms up and we hear the themes more often and in a more emotionally resonant guise culminating in the powerful and tragic The Final Fight / The Spirit Lives / End Cast, which rounds up the score on a resounding if somewhat somber note. This progression and build up through the album is very effective and reflects the narrative of initial hostilities turning to friendship and back to war again and slowly but surely the music reaches this final confrontation and dramatic peak and the composer makes it seem very natural from musical story telling perspective, a show of his dramatic instincts and skill in crafting a strong architecture through the score.

In this score you can hear that  Williams is undeniably already developing his own vocabulary and musical voice and showing great promise and he also has here a rare chance to show his dramatic talent amidst all the comedies he ended up scoring in 1960's. I would say this is a surprisingly mature and well conceived score although it might lack the immediate appeal of the Maestro's classic accessibly melodic scores with catchy main themes. But after a few listens you start to hear the intricacy of Williams' music and the more subtle thematic progression he is building.

In addition to the complete score the FSM album also contains extensive and highly informative liner notes and track-by-track analysis by Jeff Eldridge and a few bonus tracks, a terrific piano rendition of the main theme by the Maestro himself, a worthy addition and apparently an unreleased single, a luau styled Hawajian radio source cue and a couple of alternate orchestrations of Kuroki's Introduction and a robust trailer version of the main theme. At the end of the album to round out the listening experience FSM included as a curiosity the only music previously released from the film, an LP single titled None But the Brave sung by Jack Halloran Singers, a rather schmaltzy affair with an equally saccharine version of Sylvia, the B-side of the single, a song version of David Raksin's theme for a movie of the same name both from 1965.

A solid early dramatic score from John Williams, certainly worth the spin to his devoted fans but casual listeners might not be entirely won over by it.

3½-4 stars.

Journey

Music composed by Austin Wintory

 

Journey is a 2012 video game from thatgamecompany that has also released such original titles as Flower, FlOw and Cloud, that offer highly unique and visually stunning concepts in gaming. The game is a highly audio-visual experience that blends typical adventure and platforming but places you into a world of where your character, a mysterious cloak wrapped and magical scarf wearing being travels through stunning landscapes, challenges and trials towards a mysterious mountaintop to realize his destiny. One of the oddities in this environment is the interaction with other players, who you encounter on the journey and can aid them but you cannot communicate with them in any way verbally, making for a strange new way of collaborating in a adventure gaming environment. The story is shrouded in mystery, the players allowed to piece together the myth and history of the world that surrounds them from the environment, murals, buildings and tapestries, all the while they perform their pilgrimage to reach the ever looming mountain and achieve their ultimate goal. Thatgamecompany brought in a talented young composer Austin Wintory to score his second collaboration with them after FlOw and he responded to the story and journey with a soundtrack that is both mesmerizingly melodic and ethereally evocative.

Austin Wintory whose career has really started in the 2000's has scored a hefty number of films in these few years and also broken into game scoring, earning a whole slew of awards and nominations in his relatively short career thusfar. As he says in his bio on his website, he was introduced to film scores by Jerry Goldsmith's work in the 80's and ever since he has been pursuing a career in films scoring. From what I have heard from the composer I would gladly welcome him a big break in the near future, so convincing is his writing in Journey alone.

Journey as a score blends worlds of ambient sound design and beautifully melodic and lyrical writing for orchestra and solo instruments into a fascinating whole, where the said incredients blend and ebb and flow in ethereal and powerfully evocative dance. Wintory's writing is mature, self assured and creative and, as it has become common in game scoring, takes its subject matter seriously much like a film, never downplaying to the medium. Game scoring has become a source of quality music and music making in the last decade and the possibilities of the cinematic qualities and style in games has allowed large dramatic scores to bloom in the genre, whether synthetic or orchestral or both. In Journey Wintory writes for electornics and a handful of soloists, among them Tina Guo (Cello), Rodney Wirtz (Viola) and Lisbeth Scott (vocals) and for a moderately sized symphonic (mainly string) ensemble, the score performed by the Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra under the baton of Oleg Kontradenko, creating a varied and colorful tapestry of sound that envelopes and challenges and enthralls the listener with atmospheric and melodic soundscapes. Wintory treats the soloists as the focal point of the music, cello, flutes, viola and harp often presented with minimal accompaniment or over an ambient soundscape, lending a highly personal quality to the music,yet sometimes the soloists lead the orchestra in fascinating melodic explorations, perhaps the reflection of the idea of a lonely main character in a vast world.

The feel of the music is ambivalent in that it does not, out of a conscious effort by the composer, seem to be from any specific culture or cultural area, but embraces a wide variety of music styles and ethnic musical traits. Some alto flute passages conjure with the solo cello images of Far East, yet the percussion and other melodic lines clearly point to another direction, Celtic or Middle-Eastern colorations appearing in the next track, no element becoming too dominating through the running time. This I take (as I have not played the game) mirrors the approach of the world which the main character inhabits and works well on the album as well, providing surprising mixes of colours and stylistics, keeping the listening experience fresh.

Ambient textures Wintory uses become backdrops for the solo instruments and orchestral performance, keeping an element of mysticism, scope and ethereal wonder or peril firmly in the soundscape nearly throughout the album. Sometimes these slow, flowing, sparkling walls of sound somewhat dam the flow of the music or threaten to drown the organic elements but on the whole the synthetic material blends well to enhance the overall mood of the music, achieving a quasi spiritual and contemplative effect. Good examples of this are tracks like Temptations, Reclamation and several of the Confluence tracks (of which there are 6 in all). To balance the slower more ruminative moods there are several livelier lyrical tracks like the energetic the Road of Trials with its nearly Celtic pluckiness and sparklingly flowing blend of soloists and orchestra in the Threshold. The composer addresses the more serious threats and dangers on the journey by some impressively challenging modernistic ambience, percussion and string writings, like in the ominous Descent and especially in Nadir, where intensely furious layers of strings and percussion attack each other in a battle for supremacy, both frightening and powerful at the same time.

And despite mentioning the word atmospheric quite often in the review I was impressed by the fact that the score exhibits a good ear for melody, the mystical, spiritual central theme of the game and soundtrack presented on soulful solo cello and husky alto flute directly on the first track Nascence, a vaguely exotic winding and yearning melody, well portraying the questing nature of the story, the searching mood captured in the wistful melodic line. After such a well rounded start Wintory anchors the music to a continuous yet often subtle development and variation of this main theme in various guises snippets and fragments through the album, the first few notes wafting through the dream-like soundscapes or string harmonies, the second track Call being a prime example of this, the union of ethereally ambient yet thematic approach.
Even though he wisely relies on a strong main theme and melody to carry the emotional weight, Wintory writes individual setpiece themes on several tracks, that seem to be woven from the same elegantly lyrical cloth as the main theme and provide exquisitely beautiful moments along the way, such as the Atonement, the already mentioned Threshold and The Road of Trials and he brings the score into a highly satisfying finale with the glowingly dramatic, poignant and almost bittersweet 7-minute meditation on the main theme in Apotheosis and ends the experience in a beatific solo voice and orchestral resolution in I Was Born for This with Lisbeth Scott lending her amazingly moving and rich voice for a prayer-like end credits song, the lyrics comprised of stanzas taken from many classic texts on legends of questing heroes sung in Latin, French, Old English and Japanese.

Journey is a nuanced and highly colorful work, often arrestingly moody in one moment and hauntingly lyrical the next. While its thematic material is strong this music might not make an instant impression but rewards multiple listens if you allow for all the elements, moods and variations to sink in. The album forms a well balanced listening experience without forgetting to form a strong musical narrative along the way, the score charting a dramatic journey of its own through exotic and mystical musical landscapes. Some slight balancing issues between the organic and synthetic sound worlds aside Mr. Wintory has here created a truly impressive piece of work and I certainly look forward to hearing new music, in films or other media, from him in the future. A delightful surprise and for me one of the best scores of the year.

4½/5 STARS

Music composed, orchestrated and produced by Austin Wintory
Featured soloists:
Tina Guo: Cello
Amy Tatum: Flute / Bass Flute
Charissa Barger: Harp
Rodney Wirtz: Viola
Noah Gladstone: Serpent
Sara Andon: Flute
Vocal solos performed by Lisbeth Scott; text compiled by Jeremy Howard Beck
Percussion and programming by Austin Wintory
Orchestral performances by the Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra
Orchestra conducted by Oleg Kontradenko
Orchestra contracted by Laurent Koppitz