ADORE.

 

Its been a little while since I sat down and listened to a soundtrack by Christopher Gordon, in fact the last time I was impressed and in fact bowled over by this composers music was when he scored the TV movie, ON THE BEACH (2000), which was a remarkable and also an outstanding score that contained dramatic musical passages but also had within its make up some of the most beautiful and heartfelt tone poems that I have ever heard. I particularly remember the composer’s use of a mournful and highly emotive sounding cello solo which was supported by subtle strings and further enhanced by subtle piano nuances and delicate harp bringing a tear to my eye when I listened to it. ADORE has been having the same effect upon me, Gordon has on this occasion written the main score and there is additional music courtesy of Anthony Partos, whether this was a collaboration in the true sense I am not sure, but nevertheless the music of both composers which is included on the soundtrack release certainly works. Gordon being credited with the lion’s share of the cues. The composing duo have created a soundtrack that is filled with beautiful and tantalizing pieces performed on piano which is enhanced and supported by understated but affective harp, a sprinkling of guitar, strings and plaintive sounding woodwind, delightful pizzicato strings embellish and punctuate proceedings throughout the work and seem to lift it slightly in places adding a sense of jollity and pace at times. The work has a real emotional soul to it and I am confident that Gordon and Partos will receive recognition from various quarters for their painstakingly constructed score that is haunting and mesmerising. As I have already stated the principal instrument is piano which acts as the foundation or platform for the remainder of the score to be built upon, the composer’s structuring their work around the piano and enhancing and embellishing its performance, and giving it greater emotional and dramatic depth via varying instrumentation. Gordon of course scored MASTER AND COMMANDER plus he worked on DAYBREAKERS and MOBY DICK plus he provided a suitably atmospheric and chilling soundtrack for SALEMS LOT. Within his score for ADORE we can hear certain nuances and phrases that have been present in the composers past works for the cinema and TV, Gordon has provided ADORE with a soundtrack that will become a firm favourite with film music collectors who favour the romantic and emotional, it is a highly moving and haunting score which should be in every film music fans collection. To attempt to select a stand out track on this release would I think be almost impossible, but like with other scores one does seem to be drawn to certain tracks.

 

Track number 16, Mothers is for me that track, piano and pizzicato strings work in unison to create a fly away sounding piece that is further supported by romantic and carefree sounding strings with little punctuation marks being created by a celestial and warm sounding harp. The quality of the music is consistently excellent all the way through and I for one did not find myself reaching for the forward button, in fact the only time I approached the player was to return the CD to the start and listen to it all over again.  Highly  recommended.

BACZYNSKI.

My first encounter with Polish composer Bartosz Chajdecki was a few years back when I was fortunate enough to hear his epic and majestic score for The Polish TV series DAYS OF HONOUR, this powerful soundtrack  displayed the musical prowess of this Maestro and also demonstrated his originality and versatility as a composer and orchestrator. BACZYNSKI is a recent project for Chajdecki, and again the composer has come to the fore and pulled out all of the musical stops to create a work that is proud, emotional and invigorating to listen too. The film is a biography of the Polish poet, freedom fighter and patriot who fought in the Polish underground and resistance movement against Germans and Russian occupiers. After the Warsaw uprising broke out he joined the Parasol battalion but was killed in action on August 4^th 1944 in the Warsaw old town by a bullet from a German sniper. In 1947 he was posthumously awarded the Armia Krajowa Cross.

English: Warsaw Uprising’44 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The music that Chajdecki has written is wonderfully emotive and also contains a real sense of patriotism that is underlined with powerful and striving musical passages and punctuated with gentle and haunting nuances that linger long within the subconscious of the listener. Performed by strings, percussive elements and synthetic support with an array of flawlessly executed solo performances, ie: delicate yet fervent viola/violin, heartbreaking cello, energetic almost concerto like piano performances (courtesy of Marek Sziezer) and dramatic and darkly luxurious interludes that although are slightly threatening in their persona still manage to remain melodious and haunting.  This is a score that I for one will be returning to many times. It is filled to overflowing with attention grabbing melodic interludes and warm and rich sounding compositions that in the main have a grand and classical sound to them, but there is also a passion present within the work that filters through in places and this atmosphere seems to envelope the listener surrounding them and commanding their attention. The composer also utilizes solo female voice on occasion within the score and this adds another dimension to the work, conjuring up an atmosphere that is ethereal and emotive and evoking a sound that is not dissimilar to that achieved by Murray Gold in his scores for the Dr WHO TV series and also has certain affiliations to the work and sound  of Ennio Morricone.  I cannot recommend this soundtrack highly enough, and I employ you to buy it, for your own sake, because if you miss out on hearing this you will be the poorer person.