Hélène Blazy-MUSIC FOR FILM VOLUME ONE.

Composer HÉLÈNE BLAZY is a new name for me, but it should not as I see she has been scoring movies since the 1990’s, and is also married to Maestro Jean Clade Petit, so after listening to her film music collection, MUSIC FOR FILM volume one, I hope to discover more of her music for cinema. She is a violinist and has turned to music composition for film and for concert hall performance.

As I was not aware of her music I listened with interest to this compilation and I was pleasantly surprised, it contains selections from four of her scores, each score being different and every cue being varied and fresh, there are some beautiful melodies within this collection, compositions that are heartrending and highly emotive, and dare I say have to them a romantic and melancholy sound that at times evokes Morricone and contain a richness and poignancy that nowadays is so rare. The use of solo violin is so affecting, its lilting and soulful performance being wonderfully emotive and certainly haunting. Then we are treated to more upbeat and contemporary sounding pieces, I was immediately struck at the maturity of the music, its style, construction, and overall sound could easily be the work of a more seasoned composer. This is lush, lavish at times, but also delicate fragile and above all else wonderfully thematic.

The album opens with the soundtrack for UN COUPABLE IDEAL, (MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING 2012) This a dark and ominous sounding work and again right from the start it sparked a recognition of the music or style of Ennio Morricone, low and shadowy strings that are strident and prominent introduce us to the work, which is not a grand affair, but is scored intelligently and with sensitivity, the composer employing piano which is underlined via electric guitar punctuation, bass and short string stabs which although are not urgent soon conjure up a tense atmosphere. I do love this soundtrack, because it is in no way over the top, in fact it is subdued, but remains powerful and effective. Her score for me also evokes shades of Georges Delerue, this is highly passionate music, music that will stir the emotions and get to the heart and soul of any listener. The composers light and delicate touch fashioning adagios and subtle nuances, that are compelling and lyrical.

The compilation also contains selections from PARIS SELON MOUSSA, a comedy that was released in 2003, again a beautiful score, which oozes emotion, thematic, and vibrant, attractive and memorable, this is a collection of cues that I returned to a few times, there is a certain quirkiness to some of the cues, but this is probably why I was so entertained by it, it also boasts a rhythmic and alluring musical persona, and has some nice solo piano performances, it also remains fresh and inventive throughout, yes its my favourite as you may have guessed.

Not that this makes any of the other scores any less enjoyable, they are all extremely good and of a high quality. This is one of those compilations that you will start to play and become so engrossed with that you will not move, instead you will listen to it from beginning to end, and then think to yourself I am going to listen to that again.

QUI A TUE CECILE BLOCH? is another movie represented on the collection, this score although melodic and filled with thematic material is slightly more edgy than the previous scores, solo cello is utilised alongside a small string section, piano, and violin performances, it’s a score that one has to listen to carefully to appreciate fully its brilliance and its innovative elements. Superbly written, and orchestrated, it flows and lingers long in one’s sub conscious, and as I have stated although it has emotive and affecting nuances, it is underlyingly disturbing. In a BASIC INSTINCT sort of way. Love it.

 LES MIGRATIONS DE VLADIMIR from 1999 is also represented by ten cues, again an entertaining score for this comedy thriller, a little different but it is a wonderfully fun score.  I recommend that you check out this compilation, which is available on digital platforms and streaming sites.

WONDER WOMAN 1984.

At last, it’s here WONDER WOMAN 1984, the soundtrack, by Hans Zimmer, was it worth the wait, you know yes it was. It is a driving and commanding score in which the composer utilises everything he possibly can to enhance, support and herald the return of this superhero. It’s a score that I think is possibly one of Zimmer’s best, and I love the way he references the style of and pays tribute to Ennio Morricone especially the opening cue, THEMYSCIRA, it is certainly Morricone flavoured and Morricone influenced, with THE MISSION like choral and driving strings that also play out an affecting and suitably heroic theme, the composer building upon this adding to it and bringing it to the forefront of the piece, it’s a great heroic and patriotic sounding composition. The same can be said for the remainder of the score, it is vibrant and filled with energy, again Zimmer employs choir and again I was reminded of Morricone in the cue GAMES. It is unlike me to say that a Zimmer score is interesting or in places inventive but this one is, the percussive elements launch the rich thematic material headlong and fast propel it forward, this is an awesome score, a wonderful soundtrack and one that will I am sure become a firm favourite with soundtrack collectors. It has the darkness of his DARK KNIGHT scores and the celestial or more reverent sounds of THE DA VINCI CODE and has at its heart the melancholy and the stirring anthem like style of BACK DRAFT.

A stormer of a soundtrack a triumph of a score, and one that must be listened to over and over because there is so much within it that at times its hard to take in that this is all from one movie. Every track every musical morsel is something that you will latch onto and consume with delight. I recommend this to you without any reservation. To select a highlight cue or composition would be   no is impossible, because every one of them is outstanding. Swirling strings, commanding brass and percussion it’s all here folks, just go get it, you will not be disappointed. It runs for 90 minutes with a handful of the action cues having a duration of nearly 9 to 10 minutes, this is Zimmer at his best, Zimmer as I once knew him and a Zimmer that is most welcome.