LE GRAND PARDON.

http://www.musicbox-records.com/en/cd-catalog/13-le-grand-pardon.html

LA GRAND PARDON is a hard hitting gangster movie which took its lead from THE GODFATHER, but unfortunately was not as successful as the Marlon Brando Mafia classic. Director Arcady  taking leave from his tales of North Africa and swapping the warmth of the African sun for the  reality and somewhat shady world of the Bettoun clan who are a Jewish Mafia-like family that are running a prostitution ring, selling “protection,” and operating casinos and they do this without much interference from the authorities and live at peace with their Arab counterparts, that is until a young gangster played by Bernard Giraudeau decides to  cause trouble between the two ethnic factions and set them against each other. Jewish cultural and religious events are celebrated by the Jewish gangsters, who promote family traditions, which is in stark contrast to the Police inspector who makes it his mission in life to destroy them all.  Composer Serge Franklin provided the film with an infectious soundtrack, and incorporated into the score a couple of entertaining and upbeat pop orientated songs that have a definite 1970,s vibe about them, plus it also contains its fair share of upbeat pop driven instrumentals that again are very much in the same vein as the vocals, and there are some nice jazz led interludes that are most welcome.  It is however the composers haunting and enticing central theme that is the foundation of the soundtrack and one that re-occurs throughout the work in various guises to establish a musical consistency. The composer also introduces a scattering of more emotive sounding compositions that are touching and delicate in their make up and performance. Franklins score is in fact made up from three principal themes, the first of which is the central theme which has to it a warmth and simplicity, the composer utilizing solo guitar and also combining this with an accordion type instrument (The Bandoneon) and underlining these with melodic and rich sounding strings.

The second major theme is a more strident and powerful piece, which has at its heart a percussive drive that is a background to forceful sounding strings. The third and most emotive central thematic signature is the love theme, performed in the main by soft and luxurious strings, which receive support and embellishment from subdued Bandoneon and or solo piano and guitar performances.  Franklin for me personally evokes memories of the music of Francois De Roubaiux within LE GRAND PARDON, it is a soundtrack that is filled with entertaining and original sounding compositions at one point the composer briefly turning to the SHOPHAR-the Jewish Rams horn to add effect and atmosphere. Music Box records should be congratulated for bringing us this re-issue that boasts over 30 minutes of extra music that was not featured on the original release.

 

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LE GRAND CARNAVAL/Le Coup de Sirocco.

Recently Premier French soundtrack label Music Box records have released a number of Franklin soundtracks these include, LE GRAND PARDON, LE GRAND CARNAVAL, HOLD UP, DERNIER ETE A TANGER and LA COUP DE SIROCCO. All of which contain the unmistakable style and musical fingerprint of Franklin, but at the same time all posses’ musical voices and identities of their own that became important and individual to each respective movie, supporting, enhancing and integrating with the storylines and characters and effectively add greater atmosphere and depth to each of the movies. Le Coup de Sirocco/ The Siroccan Wind  (1979),was directed by Alexandre Arcady and it was the first in a series of movies that the film maker shot about his life in Africa, and looked at life through his eyes as a pied-noir or black feet, which was the name attached to Algerians who had European roots. The soundtrack that Franklin provided the director has some jazz orientation  but is also coloured by the styles and sounds of the Mediterranean, with  a definite leaning towards the more classic and rustic Italian sound of Nino Rota which is fused with more upbeat and boisterous musical flavours which are inspired by composers such as Armando Trovaioli and Piero Umiliani, the composer at times providing up-tempo beats and shakes as in track number 23, HEY BABY FOOT, which could be from the soundtrack to any number of Italian movies from the 1960,s or indeed from any hip coffee bars juke box from that period. Saxophone, sultry strings, brushed percussion and cool almost smoky sounding piano come together in track number 24, SEXY SAX BLUES, to create a laid back and highly steamy sound.

The central or main theme itself is more like a traditional Italian melody, quirky woodwinds are carried along by an even more jolly or robust sounding piano. Franklin adding strings and solo trumpet to the equation and utilizing mandolin to great effect as in track number,25, LE COUP DI SIRROCO. The score is represented by just five cues but each and every track is entertaining this edition containing a cue that has not been released previously in the form of track 21, NARBONI and FILS which is essentially a variation or a fuller rendition of the scores central theme. Track 22, VILLE d’ALGER, is a more emotive sounding cue, Franklin weaving a melodic and haunting tone poem together performed by plaintive woodwinds which are subdued and light in their sound, strings also make an appearance acting at first as a background to the woods, but then rise above them to momentarily create a near luxurious sound, which although short lived is affecting. This short score is coupled with (1982), again set in Africa, Director Arcady opens his story during the 1942 allied troop landing in Algieria. For this assignment Franklin utilized a strong and romantic sounding central theme, that was performed by lush sounding strings that gave it an expansive and full sound, but to this he added a solo guitar which added an intimate and fragile sound to the proceedings, the composer also utilized a martial sound which he relayed via choir, timpani and piccolo, the score also contained a number of references to the music of the era, and included a handful of tracks in the style of the big band sound of Glenn Miller and his like, which is demonstrated in track number 4, WELCOME TO PARADISE which although a vocal sung in French still posses that Miller or Goodman swing sound with trombones, trumpets, clarinet and percussion combining to create a sound that is nostalgic and immensely entertaining. The compose also provides us some beautifully emotive pieces within the score, as in track number 6, Douce Algérie, which opens with solo woodwind, underlined by harp and light use of strings, the woodwind melts away and segues seamlessly into a flawless and heartrending solo violin performance, which eventually is joined by subdued woodwind and punctuated by angelic sounding harp, the string section returns and gives Franklin’s tender and beautiful composition a fuller rendition, after which the woodwind returns to bring the cue to its conclusion. Track 8, VIOLENCE combines both dramatic and highly charged music with a backdrop or background of drums from a big band, the combination although maybe sounding odd is highly effective, Franklin later in the cue adding male voices to great effect. This is a delightful score, and contains a plethora of magical sounding themes which I am confident will be popular with collectors of fine movie music.

 

http://www.musicbox-records.com/en/cd-catalog/39-le-grand-carnaval-le-coup-de-sirocco.html

L’Enfant des Loups

It is somewhat sad to say that composer Serge Franklin is one of those very talented film music maestros that has for the past twenty odd years been stuck in the medium of composing for television, sad because we all know just how much of a competent and original composer he is, and his style which is grand yet emotive is probably better suited to the big screen. L’ENFANT DES LOUPS is a very good example of just how talented Franklin is. The composer has created a score that works wonderfully with the movie, but it also has the presence and quality to work as a collection of themes that function away from the images, and therefore stands on its own as an incredibly powerful listening experience.
The film or mini series made for television is set at the end of the 6th century and tells the story of Vanda a small child who is found living amongst the wolves, the girl is rescued from the animals and taken to Queen Radegonde who is living in a monastery. The Queen takes the child in and becomes her Godmother. Vanda stays with the Queen until she has grown into a young woman, but after a long period of famine and also plague, which are followed by a hard and bitter winter the wolves who have become desperate for food move into the inhabited areas of the countryside, the situation becomes desperate and the people turn to Vanda to help them. The series which was aired in three episodes had a total running time of 4 hours and 30 minutes, and Franklin’s incredible near operatic sounding score was a key factor in the films success. From the opening bars of the work, one just knows instinctively that this is a score of originality, stature and worth. The composer utilizes to great effect the wind, percussion and also the string sections of the orchestra, and although the music is for the most part simple, it is utterly entrancing. The second track on the compact disc KYRIE begins with a haunting tone poem performed on woodwind and supported by underlying strings, the mood of the cue changes dramatically as Franklin introduces chanting voices, which are in many ways comparable to the chorale sections on Poledouris’s CONAN THE BARBARIAN, Barry’s THE LION IN WINTER, Goldsmith’s THE OMEN or Morricone’s RED SONJA The remainder of the score is equally as stunning and powerful, and includes exciting and highly charged choral renditions, soaring and romantically laced themes and tense and urgent sounding edge of the seat compositions. Packaged and presented very well by Lympia records, with a 16 page booklet, that is generously decorated with colourful illustrations and stills from the film. Franklins remarkable score is described in the sleeve notes as “AN OPERA OF SOUND AND FURY”, a description that I certainly would agree with 100%, seek this score out before it is too late.

Serge Franklin

Serge Franklin

Composer Serge Franklin is in my opinion one of France’s most talented and original composers. For me Franklin ranks alongside the likes of Francis Lai, Michel Legrand, Michel Magne and François de Roubaix. His music is highly original and full of melody. But despite his obvious talent the composer remains virtually unknown outside of his native France. I contacted the composer recently asking for an interview, I was surprised and pleased when Mr. Franklin replied and agreed. I would like to thank the composer for his time and also his patience. I would also like to acknowledge everyone at Lympia Records (France) who put me in contact with Mr. Franklin.

Q: Where and when were you born, and did you come from a family that had a musical background?
I was born in a small French town called Mountlucon; this was during World War II. My family were not musical at all; I gained my musical education from the songs and music that I heard from all over the world.