1 |
Opening
(1:31) |
2 |
Philip (1:51) |
3 |
Now You Grow Dull (0:57) |
4 |
Horseriding
(1:38) |
5 |
Sin
(1:34) |
6 |
Immensities (2:41) |
| 7 |
Bess and Raleigh Dance (2:34) |
8 |
End
Puddle / Possible Suitors (2:06) |
9 |
War / Realisation (2:57) |
10 |
Destiny
Theme (2:31) |
11 |
Smile
Lines (1:15) |
12 |
Bess
to see Throckmorton (1:03) |
13 |
Dr
Dee Part 1 (3:18) |
14 |
Horseback
Address (2:26) |
15 |
Battle
(3:29) |
16 |
Love
Theme (2:51) |
17 |
Divinity
Theme (5:08) |
18 |
Storm
(3:00) |
19 |
Fly
a Kite (4:27) |
20 |
Walsingham
Death Bed (1:51) |
21 |
Closing
(2:01) |
SOUNDTRACK REVIEW:
So the 2007 sequel did not enjoy the rave reviews garnered
by the first movie. The 1998 David Hirschfelder soundtrack
was well-reviewed and was also nominated for an Oscar (but
lost to Nicola Piovani’s “Life is Beautiful”).
So by getting two composers to score the sequel, how will
this soundtrack fare against its predecessor?
Craig
Armstrong, known for his sentimental works on movies like
Love Actually (2003) and World Trade Center (2006) teams up
with acclaimed Indian composer AR Rahmen, who has scored highly-praised
Bollywood films like Water (2005) and Guru (2007) to compose
this soundtrack of, to simply put it, epic sounds. From the
moment the violin begins playing in “Opening”,
leading to a crescendo of brasses and chorals, you know that
the 48-minute album is going to be a regally enjoyable listen.
There
are both tenderly loving moments and epically grand sequences
in the album. With slow and flowing string accompaniments,
tracks like “Horseriding” and “Bess and
Raleigh Dance” evoke feelings of affection and warmth.
And listen out for “War / Realisation” and “Horseback
Address” for their intense and engaging orchestrations
of brasses and percussions with the occasional woodwind solo.
The grand
and soaring moments come during tracks like “Destiny
Theme” and “Love Theme”, where you’d
be swept away by the string ensemble. Then there are the nice
touches of the contemporary electronica in “Battle”
and the Eastern touches (courtesy of Rahmen) in “Divinity
Theme” which act as little pleasant surprises along
the way. In the three-minute “Storm”, the pulsating
effervescence of the chorals and orchestra aptly brings out
the movie’s climatic scene on the seas.
Hence,
what’s the verdict for this score? Although it won’t
blow you away with memorable themes and innovative sounds,
it’s still an epic collaborative piece of work that
deserves to be celebrated.
ALBUM
RATING:
 
Recommended Track: (18) Storm
Review
by John Li
|
