Babe
Nigel Westlake
" Storytelling musical fable with outstanding main theme versions of famous classical piece "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The world was captivated beyond imagination when one little pig started to talk and began to do sheep herding. I'm of course talking about Babe, a movie containing a kind heart and a lovely personality, making it one of cinema's biggest blockbusters. It received an Oscar at the time for its lovely visual effects, while many were immediately touched by the loving performance of James Cromwell. For me, everything was on board that made it such an enchanting experience, even the beloved score by composer Nigel Westlake.
Using "If I had Words" from Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 and known for its variations on other multiple classic songs, it is simply one of the reasons why this is such a good listening experience. In fact, Nigel Westlake's powerful score did not only do wonders inside the movie, but captured your interest firmly outside of it. Sadly and a real shame is that almost each track contains a moment of dialogue. But any person that enjoyed the movie must know that these dialogues are the key phrases of the movie. And even if they are found during the tracks, they somewhat succeed as a part of the score's magical selling point.
The orchestral and immense powerful version of "If I Had Words" starts this score in "This is a Tale ...". We continue with one of the movie's most hilarious scenes, namely when Babe and Ferdinand the Duck sneak into the house to steal the alarm clock, this is supported through pizzicato strings (of course perfectly entitled as "Anorexic Duck Pizzicato"). "Pork is a Nice Sweet Meat / Away in a Manger" is one of the only times that the score receives a darker tone. It supports then also a disturbing moment on the farm.
"Round Up" is the fanfare of the two sheep dogs performing their natural job and it really is an impressive piece. "Babe's Round Up" by then is somewhat more magical and heroic, this when Babe shows how it supposed to be done. Yet Westlake knows how to nail a sound as well. "The Cat" perfectly reprises everything that defines the character, so the jealous cat gets a nice villain theme, pinpointing out its evil thoughts. Furthermore we get a nice Irish / Scottish sounding version of "If I had Words" when Hoggett shows Babe a lesson or two in dancing, once more very simply entitled "If I Had Words". And the last exploding version of Saint-Saens' well known piece is found at the end in "That'll Do Pig, That'll Do".
In the end, Baby is nothing but magical fun. It's such a storytelling fable where all the emotions (positive and negative) are scattered throughout the music's heart and soul. Nigel Westlake perhaps used a very unoriginal approach for the movie's main theme, it nonetheless works terrific. As said before, Babe has enough dialogue that is scattered throughout the score. But sometimes these narrations can truly enlighten the scope of the soundtrack with a magical quality. It will especially please those that saw the movie several times, giving you a pleasant flashback to the movie in the end. Babe is a pure artistic pleasure. Fully orchestral, it presents emotion and above all a fine storytelling experience. And as you know, storytelling (even if we speak musically) is all about injecting emotions into the human heart. Nigel Westlake achieves this with great flair.
Tracklisting
1. This is a Tale ... * (1.47) Excellent track
2. Fairground * (2.06)
3. I Want my Mum (0.51)
4. The Way Things Are (1.57)
5. Crime and Punishment (1.28)
6. Anorexic Duck Pizzicato ** (0.53)
7. Repercussions (1.40)
8. Mother & Son (2.06)
9. Pork is a Nice Sweet Meat / Away in a Manger (2.52)
10. Christmas Morning (1.41)
11. Round Up *** (2.00)
12. Babe's Round Up * (1.38) Excellent track
13. The Sheep Pig (1.26)
14. Dog Tragedy (1.31)
15. Hoggett Shows Babe (0.56)
16. Maa's Death (0.52)
17. The Cat (1.41)
18. If I Had Words * (1.15) Excellent track
19. The Gauntlet / Moment of Truth (1.40)
20. That'll Do Pig, That'll Do * (1.34) Excellent track
* Uses If I Had Words (Saint-Saens, Symphony No. 3)
** Variation of Pizzicati from Sylvia of Delibes
*** Variation of Lyric Piece No. 28 (Spring) of Grieg
Total Length: 32.06
Using "If I had Words" from Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 and known for its variations on other multiple classic songs, it is simply one of the reasons why this is such a good listening experience. In fact, Nigel Westlake's powerful score did not only do wonders inside the movie, but captured your interest firmly outside of it. Sadly and a real shame is that almost each track contains a moment of dialogue. But any person that enjoyed the movie must know that these dialogues are the key phrases of the movie. And even if they are found during the tracks, they somewhat succeed as a part of the score's magical selling point.
The orchestral and immense powerful version of "If I Had Words" starts this score in "This is a Tale ...". We continue with one of the movie's most hilarious scenes, namely when Babe and Ferdinand the Duck sneak into the house to steal the alarm clock, this is supported through pizzicato strings (of course perfectly entitled as "Anorexic Duck Pizzicato"). "Pork is a Nice Sweet Meat / Away in a Manger" is one of the only times that the score receives a darker tone. It supports then also a disturbing moment on the farm.
"Round Up" is the fanfare of the two sheep dogs performing their natural job and it really is an impressive piece. "Babe's Round Up" by then is somewhat more magical and heroic, this when Babe shows how it supposed to be done. Yet Westlake knows how to nail a sound as well. "The Cat" perfectly reprises everything that defines the character, so the jealous cat gets a nice villain theme, pinpointing out its evil thoughts. Furthermore we get a nice Irish / Scottish sounding version of "If I had Words" when Hoggett shows Babe a lesson or two in dancing, once more very simply entitled "If I Had Words". And the last exploding version of Saint-Saens' well known piece is found at the end in "That'll Do Pig, That'll Do".
In the end, Baby is nothing but magical fun. It's such a storytelling fable where all the emotions (positive and negative) are scattered throughout the music's heart and soul. Nigel Westlake perhaps used a very unoriginal approach for the movie's main theme, it nonetheless works terrific. As said before, Babe has enough dialogue that is scattered throughout the score. But sometimes these narrations can truly enlighten the scope of the soundtrack with a magical quality. It will especially please those that saw the movie several times, giving you a pleasant flashback to the movie in the end. Babe is a pure artistic pleasure. Fully orchestral, it presents emotion and above all a fine storytelling experience. And as you know, storytelling (even if we speak musically) is all about injecting emotions into the human heart. Nigel Westlake achieves this with great flair.
Tracklisting
1. This is a Tale ... * (1.47) Excellent track
2. Fairground * (2.06)
3. I Want my Mum (0.51)
4. The Way Things Are (1.57)
5. Crime and Punishment (1.28)
6. Anorexic Duck Pizzicato ** (0.53)
7. Repercussions (1.40)
8. Mother & Son (2.06)
9. Pork is a Nice Sweet Meat / Away in a Manger (2.52)
10. Christmas Morning (1.41)
11. Round Up *** (2.00)
12. Babe's Round Up * (1.38) Excellent track
13. The Sheep Pig (1.26)
14. Dog Tragedy (1.31)
15. Hoggett Shows Babe (0.56)
16. Maa's Death (0.52)
17. The Cat (1.41)
18. If I Had Words * (1.15) Excellent track
19. The Gauntlet / Moment of Truth (1.40)
20. That'll Do Pig, That'll Do * (1.34) Excellent track
* Uses If I Had Words (Saint-Saens, Symphony No. 3)
** Variation of Pizzicati from Sylvia of Delibes
*** Variation of Lyric Piece No. 28 (Spring) of Grieg
Total Length: 32.06