Der Rote Baron
Stefan Hansen and Dirk Reichardt
" Flyboys for Remote Control fanatics "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Der Rote Baron (The Red Baron) is a feature film about the legendary fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen. Similarities can be made with Flyboys from Tony Bill, considering these are both fighter pilot dog fights with the same visual look. Now for the music, the German production went for the expected German musical touch. Stefan Hansen and Dirk Reichardt have scored movies before. But we can address this as perhaps their biggest blockbuster yet. Interestingly, both have worked together on all the movies they composed and Der Rote Baron surely feels they have given it the right touch.
I must confess immediately that this is a Remote Control score all the way through. The theme, the sound, the feel, the moves. This is like hearing clones from Hans Zimmer at work, with the only difference they aren't his clones. But the theme oh the theme is just oh so good.
It gets a simply spine tingling performance in "The Child". Think of Trevor Rabin performing a James Newton Howard move in National Treasure 2. It is soft, elegant yet oh so lovely. Of course it is a theme that's easy on the ears, but if it works why make it harder? This theme gets already a heroic theme performance in "Friend and Enemy". Yet here the cello and the Remote Control sound take it even higher.
It is also easy to mention that the best moments are the first tracks. The menacing opening of "Airbattle 1" surely holds resemblances to Rabin's Flyboys. But that is soon over when even a stronger main theme version takes it to a heroic encore. It is simple but catchy, heroic and exciting. It is the stuff some RC composers became beloved for.
The cello in "Losing Voss" over a percussion tapestry, the marching main theme in "Troops in Berlin", the sprightly nature of "Family Theme", the reprisal of the opening track in "Stairs" without the main theme, the main theme variation in "Berlin", the percussion in "Arras Station". It all works and listens interesting enough.
In "Airbattle 2" the main theme now performs the energy more than the pride. It all listens more serious now. That doesn't take away the main theme continues to shine through in the beginning. The second part feels way more on edge.
In 'Welcome Back" an over familiar tune pops up and they put it in a Last of the Mohicans sounding design. Altogether it is catchy if I could remember what tune it exactly is.
In "Coming Close" a guitar solo surely surprises us, in "You're my Greatest Victory" the surprising quality comes from the soft solo vocal over the cello and growing strings. The emotional cello in "Surrender" and the lovely main theme variation on emotional cello in "Operation Why" are surely lovely. The enigma like choir in "Morte Dabor", the classical "Ruines" and the soft elegance of the main theme in "The Red Baron" are worthy final tracks.
I doubt this is the film order of the movie. For that we find all the exciting stuff at the begin and all the emotional stuff at the end. If placed in order, Der Rote Baron will be far more spectacular. Now it shows you a lot of emotional stuff that at times loses a bit of its charm. But it doesn't take way Der Rote Baron is an accomplished work that will easily be adored by all those Remote Control nuts (consider myself a light light version of that). The enjoyable theme alone makes for half this album's charm. So if you like RC efforts with a great theme and a lot of cello, you'll be just fine with this album.
Tracklisting
1. Open Skies: Reamonn (4.17)
2. The Child (2.47) Excellent track
3. Friend and Enemy (1.26) Excellent track
4. Airbattle 1 (2.53) Excellent track
5. Losing Voss (2.02)
6. Troops in Berlin (1.04)
7. Family Theme (1.33)
8. Stairs (1.34)
9. Red (1.18)
10. Berlin (2.12)
11. Arras Station (1.39)
12. Airbattle 2 (3.41)
13. Sternis Death (1.52)
14. Downed (1.18)
15. Welcome Back (1.40)
16. Coming Close (1.07)
17. You're my Greatest Victory (2.06)
18. Lost in the Battlefields (1.36)
19. What U See (1.50)
20. Surrender (1.39)
21. Operation Why (3.01) Excellent track
22. Morte Dabor (2.09)
23. Ruines (1.56)
24. The Red Baron (4.07) Excellent track
25. Sacre Coeur (5.03)
26. Woran Halt Sich Die Liebe: Rosenstolz (4.53)
27. Mama: Zascha Moktan (6.08)
28. So Soll Es Sein: Gregor Meyle (3.31)
29. For All Lovers: Stanfour (3.53)
30. Leaving: H (4.01)
Total Length: 78.28
I must confess immediately that this is a Remote Control score all the way through. The theme, the sound, the feel, the moves. This is like hearing clones from Hans Zimmer at work, with the only difference they aren't his clones. But the theme oh the theme is just oh so good.
It gets a simply spine tingling performance in "The Child". Think of Trevor Rabin performing a James Newton Howard move in National Treasure 2. It is soft, elegant yet oh so lovely. Of course it is a theme that's easy on the ears, but if it works why make it harder? This theme gets already a heroic theme performance in "Friend and Enemy". Yet here the cello and the Remote Control sound take it even higher.
It is also easy to mention that the best moments are the first tracks. The menacing opening of "Airbattle 1" surely holds resemblances to Rabin's Flyboys. But that is soon over when even a stronger main theme version takes it to a heroic encore. It is simple but catchy, heroic and exciting. It is the stuff some RC composers became beloved for.
The cello in "Losing Voss" over a percussion tapestry, the marching main theme in "Troops in Berlin", the sprightly nature of "Family Theme", the reprisal of the opening track in "Stairs" without the main theme, the main theme variation in "Berlin", the percussion in "Arras Station". It all works and listens interesting enough.
In "Airbattle 2" the main theme now performs the energy more than the pride. It all listens more serious now. That doesn't take away the main theme continues to shine through in the beginning. The second part feels way more on edge.
In 'Welcome Back" an over familiar tune pops up and they put it in a Last of the Mohicans sounding design. Altogether it is catchy if I could remember what tune it exactly is.
In "Coming Close" a guitar solo surely surprises us, in "You're my Greatest Victory" the surprising quality comes from the soft solo vocal over the cello and growing strings. The emotional cello in "Surrender" and the lovely main theme variation on emotional cello in "Operation Why" are surely lovely. The enigma like choir in "Morte Dabor", the classical "Ruines" and the soft elegance of the main theme in "The Red Baron" are worthy final tracks.
I doubt this is the film order of the movie. For that we find all the exciting stuff at the begin and all the emotional stuff at the end. If placed in order, Der Rote Baron will be far more spectacular. Now it shows you a lot of emotional stuff that at times loses a bit of its charm. But it doesn't take way Der Rote Baron is an accomplished work that will easily be adored by all those Remote Control nuts (consider myself a light light version of that). The enjoyable theme alone makes for half this album's charm. So if you like RC efforts with a great theme and a lot of cello, you'll be just fine with this album.
Tracklisting
1. Open Skies: Reamonn (4.17)
2. The Child (2.47) Excellent track
3. Friend and Enemy (1.26) Excellent track
4. Airbattle 1 (2.53) Excellent track
5. Losing Voss (2.02)
6. Troops in Berlin (1.04)
7. Family Theme (1.33)
8. Stairs (1.34)
9. Red (1.18)
10. Berlin (2.12)
11. Arras Station (1.39)
12. Airbattle 2 (3.41)
13. Sternis Death (1.52)
14. Downed (1.18)
15. Welcome Back (1.40)
16. Coming Close (1.07)
17. You're my Greatest Victory (2.06)
18. Lost in the Battlefields (1.36)
19. What U See (1.50)
20. Surrender (1.39)
21. Operation Why (3.01) Excellent track
22. Morte Dabor (2.09)
23. Ruines (1.56)
24. The Red Baron (4.07) Excellent track
25. Sacre Coeur (5.03)
26. Woran Halt Sich Die Liebe: Rosenstolz (4.53)
27. Mama: Zascha Moktan (6.08)
28. So Soll Es Sein: Gregor Meyle (3.31)
29. For All Lovers: Stanfour (3.53)
30. Leaving: H (4.01)
Total Length: 78.28