Little Women
Thomas Newman
" Little Women, Big Theme "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Little Women is a 1994 American drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong. The screenplay by Robin Swicord is based on the Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name. It is the fifth feature film adaptation of the Alcott classic, following silent versions released in 1917 and 1918, a 1933 George Cukor-directed release, and a 1949 adaptation by Mervyn LeRoy. Starring young actresses Winona Ryder, Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis, young actor Christian Bale and veteran names as Susan Sarandon, Gabriel Byrne and Eric Stoltz, it was highly received by critics and at the box office. For the music, Thomas Newman received his second Oscar nomination.
Listening to Little Women is easy, because it is beautiful and divvying Thomas Newman-esque music. Listening to the main title in "Orchard House (Main Title)" and "Under the Umbrella (End Title)" is like tasting beauty on the tip of your tongue. It tastes divvying and you want more of it. It returns a couple of times more, in a fanfare version in "New York" and "Lovelornity", in a variation during "Letter from Jo", softly in "Little Women" and heartbreaking through piano and solo vocal during "Valley of the Shadow" (a most stunning moment for sure).
However the most reoccurring theme is another playful frivolity of Thomas Newman's mind, a dancing delight that sees all kinds of variations and instrumentation during the many many short cues. Take your pick to listen to one version, because it is literally everywhere, in "Spring", "A Telegram", "Two Couples", "Harvest Time", "Amy Abroad" and "Learning to Forget". It's one of those lovely tunes that deserves a longer development than it has received here. The same for the astounding fanfare in "Snowplay", it deserves a longer time than a merely 15 seconds.
And by that you come to perhaps this' album's single problem. It's length or better said it's absent development. The 2 main theme versions that open and close the score are given ample time to wow us, to deliver their quality and to silence us for its duration. The rest is not given that chance. The few brief tracks that make it to 2 minutes are lovely all the same, but I'm sure many people will agree that 26 tracks in a 36 minute duration is not the right way to spell out thematic development. Little Women of Thomas Newman may be utterly beautiful, it is not given the ample time to spread out its wings.
Tracklisting
1. Orchard House (Main Title) (3.29) Excellent track
2. Meg's Hair (0.45)
3. Snowplay (0.48)
4. Scarlet Fever (1.10)
5. Ashes (0.43)
6. Spring (0.57)
7. La Fayette's Welcome: Francis Johnson (1.01)
8. A Telegram (0.45)
9. Two Couples (1.32)
10. Bundens (1.57)
11. New York (2.15)
12. Harvest Time (1.25)
13. Maria Redowa: Gaetano Donizetti (1.22)
14. Letter from Jo (1.17)
15. Amy Abroad (1.04)
16. Limes (0.35)
17. Beth's Secret (2.08)
18. For the Beauty of the Earth * (0.26)
19. Little Women (1.19)
20. Learning to Forget (2.20)
21. Valley of the Shadow (2.09) Excellent track
22. Port Royal Gallop: Claudio Grafulla (00:55)
23. Domestic Experiences (0.51)
24. The Laurence Boy (0.37)
25. Lovelornity (1.21)
26. Under the Umbrella (End Title) (3.41) Excellent track
* Music by Conrad Kocher, Vocals by Trini Alvarado, Kirsten Dunst And Claire Danes
Total Length: 36.52
Listening to Little Women is easy, because it is beautiful and divvying Thomas Newman-esque music. Listening to the main title in "Orchard House (Main Title)" and "Under the Umbrella (End Title)" is like tasting beauty on the tip of your tongue. It tastes divvying and you want more of it. It returns a couple of times more, in a fanfare version in "New York" and "Lovelornity", in a variation during "Letter from Jo", softly in "Little Women" and heartbreaking through piano and solo vocal during "Valley of the Shadow" (a most stunning moment for sure).
However the most reoccurring theme is another playful frivolity of Thomas Newman's mind, a dancing delight that sees all kinds of variations and instrumentation during the many many short cues. Take your pick to listen to one version, because it is literally everywhere, in "Spring", "A Telegram", "Two Couples", "Harvest Time", "Amy Abroad" and "Learning to Forget". It's one of those lovely tunes that deserves a longer development than it has received here. The same for the astounding fanfare in "Snowplay", it deserves a longer time than a merely 15 seconds.
And by that you come to perhaps this' album's single problem. It's length or better said it's absent development. The 2 main theme versions that open and close the score are given ample time to wow us, to deliver their quality and to silence us for its duration. The rest is not given that chance. The few brief tracks that make it to 2 minutes are lovely all the same, but I'm sure many people will agree that 26 tracks in a 36 minute duration is not the right way to spell out thematic development. Little Women of Thomas Newman may be utterly beautiful, it is not given the ample time to spread out its wings.
Tracklisting
1. Orchard House (Main Title) (3.29) Excellent track
2. Meg's Hair (0.45)
3. Snowplay (0.48)
4. Scarlet Fever (1.10)
5. Ashes (0.43)
6. Spring (0.57)
7. La Fayette's Welcome: Francis Johnson (1.01)
8. A Telegram (0.45)
9. Two Couples (1.32)
10. Bundens (1.57)
11. New York (2.15)
12. Harvest Time (1.25)
13. Maria Redowa: Gaetano Donizetti (1.22)
14. Letter from Jo (1.17)
15. Amy Abroad (1.04)
16. Limes (0.35)
17. Beth's Secret (2.08)
18. For the Beauty of the Earth * (0.26)
19. Little Women (1.19)
20. Learning to Forget (2.20)
21. Valley of the Shadow (2.09) Excellent track
22. Port Royal Gallop: Claudio Grafulla (00:55)
23. Domestic Experiences (0.51)
24. The Laurence Boy (0.37)
25. Lovelornity (1.21)
26. Under the Umbrella (End Title) (3.41) Excellent track
* Music by Conrad Kocher, Vocals by Trini Alvarado, Kirsten Dunst And Claire Danes
Total Length: 36.52