Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman
" A magical, soaring score that will hold your heart captive and not let go "Written by William Bard - Review of the regular release
The score to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium threw me for a loop. A big loop. What I thought was going to be a mediocre listen turned out to be a charming, emotionally moving, vast, mysterious, and comical score. Composed as a collaboration between Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman, this score isn't one you'll want to miss.
Though it has a comical, Monsters, Inc.-like opening in "Main Title", the soundtrack presents an incredible flurry of motifs, incredibly emotional, and tugging at the heartstrings from all angles. The duo did an excellent job holding a sense of unity and consistency throughout the work.
Regardless of how many styles of writing you'll hear in this score, the duo manages to tie it all together with unmistakable motifs. One tends to stand out to me the most. The gorgeous, sweeping melody often heard on strings, piano, or trumpet like for instance in "Mahoney's Debut", "The Flight of Magorium", "Dancing" and "Finale". It is quite a beautiful motif, and is used extremely well in regards to orchestration and arrangement. Such a theme is not to be easily forgotten, at least not by me.
Less memorable (but still good) tracks make up the majority of the score, serving as small vignette-like pieces rather than large, flowing suites. This may be viewed as either a good or bad thing. On the good side, it means your favorite music is more narrowed-down and you don’t have to go searching through eight to ten minutes of music just to find it. But on the bad, it does not allow for many instances of real thematic buildup. It is up for the listener to decide if this is overall a good or bad choice on the part of the album producers, though in my opinion it is not too much of a problem.
Overall, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is an excellent buy, a wonderful addition to a score fan's library, and one that you will return to time and time again. Do not believe your first impressions, or you will be deceived. This is a children's film, but an adults' score. This is pure, unadulterated, raw emotional intensity that is not to be found in too many of today's scores. And aside from that, it's a heck of a lot of fun. Highly recommended.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title (2.44)
2. Mahoney's Debut (2.39)
3. Good Morning (1.24)
4. Night Time (0.47)
5. Kermit (1.38)
6. Dodge Ball (1.53)
7. Bellini (0.59)
8. Temper Tantrum, Pt. 1 (2.30)
9. The Wall's Breath (0.41)
10. The Flight of Magorium (4.45)
11. Toy Store Jam (1.04)
12. Temper Tantrum, Pt. 2 (1.17)
13. Block of Wood (1.52)
14. The Funeral (2.41)
15. Great Wisdom (1.21)
16. Sparkle (2.01)
17. Triscadecaphobia (1.19)
18. Magorium's Apartment (1.01)
19. Dancing (1.33)
20. Your Friend (1.47)
21. Last Pair (1.15)
22. Just Trying to Help (1.01)
23. Eric Builds Loncoln (1.13)
24. Eric and Mutant (1.57)
25. A Substantial Offer (1.32)
26. The Euphonium (0.42)
27. The Stare (0.36)
28. I'm Stuck (1.13)
29. You're Hired (1.31)
30. Tomottow (1.52)
31. You Have to Live (0.41)
32. A New Chapter (1.30)
33. I'm Leaving (0.40)
34. Delusional (0.37)
35. Magic Magnet (1.34)
36. Finale (2.40)
37. Love the World You Find: The Flaming Lips (2.32)
Total Length: 59.18
Though it has a comical, Monsters, Inc.-like opening in "Main Title", the soundtrack presents an incredible flurry of motifs, incredibly emotional, and tugging at the heartstrings from all angles. The duo did an excellent job holding a sense of unity and consistency throughout the work.
Regardless of how many styles of writing you'll hear in this score, the duo manages to tie it all together with unmistakable motifs. One tends to stand out to me the most. The gorgeous, sweeping melody often heard on strings, piano, or trumpet like for instance in "Mahoney's Debut", "The Flight of Magorium", "Dancing" and "Finale". It is quite a beautiful motif, and is used extremely well in regards to orchestration and arrangement. Such a theme is not to be easily forgotten, at least not by me.
Less memorable (but still good) tracks make up the majority of the score, serving as small vignette-like pieces rather than large, flowing suites. This may be viewed as either a good or bad thing. On the good side, it means your favorite music is more narrowed-down and you don’t have to go searching through eight to ten minutes of music just to find it. But on the bad, it does not allow for many instances of real thematic buildup. It is up for the listener to decide if this is overall a good or bad choice on the part of the album producers, though in my opinion it is not too much of a problem.
Overall, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is an excellent buy, a wonderful addition to a score fan's library, and one that you will return to time and time again. Do not believe your first impressions, or you will be deceived. This is a children's film, but an adults' score. This is pure, unadulterated, raw emotional intensity that is not to be found in too many of today's scores. And aside from that, it's a heck of a lot of fun. Highly recommended.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title (2.44)
2. Mahoney's Debut (2.39)
3. Good Morning (1.24)
4. Night Time (0.47)
5. Kermit (1.38)
6. Dodge Ball (1.53)
7. Bellini (0.59)
8. Temper Tantrum, Pt. 1 (2.30)
9. The Wall's Breath (0.41)
10. The Flight of Magorium (4.45)
11. Toy Store Jam (1.04)
12. Temper Tantrum, Pt. 2 (1.17)
13. Block of Wood (1.52)
14. The Funeral (2.41)
15. Great Wisdom (1.21)
16. Sparkle (2.01)
17. Triscadecaphobia (1.19)
18. Magorium's Apartment (1.01)
19. Dancing (1.33)
20. Your Friend (1.47)
21. Last Pair (1.15)
22. Just Trying to Help (1.01)
23. Eric Builds Loncoln (1.13)
24. Eric and Mutant (1.57)
25. A Substantial Offer (1.32)
26. The Euphonium (0.42)
27. The Stare (0.36)
28. I'm Stuck (1.13)
29. You're Hired (1.31)
30. Tomottow (1.52)
31. You Have to Live (0.41)
32. A New Chapter (1.30)
33. I'm Leaving (0.40)
34. Delusional (0.37)
35. Magic Magnet (1.34)
36. Finale (2.40)
37. Love the World You Find: The Flaming Lips (2.32)
Total Length: 59.18