The Wings of the Dove
Edward Shearmur
" fine but uninteresting period drama "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
It's always an interesting thing once people start listening to the scores that jump-started a hot young composer's career. Once Edward Shearmur enlightened us with K-Pax, Reign of Fire, The Count of Monte Cristo & Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, people started to look around what else of Shearmur could be of interest. My eye fell upon The Wings of the Dove and The Governess, 2 dramatic tales that were released in 1997 and 1998. First off we have The Wings of the Dove, the critically acclaimed movie of Ian Softley that was nominated for 4 Oscars in 1997. In fact it was the film that got Edward Shearmur noticed.
The 49 minute release of Milan starts with "Underground", a string led opener that builds on a rhythmic pattern, creating some kind of pace for four minutes. That pace is gone in the emotional "Rendezvous". At first the melody returns on flute and solo violin, before the piano starts to bring forward a more emotional feeling. The darker "Social Contract" goes even further by unleashing a haunting moment for solo violin. That same solo violin sets sail towards a romantic blush in "Venice", briefly making it larger than life.
"Carnival Masque" changes the scenery completely after that, with a playful serenade that grows towards a brief but surprising climax at the end. And the rhythmic dance continues in "Tryst", delivering us an Irish jig in the begin before fading into a pool of slow meandering string lines. "Courtship" does it briefly better with a romantic intermingle. But with the emotional somber "Betrayed" and the long string lines in "The Wings of the Dove" we close off a score that feels and listens too long for its own good.
Which makes that there's nothing wrong with The Wings of the Dove, apart from the fact it doesn't make for a very interesting listening experience. Due to the fact it lacks a theme that sticks in the mind, and due to the fact it has basically very little variation and hardly a loud swelling moment, I feel that this score personally lacks a hook that keeps us connected the music. There's not a doubt in my mind that Edward Shearmur followed the pace of the film, but by that exposes the listener to a score that at times becomes largely forgettable. It's nicely dramatic and briefly interesting, making it a score that very few will actually listen to, once you know what it sounds like. I hate to give it this rating, but I must separate it from the rest that sound much more interesting in general.
Tracklisting
1. Underground (4.07)
2. Rendezvous (4.26)
3. Social Contract (4.17)
4. Venice (7.15)
5. Carnival Masque (4.50)
6. Tryst (6.22)
7. Courtship (5.39)
8. Betrayal (5.51)
9. The Wings of the Dove (6.09)
Total Length: 49.01
The 49 minute release of Milan starts with "Underground", a string led opener that builds on a rhythmic pattern, creating some kind of pace for four minutes. That pace is gone in the emotional "Rendezvous". At first the melody returns on flute and solo violin, before the piano starts to bring forward a more emotional feeling. The darker "Social Contract" goes even further by unleashing a haunting moment for solo violin. That same solo violin sets sail towards a romantic blush in "Venice", briefly making it larger than life.
"Carnival Masque" changes the scenery completely after that, with a playful serenade that grows towards a brief but surprising climax at the end. And the rhythmic dance continues in "Tryst", delivering us an Irish jig in the begin before fading into a pool of slow meandering string lines. "Courtship" does it briefly better with a romantic intermingle. But with the emotional somber "Betrayed" and the long string lines in "The Wings of the Dove" we close off a score that feels and listens too long for its own good.
Which makes that there's nothing wrong with The Wings of the Dove, apart from the fact it doesn't make for a very interesting listening experience. Due to the fact it lacks a theme that sticks in the mind, and due to the fact it has basically very little variation and hardly a loud swelling moment, I feel that this score personally lacks a hook that keeps us connected the music. There's not a doubt in my mind that Edward Shearmur followed the pace of the film, but by that exposes the listener to a score that at times becomes largely forgettable. It's nicely dramatic and briefly interesting, making it a score that very few will actually listen to, once you know what it sounds like. I hate to give it this rating, but I must separate it from the rest that sound much more interesting in general.
Tracklisting
1. Underground (4.07)
2. Rendezvous (4.26)
3. Social Contract (4.17)
4. Venice (7.15)
5. Carnival Masque (4.50)
6. Tryst (6.22)
7. Courtship (5.39)
8. Betrayal (5.51)
9. The Wings of the Dove (6.09)
Total Length: 49.01