NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR

DOMINIC MULDOWNEY

Rating:

Original Review: The thought police. Big brother is watching you. Who, if anyone, can claim to be unaware of the legacy left by George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which he outlined his terrifying vision of a totalitarian, oppressive future in the land of Oceania. Director Michael Radford, who would later go on to helm the recent Oscar winner Il Postino, adhered faithfully to the guidelines set out by Orwell during filming, using the precise locations and dates set out in the text, assembling a stellar cast including Richard Burton, John Hurt and Cyril Cusack to breathe life into the classic prose.

Upon its release, Nineteen Eighty-Four was a critical and commercial smash hit, but one of the most debated elements of the film surrounded the eventual removal of the original score in favour of pop songs by the British rock group, the Eurythmics. Since the release of Nineteen Eighty-Four, Dominic Muldowney has become one of the most influential composers in English theatre, but has limited his screen work to a few feature films and episodes of the TV series Sharpe. Nineteen Eighty-Four remains his most celebrated cinematic work to date, but until now has been unavailable on CD. This release from the Airstrip One company and producer Christopher Landry marks the first time the complete score has ever been heard on CD.

Muldowney's score is a combination of styles, each depicting a specific element of the film's narrative structure in a kind of leitmotif fashion. The music for the propaganda-boosted nation of Oceania is big, bold and flag-waving, with massive choral sections and immense brass fanfares leading the cheers for Big Brother. The opening 'Aria', despite being just over a minute in length, is as beautiful a piece of music as anyone could ever wish to hear. The soprano vocals, by Sally Mates, rise to beautiful crescendos, and would not sound out of place in any classical opera. Similarly, 'This Is Our Land' and the 'Main Title' could quite happily become any country's national anthem, with their martial snare drums and patriotic melodies. Later, cues such as 'Thoughtcrime', 'Victory March for the Returning Heroes of the Malabar Front', 'Paddington Station', 'Party Rally', 'Victory Square' and 'The Inner Party Speaker' continue the musical trend.

Conversely, the life of John Hurt's character, Winston Smith, is scored with soft, almost dreamlike orchestral passages with embellishments from subtle electronics and muted instrumental solos in cues such as 'Winston's Diary', 'Dead Insects and Cheap Perfume' and 'Winston and Julia'. The more homely, Irish-flavoured music in cues such as 'A Room Upstairs at Charrington's', 'Leaving the Proletarian Zone' and 'The Washerwoman's Song' tries to encapsulate the idyllic lives enjoyed by the people who do not subscribe to Oceania's oppressive regime, and is typified by passages for fiddles, pennywhistles, melodians and Cynthia Millar's surreal ondes martenot.

Surprising as it may sound, though, I find Nineteen Eighty-Four to be a somewhat peculiar listening experience. I wouldn't exactly call it boring, because the music is undoubtedly good and well-composed and easy to absorb. It's just that, while you're listening to it, it never truly comes alive. It wanders from style to style, occasionally including a hilariously overblown song with lyrics by Mars Attacks! scriptwriter Jonathan Gems, without ever really leaving an impression. Certainly, there are moments of real beauty, moments where you can appreciate the cleverness and thought Muldowney imbued into the process of creating the score, and moments where the big, brash marches make you sit up in your seat. Ultimately, though, I cannot bring myself to really recommend Nineteen Eighty-Four, simply because it's so... well... nondescript. I almost dare not say it, but I can almost understand the thinking behind the eventual decision to replace Muldowney's score with the music of the Eurythmics. Technical musical excellence notwithstanding, at least Annie and Dave had a bit of oomph to them.

Track Listing: Running Time: 54 minutes 31 seconds

Airstrip One AOD-1984 (1999)

Music composed and conducted by Dominic Muldowney. Performed by The Endymion Ensemble and The London Voices. Choir Director Terry Edwards. Lyrics by Jonathan Gems and George Orwell. Featured musical soloists Richard Deakin, James Salmon, John Harle, Christine Fendrill, Andy Findon, John Kirkpatrick, David Roach, Cynthia Millar, Dominic Muldowney and Ian Cross. Special vocal performances by Sally Mates, Linda Hirst and Mary Carewe. Recorded and mixed by Dick Lewzey and John Richards. Mastered by Alan Howarth. Album produced by Dominic Muldowney and Christopher Landy.

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