GREAT COMPOSERS

GEORGES DELERUE

Rating:

Original Review: When the great French composer Georges Delerue died, on March 20th 1992, the film music world lost one of its legends. For those who don't know, Delerue was born in 1925 in Roubaix, France, and studied under the legendary Darius Milhaud - the self-confessed "happy man" of French contemporary music, and whose influence on the tone of Delerue's work is plainly obvious. He scored his first film in 1957, worked with such legendary auteurs as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, broke into the international arena in the mid-1960s, won an Oscar in 1979, and spent much of the final ten years of his life writing sensational music for American films which didn't deserve his presence. Delerue was very badly treated by Hollywood, as the directors and producers seemingly didn't know how to employ his talents properly, and steadfastly refused to hire him for quality projects. He suffered a fatal stroke in the recording studio, just hours after finishing recording the score for Rich in Love, his final film. In many ways, this album is the closest there has been to a comprehensive overview of his musical legacy.

In 1989, producer Frank Fitzpatrick, Varése Sarabande CEO Bob Townson and Delerue travelled to Abbey Road Studios to record what would ultimately become known as the "London Sessions" albums - three CDs of music, mainly charting Delerue's North American career. The resulting albums went on to become classics, but have since slipped out of print, preventing a whole generation of younger film music fans from appreciating Delerue's incredible talent. This 2-CD set brings together 21 tracks from the London Sessions albums with newly-arranged suites from Man Trouble, Rich in Love and Black Robe, the OST's for which were released individually by Varése. The only tracks from the London Sessions albums which not included here are the "Between You and Me" cue from Her Alibi (LS1), and the suites from An Almost Perfect Affair (LS2), Salvador (LS2) and True Confessions (LS3).

I really don't know where to begin in talking about highlights on this CD, because every single one of the 24 tracks is stunning in its own way. Highlight follows highlight follows highlight - I don't think I have ever owned a compilation CD where I have so enjoyed listening to every second of the music, without question. More than anything else, this compilation brings to the fore Delerue's innate talent for writing memorable melodies - each film score he wrote, no matter what the subject, contained some kind of tangible thematic core. He could write dissonance and action music, yes, but his themes were the key.

"Lushness" is a trait found in many of the suites on this album. Delerue was a master of capturing the emotional resonance in relationships and situations. The sweeping sentiment of Rich and Famous, the beautiful lyricism of Steel Magnolias, the overwhelming nostalgia of Memories of Me, the sultry saxophones of Man Woman and Child and Crimes of the Heart, and the beguiling innocence of Man Trouble and Rich in Love all perfectly illustrate the reason why Delerue was considered by many to be one of film music's great - if not the greatest - romantics.

Delerue was also a great comedy composer. Many of his early works in France were romances and dramas tinged with a hint of urban humour, and the 12-minute "Homage á François Truffaut" features jaunty piano solos and light-hearted Gallic revelry. Similarly, A Little Romance (the score which finally won him an Oscar) and its pseudo-sequel A Little Sex are amazing, playful, and incredibly intricate jazz pieces that instantly conjure up the images of a laid-back European boulevard, open air cafés and young love. Her Alibi, the semi-Renaissance inspired Interlude, the screwballish Maxie, and the bouncy Maid to Order are also very much part of this wonderfully mischievous side of Delerue's musical nature.

But Delerue was not all lightness of touch: he could deliver a powerful punch too, as his work on Platoon, Agnes of God, Something Wicked This Way Comes and Black Robe attest. The former was rejected by director Oliver Stone in favour of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (which his work closely resembles), but nevertheless remains a searing lament for the lives of the men lost in Vietnam. Agnes of God, for which Delerue was Oscar nominated in 1986, overflows with choral majesty. A friend of mine describes this score as being music which brings you "closer to God". Something Wicked This Way Comes was rejected by the filmmakers and replaced with a James Horner effort when it became apparent that the production was failing. Delerue's score is a dark, menacing affair with subtle Arabic, or African, overtones to enhance to exotic nature of the evil circus that comes to town, and a surprisingly violent action element that seems very out-of-character for the quiet Frenchman. Similarly, Black Robe is a sombre and downbeat piece featuring Latin texts - beautiful, but somewhat morose.

The only quibble - if one can even be made about a wonderful album such as this - is the fact that so many great scores have been omitted, or overlooked. Such exquisite works as Diên Biên Phú, Joe Versus the Volcano, The Day of the Dolphin, Julia, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, A Summer Story, Curly Sue, Silkwood, and the awesome Tours Du Monde Tours Du Ciel remain mysteries to a great many film music fans. Although I am fully aware of the economics of releasing an album such as this, and the financial outlays that would be necessary to re-record any the above scores, in the interests of film music history and appreciation, surely a new "London Sessions" album would not be out of the question?

Really, there is nothing else to say except to make a final, blatant recommendation for this CD. The package - sound quality, presentation, and Bob Townson's intelligent personal liner notes - is first rate, and as you can tell the music itself is beyond reproach. Every - and I mean EVERY - serious collector of modern film music should have this album in their collection. It is an ESSENTIAL purchase.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE DISC TWO *includes music from Shoot the Piano Player, Love at 20, Jules et Jim, The Soft Skin, Two English Girls, Such A Gorgeous Girl Like Me, Vivement Dimanche, Day for Night, The Woman Next Door and The Last Metro.

Running Time: 153 minutes 47 seconds

Varése Sarabande VSD-6223 (2001)

Music composed and conducted by Georges Delerue. "London Sessions" recordings recorded and mixed by Keith Grant. Album mastered by Erick Labson. "London Sessions" recordings produced by Georges Delerue and Frank Fitzpatrick. Album produced by Robert Townson.

Cinemusic Online: Reviews by Martin Provost (*****) and Michael Lyons (*****)
Filmtracks: Review by Christian Clemmenson (****)
Moviemusic Dot Com
Movie Wave: Review by James Southall (*****)
Score!
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