DURANGO

MARK McKENZIE

Rating:

Original Review: Some composers need to get more work, and to be given better projects. Mark McKenzie is one of a small band of excellent writers who, through no fault of their own, are overlooked by Hollywood and spend most of their time toiling away on small-scale features that do not deserve to have their considerable talents wasted on them. After a career that has seen him rise from orchestrating scores for Danny Elfman, Bruce Broughton and others, to writing great music for terrible films such as Warlock: The Armageddon and Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, McKenzie seems finally to be heading down the right path with Durango, the latest TV movie in the Hallmark Hall of Fame series that, over the last year or so, has included Merlin, Moby Dick, Alice in Wonderland and Cleopatra.

Durango is set in rural Ireland in the 1940s and stars Matt Keeslar as Mark, a young man who, while embarking upon a cattle drive across the emerald green fields, discovers about life and love - especially the latter, in the shape of Annie (Nancy St. Alban). In the words of McKenzie's own intelligent liner notes, it's an epic tale about families, responsibilities, hard work, courage, humour, passion and selflessness. It is directed by Brent Shields and co-stars Patrick Bergin, George Hearn and Oscar-winner Brenda Fricker.

Unsurprisingly, McKenzie's music bears all the typically lush hallmarks of "Irish" music but, unlike the many other recent scores that have gone down the same well-worn path, Durango sounds surprisingly fresh and alive. While making the fullest use of the City of Prague Philharmonic and a complement of traditional Gaelic instruments including bodhran drums, uilleann pipes and pennywhistles, McKenzie has also ensured that his music does not adhere too closely to the now-familiar stereotypes, a decision which makes listening to this score an original, refreshing change. It's a score that screams "epic", in a Lonesome Dove/Legends of the Fall kind of way, and is incredibly beautiful in parts.

The opening seven-minute 'Durango Suite' contains all the score's main themes, beginning with a slow, lush string passage which initially bears a passing resemblance to James Horner's Glory, but eventually develops into a glorious, emotional-sounding theme (given a full rendition in track 11, 'Mark & Annie's Love Theme'). Harps, fiddles and the full orchestra pick up a lively, folk-like waltz melody, followed by a flighty interlude for flutes and a mysterious Edelmanesque synth motif that builds into a stunning secondary theme. Several repeat performances of the main themes bring the track to a close.

The score itself is equally entertaining, with the five musical themes weaving in and out of the fifteen tracks. Highlights include the extended 'Main Titles', which build further upon the musical motifs in the opening suite; 'Elope', which features a delicate rendition of the main theme on a solo harp; 'God Save The Republic', a light and amusing string cue which raises a smile; and 'Making Progress' and 'Fight for Privilege', two rollicking Irish jigs that wouldn't sound out of place in a pub full of Guinness drinkers. The best, though, are the stunningly attractive 'The Journey Begins' and 'Good Day To You', both of which fluctuates between Braveheart-style Gaelic percussion and pipes and further performances of the magnificent, full orchestral themes. The one action cue, 'Dog Attack', momentarily de-emphasises the unrelenting beauty of the score with some powerful, occasionally dissonant drum and string work.

Already, Durango is being heralded by several respected critics as one of the finest scores of the year, despite being written for television, a genre which is notorious for playing down its musical accompaniment through budget and deadline constraints. It is to the credit of the Hallmark Entertainment producers that they hire composers of the calibre of McKenzie, Trevor Jones and Richard Hartley and - most importantly - give them the time and money to be able to produce some of their best music. Long may their support continue.

Track Listing: Running Time: 43 minutes 56 seconds

Intrada MAF-7087 (1999)

Music composed and conducted by Mark McKenzie. Performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic. Orchestrations by Mark McKenzie and Patrick Russ. Recorded and mixed by Armin Steiner and Jiri Zobac. Edited by Chris Ledesma. Album produced by Mark McKenzie and Douglass Fake.


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