ELIZABETH

DAVID HIRSCHFELDER

Rating:

Original Review: Elizabeth, the film of the life of one of England's most notorious monarchs, is a strange international gathering of talent. Directed by an Indian (Shekhar Kapur), starring an Australian (Cate Blanchett), produced by the Brits, and featuring a cast taken from all corners of the globe (including legendary thespians Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud and, inexplicably, French soccer star Eric Cantona), it would therefore seem appropriate that the makers chose another Antipodean, David Hirschfelder, to write the score. Elizabeth defies expectations in the fact that it doesn't sound like a stereotypical costume drama score. Although tracks such as "Coronation Banquet" and "Rondes" authentically depict the music of the era, Hirschfelder generally approached the film from emotional and dramatic standpoints, leaving the realistic portrayal of the Elizabethan setting to the art directors and costume designers. The album opens with the "Elizabeth Overture", a dramatic, staccato march accompanied by bold horn blasts and shrill Latin incantations courtesy of the David Hobson Chorale and the Australian Boys Choir, which quickly moves into a very peculiar, dissonant section a little reminiscent of the unnerving choral elements from James Horner's Brainstorm. Quite a few of Hirschfelder's cues embrace the music of the church, the most notable among these being the sinister "Aftermath", and the haunting "Night of the Long Knives", which is adapted from the ecclesiastical chant Domine Sanctum Actum Meum by Byrd. The main drawback to Elizabeth, however, is due to the fact that, because of the film's tragic subject matter, much of the score is quite downbeat and morose. Only occasionally does Hirschfelder present a recognisable recurring theme, relying instead on austere string lines, brutal percussion rhythms and low, harsh brasses. Having said that, there are some cues which immediately catch the ear. "Tonight I Think I Die" and "Ballard" are full of fiery passion, conveyed by incessant swirling strings and tumultuous drums. The two performances of Hirschfelder's "Love Theme" are attractive tracks which swell into lovely romantic melodies after around a minute of gentle build-up, and the finale, "One Mistress, No Master", presents a stately string theme to bring Hirschfelder's contributions to a close. Rounding off the album are two beautiful classical selections - "Nimrod", which is adapted from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, and "Requiem Introitus", which is adapted from Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. There is much to recommend about Elizabeth, and much which immediately strikes the listener as being well-composed music. In the film, Hirschfelder's music undoubtedly serves its purpose well, capturing the inner turmoil and unbridaled passion prevalent in the story perfectly. However, as a separate listening experience, Elizabeth never really generates enough of an emotional connection to completely capture the listener's attention, and as a result is never completely satisfying.

Track Listing: Running Time: 62 minutes 19 seconds

London 460-796-2 (1998)

Music composed by David Hirschfelder. Conducted by David Hirschfelder, Ric Formosa and Sam Schwarz. Orchestrations by David Hirschfelder and Ric Formosa. The David Hobson Chorale and the Australian Boys Choir conducted by John Dingle. Featured vocal soloists Kim Wheeler and David Hobson. Recorded and mixed by Robin Gray and Chris Scanlan. Edited by Michael Higham. Album produced by David Hirschfelder.


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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1998. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.