GORKY PARK

JAMES HORNER

Rating:

Original Review: Of all the 'tense action thriller' scores James Horner has ever written (Red Heat, Commando, The Pelican Brief, Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games), Gorky Park is by far and away the best, both in musical terms and in terms of sheer enjoyment. Although it employs elements of all these others (for example, the steel drum theme from Commando) the way in which he merges these themes together throughout the score is exemplary. The best elements, by far, are the chase themes: 'Following Kirwill', parts of which sound like a less-developed forerunner to Escape from the Tavern from Willow, 'Following KGB', 'Chase Through the Park', which features a set of hypnotic cymbals, and 'Irina's Chase', which begins very slowly and deliberately but quickens in pace throughout the cue to end as a majestic cacophony of drums, guitars, synths, tolling bells and the unusual cymbalom. All of these are wonderfully rhythmic, exciting pieces, some of which contain an unexpected rock beat with electric guitars, synths and prominent drums. In fact, Horner seems to be adopting the Jerry Goldsmith action cue style here, eschewing the dissonant 'thump-thump-thump' which is sometime prevalent and instead presenting identifiable, specific melodies. The main title is also very clever, mixing elements of Strauss' Viennese Waltz the old Soviet national anthem with ethnic rhythms and the tinkling cymbalom which is present in many cues throughout the score. The romantic string passages in 'Irina's Theme' and 'Airport Farewell' equal the beauty of anything he has written before or since, while at the complete opposite end of the spectrum are the disturbing 'Faceless Bodies' and the unusual 'The Sable Sheds', the longest cue on the album and, at one point, has a sequence where the string sections sounds like an approaching police siren. The score concludes with 'Releasing the Sables/End Titles', where the music finally lifts from the doom and gloom and presents a playful string melody before presenting a final rendition of the score's main themes. Apparently, Gorky Park is still quite difficult to come by, so I was surprised to see it sitting quietly on a shelf of my local second hand CD store waiting for me to come and buy it. Well worth the money, too.

Track Listing: Running Time: 36 minutes 03 seconds

Varèse Sarabande VSD-47260 (1983)

Music composed and conducted by James Horner. Orchestrations by Greig McRitchie. Recorded and mixed by Dan Wallin. Edited by George Brand. Album produced by James Horner.


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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1997. 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.