WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET

NELLEE HOOPER

Rating:

Original Review: William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is one of those intriguing crossover soundtracks which, like the recent Titanic and The Full Monty, has become massively popular with the general music-buying public. Most probably, this is because of the popularity of the film itself, it's hot property star Leonardo Di Caprio and its liberal use of pop songs by the likes of Des'ree and Kym Mazelle on the soundtrack. Personally, I really disliked the film. Call me old fashioned, but I like my Shakespeare movies to be performed by men in tights with English accents and to have a score by Patrick Doyle (okay, okay, so I suppose Mercutio was a man in tights here, but that's a whole other story). The two-volume soundtrack release, however, is completely different. Volume 1 was a perfect example of how to put together a commercial song compilation, and Volume 2 combines Nellee Hooper's underscore with snippets of dialogue and the most popular songs from Volume 1 in one all-encompassing album, and it generally hits the mark on all counts. Hooper's score, which she composed with fellow Australians Craig Armstrong and Marius De Vreis, is contemporary, upbeat and pulsating and although the majority of it is fully orchestral, is somehow sounds fresh and modern - not classical per se, but more the kind of orchestral backing you would hear in a chart song (like The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, for example). 'Gas Station Scene' is a surprisingly well-written action cue full of electric guitars, synthesisers and a trumpet which would not have sounded out of place in a Sergio Leone western. There is a joyously over-the-top choir featured in the opening track, 'O Verona', and there is a sinister electric guitar riff motif for Tybalt. However, it is when the full orchestra takes over the proceedings that Romeo + Juliet really shines, and five or six cues really impress. 'Balcony Scene' features a beautiful, romantic piano solo which gradually picks up a lush string backing as the cue wears on. 'Kissing You', the love theme from Romeo + Juliet which was composed by Tim Atack and which underscores the 'love through a fish tank' scene, sounds absolutely divine. The two-cue suite of 'Fight Scene' and 'Mercutio's Death' is absolutely brilliant, with its subtle oboe melody, kinetic anvil-laden action sequence and haunting choir singing a lament for the newly departed. 'Slow Movement', the longest track on the album, simply drips tragedy and sorrow, and features a powerful, melancholy string section (parts of which remind me of Michael Nyman's score for Gattaca), while the final 'Death Scene', in my opinion the only part of the movie that actually worked, ends on a suitably downbeat note. I never thought I'd say this about any soundtrack, but the inclusion of the dialogue tracks here actually add volumes to the enjoyment of the album. Anyone who is familiar with the original text are able to relate individual cues to the relevant part of the play, and when Clare Danes starts whispering about "my only love sprung from my only hate" and Leonardo screams 'Juliet!' during 'Mantua', the combination of words and music really adds to the power and emotional impact of the cue. In fact, there is very little about this album that doesn't work. I really surprised myself by liking this score as much as I do, and it has obviously had a similar effect on many people in the film industry, as Hooper has just been nominated for a BAFTA Award (the British Oscars) for her work here. Overall, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is a highly enjoyable album, a brilliant fusion of pop and classical music with a touch of the melodramatic thrown in for good measure. It's certainly not Henry V but, for the majority of the music-buying public, this is the next best thing.

Track Listing: Running Time: 65 minutes 49 seconds

Premier Soundtracks 7243-8-59871-2-0 (1996)

Music composed by Nellee Hooper. Conducted by Craig Armstrong. Additional music composed by Craig Armstrong and Marius De Vreis. Special vocal performances by Leonardo Di Caprio, Claire Danes, Jesse Bradford, John Leguizamo, Miriam Margolyes, Harold Perrineau, Paul Sorvino, Pete Postlethwaite, Dash Mikoh and Edwina Moore. Recorded and mixed by Gary Thomas, Geoff Foster, Andy Bradfield and Andy Todd. Album produced by Nellee Hooper.


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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.