FOR ROSEANNA

TREVOR JONES

Rating:

Original Review: Trevor Jones doesn't do many romantic comedies. However, if the quality of For Roseanna is anything to go by, he's got a real knack for them. This is one of those complete gems that comes along every once in a while - upon its release, it was hardly given a second thought, but it turns out to be one of the most rich, vibrant and attractive scores of its genre. Directed by Paul Weiland, For Roseanna (also known as Roseanna's Grave) is a charming, if offbeat, little movie starring Jean Reno as a devoted Italian husband who promises his terminally ill wife Mercedes Ruehl that, when she finally passes away, she will be buried in the beautiful churchyard near their home. However, there are only a couple of plots left in the yard, and quite a few elderly people in the village where they live - so Reno takes it upon himself to keep everyone healthy and alive long enough for his beloved to have her dying wish. Jones' score is as warm and inviting as the rolling Tuscan hillside it musically represents. Although a number of genre clichés are adhered to (especially through the use of accordions and mandolins to represent both the geographical location of the film, and the "quirkiness" inherent in the story), the pure beauty of the score wins through every time. The score is an undemanding, but completely involving listen. From the first bars of the first cue, the music is completely captivating, and exudes the effortless charm and appeal that many modern scores seem to lack. The gorgeous main melody, 'Roseanna's Theme', gets a soft and delicate rendition in that first cue, where it is performed as a piano solo with a gentle orchestral backing. Although the score is essentially monothematic thereafter, the constant performances of Roseanna's Theme are actually quite appropriate, and serve as a reminder to the listener that, for all the amusing and whimsical scrapes Reno finds himself in, the catalyst of the story is the unquestioning love he has for his wife. Jones has some fun with the orchestration and instrumentation in later cues - for example, in 'Marcello' it is performed for the first time by Eddie Hession's accordion, while in 'At Marcelina's Grave', the soothing sounds of Mitch Dalton's acoustic guitar add to the flavour of the score's secondary theme. 'Roseanna's Funeral' sees her theme performed with the heightened emotional content as the community says its final goodbye, but, the final cue represents Jones at his thematic best. Despite having the rather clunky title 'We'll Be Dining On The Plane', the piece is surely one of most lush, lyrical and romantic tracks Jones has written for the cinema. The strings of the London Symphony Orchestra rise as one to perform the spine-tingling final rendition of Roseanna's Theme, bringing the score to the best possible conclusion. For Roseanna comes with the highest possible recommendation for those who enjoy music of the romantic persuasion. If, like me, you thought that Trevor Jones was simply a man for the blockbuster, then you are likely to be both surprised and delighted with this superlative score.

Track Listing: Running Time: 41 minutes 35 seconds

RCA Victor 09026-68836-2 (1997)

Music composed by Trevor Jones. Conducted by Nick Ingman. Performed by The London Symphony Orchestra. Orchestrations by Trevor Jones, Nick Ingman, Geoff Alexander and Julian Kershaw. Featured musical soloists Mitch Dalton, Colin Green, Alison Stephens, John Parricelli and Eddie Hession. Recorded and mixed by Simon Rhodes. Mastered by Alex Marcou and Sean Magee. Album produced by Trevor Jones.


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