P.T. Barnum
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Composer: Hummie Mann
Lable (Release Year): Promotional Release Availability: *** Rating: ***1/2 |
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Although Hummie Mann has not been very active in scoring feature films, his excellent score to Mel Brook's Robin Hood: Men in Tights should be no stranger to many film music fans. Also, his score to a lesser known film, Year of the Comet, is also quite good. Despite his talents in composing, he is best known for his orchestrations on many of Marc Shaiman's scores (Addams Family Values, City Slickers, Misery, etc.) He also orchestrated James Newton Howard's The Prince of Tides. Hummie Mann's score for P.T. Barnum, an A&E mini series from Hallmark Entertainment, is another good effort. Speaking of P.T. Barnum, he has a strong link to my Alma Mater, Tufts University. Our mascot Jumbo, is named after the famed elephant in the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Jumbo's hide was stuffed and donated to Tufts College by P.T. Barnum, Trustee of the College. Unfortunately, the hide was consumed by a fire in 1975. Anyway, back to the score. The Daily Variety says "…Music by Hummie Mann is rousing and festive in the grand tradition of John Philip Sousa and a perfect fit to the circus like atmosphere of the story." However, I don't quite agree what it says. The statement is true for the tracks 1, 11, 13, and very brief moments of a few other tracks. The main theme is introduced in a circus march form right away. It sounds a lot like a theme by Randy Edelman (Gettysburg especially). Different arrangements and variations of the theme can be heard in virtually every track. For the most parts, the score sounds like it is for a civil war movie rather. There are also moments that sound like a "light western score", for example, John Williams' Reivers. There is no doubt that the score has a strong American heritage feel. I like this score but it is just not as enjoyable as Robin Hood: Men in Tights or Year of the Comet. It is mainly because the main theme is not as excellent and memorable as the others. There is really no secondary theme in the score. Some orchestrations of the theme are excellent but the score just sounds a little repetitive. If you like an orchestral score that has a strong 'civil war music' feel, you may want to try this one out.
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