Titus

Composer: Elliot Goldenthal
Orchestras (Conductors) : London Metropolitan Orchestra and English Chamber Choir/The Mask Orchestra/The Pickled Head Band (Steven Mercurio/Jonathan Sheffer)
Lable (Release Year): Sony Classical (2000)
Availability: ****
Rating: ***1/2

Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, is based on Shakespeare's earliest play Titus Andronicus. I have not read the play nor seen the movie. So I have not much clue what the movie is really about. The director Julie Taymor describes it in the liner notes as a "ruthless violence and absurdist black comedy...For TITUS is not a neat or safe story where goodness triumphs over evil but one in which, through its relentless horror, the undeniable that we examine the very root of violence and judge its various acts." The director wants a score that juxtaposes "elements of ancient barbaric ritual with familiar, contemporary attitude and style." Sounds like a very complex movie to me. If that's what the director wants, she got it. Goldenthal's score is the most complex that I have heard in a while. It jumps from style to style from one track to another or even within the same track.

Even after listening to it many times, I still don't know if I like it or not. There is no doubt that I like many of the individual tracks. However, the score just does't flow that well when they are put together because they are not so coherent. There is no dominant theme that is used over and over and to link them together. The beginning track "Victorius Titus" is a very impressive huge chorus piece. It is very haunting and majestic (the "O Fortuna" type). However, the chorus piece does not appear again for the rest of the way! I was expecting more of that but there is really none. "Processing & Obsequis" is an exotic piece. It starts with gongs and low male chorus chanting and than a angelic voice solo. The angelic voice solo can be heard again in "An Offering". Then we have the familiar (Batman Forever) Goldenthal brass heavy orchestral cue "Revenge Wheel". "Arrows of the Gods", "Crossroads", "Titus' Vow", and "Adagio" are the similar cues. If you like the bombastic, "brass instruments going every where Goldenthal, you will like them very much. The style of music changes drastically for the first time in "Tribute & Suffrage". It features a some what funky jazz cue with Bruce Williamson on saxophone solos. "Swing Rave," "Mad Ole Titus" and "Apian Stomp" revisits the upbeat and contemporary jazz once again. I personally think the jazz tunes are very enjoyable. "Pickled Heads" marks the entry of another genre of music: rock n' roll. It has heavy electronic guitars mixing with digitized voice. The second part of the same track reminds me of Danny Elfman's playful music. The rest of the music sounds a little less contemporary. They are more like Goldenthal without the brass. The 8 minutes long "Finale" is dominated by strings and sounds very soft for most of the time. The last track "Vivere" is an old Italian song. By the way, why is there a selection from another Goldenthal score A Time To Kill?

It is hard to find a score to compare to Titus. It is sort of on its own. Once again the individual tracks sound great but it is hard for my mind to settle. If you want something different but not too outrageous, you may want to try this. If you have not heard of any Goldenthal score yet, I won't recommend you to pick this up now.



    Track Listing:
  1. Victorius Titus (2:58)
  2. Processing & Obsequis (3:01)
  3. Revenge Wheel (0:54)
  4. Tribute & Suffrage (4:18)
  5. Arrows of the Gods (1:33)
  6. An Offering (2:05)
  7. Crossroads (3:25)
  8. Vortex (1:34)
  9. Swing Rave (1:54)
  10. Ill-Fated Plot (2:20)
  11. Pickled Heads (5:06)
  12. Tamora's Pastorale (1:13)
  13. Titus' Vow (3:44)
  14. Mad Ole Titus (2:28)
  15. Philimelagram (1:46)
  16. Pressing Judgement (From A Time To Kill) (3:33)
  17. Aaron's Plea (2:01)
  18. Coronation (1:54)
  19. Apian Stomp (1:33)
  20. Adagio (2:25)
  21. Finale (8:35)
  22. Vivere (3:33)
    Total Time: 61:53
Review Date: 3/23/00

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