General Sutter is the feature film debut score by the Swiss composer Philippe
Blumenthal. The film tells the true story of the Swiss adventurer Johann
A. Sutter, who left his homeland to become a key figure in the early history
of California. The drama takes place over a period of 5 days, with the aged
General looking back over his life whilst his portrait is painted by Frank
Buchser, a reproduction of which graces the cover of the album. While the
film has elements of the western, it is perhaps more accurately described
as a historical drama set in the American West.
To date the film is unreleased, so this review must necessarily be of the
CD as an album only. How the music works in the film can only be imagined.
Fortunately, the CD insert comes with a separate leaflet with a description
of each track, both in musical terms, and with regards to the scene(s) in
the film the music was written to accompany. Further, although the music
has been sequenced to play well as an album, for those who wish to programme
the disc appropriately, information is provided as to the original film sequence.
Beyond this, the composer has thoughtfully placed the source cues - there
are six brief traditional cues, the longest running 81 seconds - at the end
of the disc, such that they don't break the flow of the score proper. If
only all soundtrack albums where so thoughtfully presented.
The score itself is divided into 13 tracks, totalling approximately 42 minutes
of music. Originally, due to financial constraints, this was going to be
an electronic score. Happily, the producers raised the money for a full orchestra
score, and the result is a work which is confidentially traditional, yet
with a distinctive musical personality of its own. This is obviously a 'Western
score', but one in the Americana lineage of Copland and Thompson, more than
that of Bernstein or Moross. There is a decidedly classical sensibility to
the dreamlike, nostalgic 'Sutter's Dream (Main Title)', before the inevitable
military snare appears with understated voice. 'When I was a Child' introduces
Sutter's 'Childhood theme', a beguilingly innocent melody which still hints
at the wistfulness of the main title theme. 'The Hotel' introduces a folk-like
tune of delicate beauty, and it is these two elements, the classical and
the folk-like that form the heart of the score. In all there are four main
melodies, in addition to which, Blumenthal uses (which kind permission of
the composer) Bruce Broughton's main title theme from O Pioneers in
the sequence 'Going West'. This section has a grand, hymnal quality of
considerable majesty, while the following 'Untamed Country' pulls out the
stops for an epic depiction of the great American landscape. The interpolation
of another film composer's music is unusual, but works very well. Blumenthal
has great respect for Broughton, intelligently citing Tombstone as
one of the great scores of the decade, though General Sutter is in
conception and scale more akin to O Pioneers.
'Gold' is a 6-minute section of essentially suspense/dialogue underscore.
Philippe Blumenthal has told me that he thinks this track is 'boring' and
he wonders why he put it on the album at all. He has also said that in retrospect
it sounds too much like James Bond music. I understand what he means, in
that it does evoke memories of some of the suspense music from
Goldfinger, but more generally, there is something of the sensibility
of John Barry about the cue. This is perhaps not so surprising when one learns
that the film was originally 'temp tracked' with Barry's Dances With
Wolves music. Blumenthal says that the film sounded very good with Barry's
music, and wondered how he could compete against such a great score. His
solution is a more traditional approach, for Barry's score, however fine,
does sound typically Barryesque, rather than essentially 'western'. Bluementhal's
'Gold' cue is the one track which reveals the influence of John Barry, with
clean, pared-down strings, timpani and horns. It offers a balance to the
more sweeping aspects of the score, ebbing and flowing in a low-key way,
never developing or resolving into anything definitive.
'This is My Land' is more landscape music, a lyrical journey between classical
scale and folk intimacy, while 'It is Finished' concludes the film in melancholy
vein, before the 'End Credits' recap all the main themes in a stirringly
poetic fashion.
General Sutter is not a 'big' film, though it would certainly appear to gain
stature from the strength and nobility of this memorable score. Nor is it
a film you are ever likely to see, expect perhaps eventually on late night/early
morning television. Due to the film being in distribution limbo, the soundtrack
album has not been released. However, copies are available for £12
(including p&p) directly from the Philippe Blumenthal, who can be contacted
by email at
film.music.journal@BLUEWIN.CH.
I can only hope that this is the beginning of a major film-composing career,
as it is already apparent that, even while working within a very traditional
genre, Blumenthal has both a fine gift for melody and a distinctive musical
personality. In the future we may, if we are fortunate, be able to enjoy
the fine music that will result if Blumenthal ever gains the opportunity
to score a really epic western. Meanwhile, if the lure of the romance of
the West is in your blood, then General Sutter will be a most worthwhile
and rewarding purchase.
Reviewer
Gary S. Dalkin
The City of
Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Adam Klemens and Mario Klemens, orchestrated
by Ross Care and Philippe
Blumenthal
