This film is the latest quality costume drama with Cate Blanchett as the
lead name.
The music is a well recorded and well performed confection of hotel salon
music. Think of Barber’s Souvenirs - a devastating apotheosis
of this sort of music. Straussian (Richard Rodgers and Sondheim/Gemigniani
may also be recalled) waltzes mingle with mini helpings of soundtrack dialogue.
The music is for full orchestra (extremely beautifully recorded) or for
mini-ensemble. The non-threatening nostalgia of the comfortably affluent
wanders abstractedly through a score which is never less than pleasant but
which sometimes skates dangerously near monotony. In the same way that person
specifications are written for appointing people to jobs this score sounds
as if it might have been written to a director’s specification. There
is no danger in this score and it may well make excellent background music
for a dinner party - especially if you programme out the speech tracks.
Undemanding gentle contours. Not a peak in the film music world but a highly
competent (and I would expect, apposite) score.
Notes: personnel listed. Orchestra not identified. Decent though brief comments
about the score. More photos than information - nothing changes. Not a compelling
purchase as music. This is definitely a film souvenir CD. I would still watch
out for Charlie Mole and his orchestrators in the future.
Reviewer
Rob Barnett
OST City of Prague
Philharmonic 
