Saturday, September 11, 2010

James Newton Howard's Best Six Minutes?




Recently, I came across a review of James Newton Howard's score to the 1995 film Restoration at Filmtracks.  The review intrigued me because not only did it give the score the site's highest rating of five stars, but also mentioned that two tracks "'Night Sweats' and 'Hospital' are among the best six minutes of Howard's career."  I headed over to Youtube to take a listen.  Night Sweats features a hauntingly beautiful choral element and like many great cues it is progresses from very soft and somber to a more colorful and medium paced finale.  The cue begins with an oboe theme and then introduces tolling bells.  The chorus adds more depth as the track progresses and gives it a semi-spiritual feel especially by the end.  Hospital kicks the melodrama into high gear with stirring strings and more of the oboe; a sweeping, lyrical romantic style piece.  Subtle beauty isn't something I have always appreciated in film music, but I have found the longer my exploration into score music the more I have come to appreciate such cues as these.  Whether these two cues are among Howard's best six minutes is surely debatable, but still highly recommended.

Download: Restoration - Night Sweats - Hospital

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Thanks for sharing!