This re-recording of
John Barry's score for the 1980 Jeannot Szwarc romantic fantasy film is a bit of a puzzle, albeit a delightful one. Recorded in 20-bit digital audio by
John Debney and
the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, this is the best account ever given of that score -- ironically, MCA/Universal, which distributes Varese Sarabande, also has out the original soundtrack as a full-priced item in its catalog, though the latter has never been upgraded from its late-'80s remastering and offers less music than is present here. Every section of Barry's music -- not just the vastly lyrical romantic passages, which are the obvious focus for most listeners -- is given a beautifully expansive reading. The darker sections, such as "June 27th," "Room 417," and "The Attic," benefit from the playing of the full-size symphony orchestra, which offers more virtuosity than the MCA pick-up orchestra could ever bring to this music. Edwin Paling's solo violin and
Lynda Cochrane's piano also bring an optimal realization to the key musical moments in the original portions of the score, which the Rachmaninoff variation used as a key plot element. One is able to perceive, in this score as realized on this CD (especially on the track "A Day Together"), the rich and expansive internal orchestral language that Barry would employ to brilliant effect in his scoring of Dances With Wolves a decade later. ~ Bruce Eder