Carter Burwell's score for The Alamo incorporates, aptly enough, elements of music from the Old West into his intricately melodic and percussive style. Cues such as "What We're Defending" have a typically rousing, patriotic mix of strings and horns, but even then
Burwell finds a way to give these moments some of his character by ending the track with a contemplative harp. Mexican musical motifs also come through on tracks like the charming "El Bexareno," which moves from playful flutes and mariachi horns into bittersweet strings. Still other tracks, like "300 Miles of Snow," have a folky, Western cast to them. The score also juxtaposes radically different pieces, such as the ominous "Who Took Their Loved Ones" and the lighthearted "Listen to the Mockingbird Sing." "Deguello de Crockett" is an especially striking track, pairing lonesome fiddles with martial drums and brass. But the main attraction of the score, is, of course, the music that accompanies the battle of the Alamo itself. The six-part suite begins with the eight-minute "The Battle of the Alamo, Pt. 1," commencing with tremulous strings before building into a more ominous brass and string melody, followed by a rousing flourish of brass and percussion that is abruptly cut off by more bleak-sounding strings. The rest of the suite follows suit, becoming gradually more and more mournful until it ends with an aptly funereal finale. The score ends with "Blood, or Texas," a pensive finale that, like the rest of
The Alamo, conveys the mood of the film while also expressing
Burwell's unique approach. ~ Heather Phares