"...Snow Play..."
The masterful soundscape-maker himself THOMAS
NEWMAN gives us a typically beautiful and poignant CD soundtrack - and the
music is from a year where Newman's skill with a sweeping emotion seemed to be
utterly inspired – 1994 – home of the mighty Redemption.
This time his strings and lush arrangements went
to the 1994 girly-fest movie remake of "Little Women" directed by
Gillian Armstrong (Winona Ryder and Gabriel Byrne have almost shocking
chemistry in the affection department).
1. Orchard House (Main Theme)
2. Meg's Hair
3. Snowplay
4. Scarlet Fever
5. Ashes
6. Spring
7. La Fayette's Welcome
8. A Telegram
9. Two Couples
10. Burd3ns
11. New York
12. Harvest Time
13. Maria Redowa
14. Letter From Jo
15. Amy Abroad
16. Limes
17. Beth's Secret
18. For The Beauty Of Earth
19. Little Women
20. Learning To Forget
21. Valley Of The Shadow
22. Port Royal Gallop
23. Domestic Experiences
24.The Laurence Boy
25. Lovelornity
26. Under The Umbrella (End Title)
USA CD released 10 January 1995 - "Little
Women – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" written and conducted by
THOMAS NEWMAN on Sony Classical SK 66922 (Barcode 074646692226) was
Produced by TN and BILL BERNSTEIN.
Lots of the 26 cuts are admittedly short -
sometimes less than a minute in some cases and they often feeling like snatched
moments - which is of course exactly what they are (even with that number of titles, its total playing time is
only 37:24 minutes). But it's the beauty of the opening 3:29 minutes of
"Orchard House (Main Title)" for instance or the 3:41 minutes of "Under The
Umbrella (End Title)" at the finish line that show why Newman was and
still is nominated so many times for Oscars and many other awards.
TN is also famously a close relative of the iconic
songsmith Randy Newman – himself a prolific Soundtrack writer who has
contributed to some of Pixar's most famous movies "Toy Story" and "Monster’s
Inc." to name but a few. Thomas Newman also did the gorgeous sweeping music to Pixar's much-loved "Wall-E"
– another beauty with an exclusive Peter Gabriel song in the closing credits.
"Little Women" is not "The
Shawshank Redemption" for sure where every second feels soul touching and
epic (others would passionately disagree and say "Little Women" is
its musical equal). But I have to own everything this songwriter has ever done
and I suspect after one listen to the loveliness contained within this - you
may become the same...
