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Doctor Who - Series 4, continues
the trailblazing efforts of composer
Murray Gold and key collaborator, Ben
Foster, as they continue to forge new ground in the arena of television
music. The latest in the series comes to us via Silva Screen Music (as is
the case with the predecessors) and brings home 27 tracks of excellent music
to revel in. There is also a nice CD booklet that features an introduction
with Murray, and interview with he and Ben, as well as a track by track
breakdown of the different cues on the album. It's a stellar package.
In a succession of releases that have gone from entertaining
to exceedingly terrific, the music of Season 4 reaches the heights of
inspiration with Murray Gold's best work to date. For those of you who have
heard his previous efforts, you will know that such praise is really saying
something!
In the latest adventures, Gold delivers a dazzling blend of
outrageousness, lyrical beauty and dramatic themes in what is perhaps the
best score of 2008. In fact, never before had I heard a television score
offer such sweep! As I listened to the tunes, I couldn't help but marvel at
the quality of each cue and be inspired by the melodies. I had to keep
reminding myself that I was listening to a television score and not some
radical, fun loving science fiction film.
When it comes to the Gold and the music of
Doctor Who,
the quality is the most impressive aspect of the score. While most
television sagas are content with developing low impact scores, Gold's music
is not afraid to step to the forefront and give itself a brash
representation. It's also quite remarkable that such writing can take place
on such an abbreviated schedule. I shudder to think what this maestro can do
if he stepped away from television and was given a major motion picture's
schedule to work with. For sure, the quality of the music here is really
impressive and quite worthy of applause.
One of the score's key highlights is the "Voyage of the
Damned Suite." Nominated for a BAFTA award in 2008, this excellent suite is
inspired by the song, "The Stowaway," which gives the music a classic 40's
era tone to it while also keeping symphonic values intact. The suite runs
for 10 minutes and surely could have kept on playing as far as I was
concerned. Likewise, the music from "The Greatest Story Never Told" is
worthy of praise as well, a grand, choral suite that is moving and beautiful
with epic tones. Scan the big budget soundtracks from 2008 if you wish, but
you won't find many cues or suites as moving as these from
Doctor Who.
Other highlights include the interesting "Song of Freedom" as well as the
return of the theme from Series 1, as heard in Track 11. While these are
just a few I've mentioned, I should note that this is a score full of of
many standout cues and that there's something to love about nearly all of
them.
Simply put, you should add this one to your collection without reservation.
Whether you're a seasoned Time Lord or a newcomer to the Doctor's universe,
this is the type of score that can be indulged in without pre-requisites. In
a dawn where science fiction scores are generally predictable and tame,
Murray Gold's music stands out brightly in their midst.
Well done, team...
keep 'em coming! |
