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"Enchanted"
reunites Alan Menken with Walt Disney Films for another successful outing.
The soundtrack is comprised of his original score and songs from the film as
there are, in fact, 6 songs on the CD and 9 score tracks. What saves the day,
at least for score collector's who are interested in length, is that Track
13 (Storybook Ending) is over 10 minutes long and gives the score's running
time a much needed boost. The only reason why the running time is even a
factor is due to Menken's excellence -- the score material is really
fantastic. The sound quality offers a rich, classic score experience and
it's quite refreshing to hear. After a year in which so many young composers
have hit us over the head with the 'modern' sound of our era, a score like "Enchanted"
reminds us of how the pros do it.
As mentioned in
my introductory paragraph, the album is divided into 2 parts; song and score.
As with most Disney pictures, this is expected and whether you're into this
sort of compilation really depends on your personal interests. However, I
can say that the score material on the album does warrant a purchase. As this is
another magical yarn from Disney, the score is appropriately enchanting,
befitting the title card nicely. Menken's score begins with Track 6, "Andalasia"
and takes us through to Track 14, concluding with the "Enchanted Suite."
Overall, the tone of the score took me back to the works from Disney's
yesteryear as there is something really timeless about the way Menken writes
the music. The score material is really a breeze to listen to and makes for
a very nice, lighthearted experience. However, lightness eventually does
give way to dark as the score takes a surprisingly epic turn with the cue
entitled, "Narissa Arrives." Full of sweeping choral bombast, this cue gave
me a wake up call that there was more to this score than pleasant ear candy.
An interesting aspect to the choral pieces of the score is that the female
voices are the predominant ones of the choir, which makes sense given the
characters of the story. The arrival of Narissa sets forth the highlights of
the score as this exemplary track is followed up by an extended 10+ minute
cue, "Storybook Ending" that's equally as impressive. It's here where the
album hits its climactic moments and every moment is sheer enjoyment.
In a time
period where the greats like
John Williams have taken a time out, picking up
a score like this helps stem the loss. Personally, whether its because I
have been worn down by synthetically fueled scores or have heard one too
many generic offerings, I whole heartedly welcomed Menken's "Enchanted" for
its wonderful orchestral tones. It's also a score that is as accessable for
children as it is for adults. The only shortcoming of "Enchanted" is that
there wasn't more score material from Menken, but, with the quality of the
score, that's something I can live with. |
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