| Master composer
Ennio Morricone's mighty musical reach expands yet again
this fall via the release of French historical drama, En
mai, fais ce qu'il te plait. While the movie is due to hit
European screens November 4, it's been revealed that score
hounds can grab a soundtrack release October 30 via Musica
e Oltre S.r.l.
As pointed out by Film Music
Reporter, an Amazon listing for a digital copy of the
album has gone live, confirming that the soundtrack release
will feature 10 exclusive compositions from Morricone.
Audio samples are streaming over here.
Directed by Christian Carion
(Joyeux Noel), En mai, fais ce qu'il te pla?t is a period
piece set during World War II. It follows a German who
has fled from his country and the Nazi regime, and is
searching for his son, who has been taken away from him
by a school teacher. It stars August Diehl, Olivier Gourmet,
Mathilde Seigner and Alice Isaaz.
A trailer for the film can
be found below.
This isn't, mind you, the
only new Morricone music to look forward to. As previously
reported, the maestro has been tapped by Quentin Tarantino
to compose new music for his forthcoming western flick,
The Hateful Eight. That film opens in North America on
Christmas Day. As of yet, however, there has been no official
word about a soundtrack release. (Here)
|
|
EN
MAI FAIS CE QU’IL TE PLAIT – Ennio Morricone
November 10, 2015 Leave a comment Go to comments
en mai fais
ce quil te plait Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
If the information on the
Internet Movie Database is correct, En Mai Fais Ce Qu’il
te Pla?t is the 521st score of Ennio Morricone’s career,
which stretches back to his first score, Il Federale,
in 1961. In the intervening 54 years the Italian has written
some of the most iconic music in the history of cinema;
En Mai Fais Ce Qu’il te Pla?t will likely not be remembered
as one of his standout works but, considering the fact
that he is now aged 86, that he is writing film music
at all is a minor miracle. That it’s still this good is
nothing short of astonishing. The film – the title of
which translates to Darling Buds of May in English – is
a French drama written and directed by Christian Carion,
who previously directed the well regarded films Une Hirondelle
a Fait le Printemps and Joyeux No?l. Set during the early
days of World War II, the story follows a group of people
from a small village in Pas-de-Calais in northern France,
who flee from the advancing German troops, and essentially
become homeless, traversing the French countryside trying
to avoid the Nazis, while trying to retain some semblance
of a normal life under new, terrible circumstances.
The score is quintessential
Ennio Morricone. Conducted and orchestrated by the great
man himself, it contains a pair of utterly magnificent
central themes, sweet and romantic but also deeply melancholic,
which are offset by some more dramatic suspense music
accompanying the threat of war that displaces the families
from their village. After a several minutes of minimalist
buildup for strings and organ, the opening cue, “En Mai,”
gradually emerges from its repetitive four-note base into
a simply stunning main theme, redolent of summer time,
rolling countryside, and a tranquil environment.
Morricone embraces this style
of writing in several subsequent cues. “Ils Resteront
Trois” introduces the secondary theme, for the lead character,
Paul, and his wife and son. It’s one of those heart-meltingly
gorgeous melodies that only Morricone can write, and has
a hint of Cinema Paradiso to it, especially in the string
harmonies, but the return of the subtle organ orchestration
from the opening cue gives it a slightly religioso quality
too, that is both appropriate and appealing. Later, “Tout
Laisser” embraces some hints of traditional Gallic folk
music, stripped down to just an accordion, harmonica,
and solo violin, and has a bittersweet sense of loss and
regret, before returning to restate the Family theme,
again with a wash of melancholy strings. The subsequent
“Respirations” is filled with a sense of relief, of families
being reunited, and the simple pleasure of being with
the ones you love.
Meanwhile, “L’étau se Resserre”
and “Traverser la Guerre” are filled with tension and
apprehension, with tremolo string writing and plucked
bass notes that gradually give way to more strident phrases
for violins and moody, slightly mysterious-sounding oboes.
Similarly, “Ils Arrivent” has a martial cadence and a
sense of quiet, stark desperation, with high, pulsating
strings and staccato muted brass writing that briefly
recalls the similar-sounding militaristic tones of his
score for Indagine su un Cittadino al di Sopra di Ogni
Sospetto from 1970. These cues are clearly intended to
musically depict the looming threat of the Germans, storming
over the border and leaving destruction in their wake;
although none of these cues are truly devastating in their
depiction of war, they impart instead a sense of resignation
and sadness, with the citizens of Pas-de-Calais having
lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their peace of
mind.
The elegant flute writing
of “Tous Ensemble” has an unexpected playfulness to it,
again conveying a light and summery air, completely at
odds with the tone of the rest of the film. The final
two cues, “Et Même les Animaux Sont Avec Eux” and “A la
Recherche de la Paix”, are deeply moving, allowing the
performance of the Roma Sinfionetta to rise to the fore
with statements of both main themes. The emotional quality
of the music really shines through in the first cue, recalling
works like Casualties of War and A Time of Destiny, eulogizing
the losses that war brings to everyone, while celebrating
the stoicism and optimism that humanity can, somehow,
maintain in the most desperate conditions. However, Morricone
saves the best for last; the stirring solo trumpet performance
that anchors the first half of the final cue is especially
lovely, having a wistful and nostalgic quality, and an
air of remembrance that is wholly appropriate. When the
solo female vocalist enters for the first and only time
during the second half of the cue, providing haunting
counterpoint to the orchestral performance of the main
theme, the effect is sensational. Edda dell’Orso would
be proud.
No-one writes film music like
Ennio Morricone, and no-one else ever will. He has successfully
written music in every conceivable genre, and has been
a groundbreaking trailblazer in all of them. However,
despite how creative his western and thriller scores are,
and despite how much innovation he has brought to the
table throughout the decades, it is his drama and romance
writing that holds a special place in my heart. Although
he clearly has a signature sound, with familiar chord
progressions and instrumental combinations that span the
decades, his capacity for writing utterly spellbinding,
ridiculously beautiful themes is simply unparalleled,
and En Mai Fais Ce Qu’il te Pla?t is another one that
we can add to that canon. Of course, as I said earlier,
it will never be mentioned in the same breath as the likes
of Cinema Paradiso, Once Upon a Time in America, The Red
Tent, or my own personal favorite, La Califfa, but considering
his advancing years, anything Ennio Morricone writes these
days should be cherished. En Mai Fais Ce Qu’il te Pla?t
is an essential purchase for fans of the maestro’s work.
Buy the En Mai Fais Ce Qu’il
te Plait soundtrack from the Movie Music UK Store
Track Listing:
En Mai (8:56)
L’étau se Resserre (3:58)
Ils Resteront Trois (5:05)
Traverser la Guerre (1:55)
Tout Laisser (2:51)
Ils Arrivent (3:39)
Respirations (4:07)
Tous Ensemble (2:38)
Et Même les Animaux Sont Avec Eux (4:37)
A la Recherche de la Paix (6:29)
Running Time: 44 minutes 16
seconds
Quartet Records (2015)
Music composed and conducted
by Ennio Morricone. Performed by the Roma Sinfionetta.
Orchestrations by Ennio Morricone. Recorded and mixed
by Marco Streccioni. Album produced by Ennio Morricone
and Pascal Meyer. （Movie
Music UK)
|
