Performed by Vangelis

Produced by Vangelis

Release Date: November 9, 2004

           Sony Classical
 

     It has taken over four years for the films that were spawned by the success of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator to finally hit theatres, about right for all the pre-production time involved on such immense undertakings (after all, logistics for re-creating the ancient world is not the easiest thing to handle). Earlier this summer, we were treated to the story of Troy, and Oliver Stone has just weighed in with his take on the historical figure of Alexander the Great. Where Troy began its musical life with composer Gabriel Yared, and was subsequently finished off with one by James Horner, Oliver Stone turned to an unusual source for his film: Vangelis. Aside from the fact that Vangelis shares a common heritage with that famed conqueror, film scores from the composer have been few and far between throughout the nineties and now at the beginning of the 21^st Century. The only appreciable album from him in recent memory was the delightful Mythodea, but it is good that Stone was able to bring him on the production, especially now that the fruit of his labors can finally be enjoyed by all. For Alexander is quite a delightful film score and is one of the best that I have experienced from him.

     Vangelis has always been a composer who took advantage of the technology of music as opposed to plunging forth through the old-fashioned route (as far as pertaining to his film music). One part of what makes his music to Alexander so interesting is to note the changing technology that has made what he did in Chariots of Fire seem quaint. Alexander is beefed up and occasionally sounds more realistic than its synth origins would tell of. Of course when I say “realistic”, I mean in a Media Ventures way. In fact, the flavor of this score has a definite taste of Zimmer to it, but it may simply stem from both composers having access to the latest and greatest in synth gear.

     The style of Alexander is very stylized and exotic-sounding. Again, it bares similarities to Gladiator in the overall sound of the instruments, but the Ancient World setting is put more to use here, and Vangelis’ addition of a choir is simply outstanding and delivers an epic-quality to the score that was sorely missing from Zimmer's foray. The basic rhythms in the score are primitive (especially when it comes to the percussion sections), but effective and adeptly fit into a feeling that mimics the time-period.

     Occasionally, however, Vangelis tends to reference, either directly or indirectly, certain other films that occasionally pulled me out of the experience. The worst of these is the percussion line in Bagoa’s Dance, which is right out of John Powell’s Bourne scores. It is pretty much the exact same electronic percussion beat, and I’m stymied as to why Vangelis included it on here. Is it a standard beat available to these synth packages? Perhaps. Thankfully, it is the worst offender, and the other moments are just close enough to segue into other pieces that I am familiar with as opposed to be directly related. Still, for a score that works so effectively for the most part, these scattered moments serve only as a minor irritation.

      A wonderful work by Vangelis, Alexander comes highly recommend to anyone looking for a flavorful and masterly composed film score.

01 - Introduction

02 - Young Alexander (1:36)

03 - Titans (3:59)

04 - The Drums of Gaugamela (5:20)

05 - One Morning At Pella (3:11)

06 - Roxane's Dance (3:25)

07 - Eastern Path (2:58)

08 - Gardens of Delight (5:24)

09 - Roxane's Veil (4:40)

10 - Bagoas' Dance (2:29)

11 - The Charge (1:41)

12 - Preparation (1:42)

13 - Across the Mountains (4:11)

14 - Chant (1:38)

15 - Immortality (3:18)

16 - Dream of Bablylon (2:41)

17 - Eternal Alexander (4:37)

18 - Tender Memories (2:59)