Cleopatra

Varese Sarabande Records

Music Composed and Conducted by, Alex North

Produced by Nick Redman, Robert Townson, and Lukas Kendall

Release Date: 2001

     Cleopatra was a monster of a film. With a budget that leaped from 2 million to 44 million dollars (which in today's dollars amounts to roughly 400 million), the almost complete re-casting of the main leads, and the myriad of delays that plagued shooting, it became the film that would either make or break Fox Studios. Fortunately for Fox, the film managed to do very well at the box office despite its four hour running time (which had originally been clocked in at five hours before it was trimmed down). With the arrival of Cleopatra on DVD, Varese Sarabande has issued the definitive release of the score. This is definitely a happy day for those who love the film. In addition to the super 3-disc DVD set, the 2-disc soundtrack release is stuffed to the gills with both discs running over 72 minutes in length, and extensive linear notes that cover just about every aspect of the film.

     The tremendous undertaking of scoring such a mammoth production as Cleopatra fell into the capable hands of Alex North. North had previously scored Spartacus for Stanley Kubrick, so he was no stranger to the time period. The approach that classic film composers have taken in genre films of this nature has always fascinated me, mostly in regard to just how different they sound from more modern efforts. Since the film is about the Egyptian and Roman Empires, there are plenty of moments for North to break into the styles of those respected areas. The typical style that one would expect is utilized, but it is generally more subtle than other scores of this nature, such as Gladiator or The Mummy. It takes some getting used to, especially if you enjoy the usual heavy presence of that style, but overall it works quite nicely.

     With such major leads in the film, and the complexity of scoring such a big project, there are definitely a lot of themes in the score. Again, as with the Arabian-esque moments, their usage can be quite subtle. The themes are very well utilized, and appear in a variety of forms. Given the pressure that North was undoubtedly feeling while composing the score, it should come as no surprise that there are also several moments lifted from Spartacus. Having not heard that score, I couldn't really tell where those moments are, but that should be a testament to how well he incorporates that material.

     The sound quality is surprisingly good for a score of this age. Some of the tracks are a tad muffled, and some of the higher notes sound a little restricted, but there was no analog hiss or tape distortion that I could detect. It is an excellent mastering job all around.

     This is an excellent release from Varese, and no fan of North or Cleopatra should be without it. Highly recommended for any film score collection. *****

Track Listing - Disc 1

1 - Overture (2:42)

2 - Main Title (2:51)

3 - Pharsalia (1:17)

4 - Caesar to Egypt (1:57)

5 - The VIPs / King Ptolemy (0:59)

6 - Pompey’s Ring (2:53)

7 - A Gift for Caesar (1:51)

8 - Only Yesterday (1:31)

9 - Epilepsy (3:20)

10 - Great Library (2:05)

11 - Moon Gate (4:20)

12 - Taste of Death (1:47)

13 - Sympathy (1:45)

14 - Coronation (1:51)

15 - Fertility (4:49)

16 - Alexander’s Tomb (3:45)

17 - Calpurnia (1:59)

18 - The Fire Burns / Son of Caesar (3:43)

19 - Caesar’s Departure (3:40)

20 - Cleopatra Enters Rome (6:49)

21 - By Divine Right (2:06)

22 - Death in the Garden (1:44)

23 - Caesar’s Assassination (4:57)

24 - Requiem (1:32)

25 - Farewell (1:39)

26 - Entr’acte (Caesar & Cleopatra) (2:32)

27 - Hail Antony (3:12)

28 - Isis (1:23)

29. Love Theme (reprise) (0:30)

Total Running Time: 76:00
 

1. Cleopatra’s Barge (2:54)

2. Most Becoming (1:38)

3. Food (0:54)

4. Antony and Cleopatra in Tarses (3:38)

5. Bacchus (2:41)

6. Antony and Cleopatra’s Love (3:10)

7. One Breath Closer (2:40)

8. Love and Hate (2:16)

9. Athens (2:37)

10. Cleopatra’s Ambition (1:15)

11. War (0:44)

12. Interlude / Sea Battle (14.36)

13. My Love Is My Master (4:17)

14. Two Heads (0:46)

15. Better Late Than Never (2:37)

16. Cleopatra’s Son / Antony’s Camp (2:19)

17. Never Fear (3:16)

18. Grant Me An Honorable Way to Die (2:37)

19. Antony’s Retreat / Transitions (2:02)

20. Dying Is Less Than Love (4:26)

21. Octavian the Victor (4:05)

22. Antony…Wait (3:55)

23. Epilogue (2:25)

24. Exit Music (Antony and Cleopatra) (2:26)

Total Running Time: 74:37