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Snow Falling on Cedars |
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Music Composed by James Newton Howard Conducted by Artie Kane Orchestrated by Brad Dechter, Jeff Armajian, James Newton Howard Release Date: 1999
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Snow Falling on Cedars is one of those
scores that is punctuated by epic moments of orchestral power, but that is
otherwise forgettable. The main theme of the score is emotionally powerful
and is greatly utilized in a few tracks, but otherwise the score trudges
along with dark atmospheric stuff. Things start to get interesting near the
end, but by that time it is two late.
The music does have its terrific moments. The main theme, which intertwines the orchestra with a choir, works very well and is a highlight of the score. Howard also throws in some ethnic Oriental instruments and a smidgen of electronic sounds for flavor. The sections that utilize either the main theme, the musical flavorings, or sometimes both, are among the best. These moments are present in the opening tracks of the CD, but taper off into the dark underscore until around track twenty. From there it picks back up again and delivers some good twists on the performances of the theme and strives hard to gain power. Unfortunately, it’s a long wait to the end. It is good quiet music to study or work to since it isn’t so noticeable except for the opening and ending parts, and maybe this will appeal to some. It really isn’t a bad score, and it probably works great in the film, but as a listening experience on its own I found it to be a bit lacking. If you’re a fan of James Newton Howard or if this kind of dark atmospheric music appeals to you, than you’ll probably find a lot to be happy with. Otherwise, you’ll probably want to skip on this one. ***1/2
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Track Listing 1 - Lost in the Fog (2:59) 2 - Carl's Fishing Net (2:52) 3 - Moran Finds the Boat (1:12) 4 - Hatsue and Ishmael Kiss (1:42) 5 - Kendo (0:51) 6 - Driftwood Hideaway (1:49) 7 - The Strawberry Field (3:54) 8 - The Worst Kind of News (1:07) 9 - Seven Acres (1:53) 10 - The German Soldier (3:13) 11 - Snowstorm (1:53) 12 - Coast Guard Report (1:12) 13 - Typeset (1:39) 14 - The Evacuation (6:34) 15 - Courtroom Montage (1:34) 16 - Susan Marie Remembers (1:36) 17 - The Defense (1:46) 18 - Snow Drive (1:29) 19 - Typing (1:41) 20 - Tarawa (4:09) 21 - The Battery (0:46) 22 - Carl And Kazuo Negotiate (1:44) 23 - Humanity Goes On Trial (4:47) 24 - New Evidence (1:23) 25 - Snow Angels (2:30) 26 - Can I Hold You Now? (4:47) 27 - End Titles (6:14) Total Running Time: 67:16 |
