Strings Composed by Jørgen Lauritsen
Keep Moving Records (2010)
Rating:
7/10
“LAURITSEN’S score
for STRINGS is perhaps too delicate and relaxing for its own good.
It often suggests that it may erupt into glorious fanfare before
checking itself and resuming into a more subdued but occasionally
breathtakingly fragile complexion.
”
A Puzzle of Strings
Review by Richard Buxton
The ancient tale of vengeance is one frequently visited by films the world
over, among these tales the avenging of one’s father is among the most
told. Never has such a story been told quite like it is in STRINGS
however, as Danish director Anders RØNNOW KLARLUND, with the help of
expert puppeteer BERND OGRODNIK set out to create a rich adventure in a
universe populated by actual marionettes. One’s immediate reaction is
likely to swing instantly between the “love it or hate it” camp on hearing
the premise, but is undeniably an original and fascinating one.
As our protagonist Hal, voiced by James McAvoy in the English dub, sets
out on his quest to the death of his father, he is accompanied the lush
sweeping harmonies of RØNNOW KLARLUND, a newcomer at the time of the
release of STRINGS having only score one (TV) movie beforehand.
Fittingly KALRLUND’s score is mostly dominated by strings that provide a
beautiful and resounding depth to the sound. Immediately, in the opening
track “Death of the King/Main Title”, a range of emotions pour out of the
string section that range from mourning to optimism and triumph. The
tonality instantly switches in the subsequent track, “Evil Plan”, into a
creeping and dissonant atmosphere.
As the tracklist plays out it is interest to notice how the soundtrack has
been structured. More often than not the mood of the score has been
arranged to build tension in one track and release in the next, repeating
the process in the following pair of compositions. “Requiem/Close The City
Gates/Fencing Fight” unravels in a similar manner to the opening track in
its variety of emotions before “Lost Hand/Invisible Letter” winds down the
excitement and weaves a more subdued atmosphere as the motifs are
punctuated by frequent breaks consisting of drawn out string
reverberations. This is again apparent in the tracks, “Mausoleum/Quest
Begins” and “The Swamp/Hal’s Letter” as the former echoes the main theme
before giving way to the underscore of the latter.
The decision to structure the score in such a way benefits the listener in
that the experience avoids becoming too predictable but perhaps foils
itself in suddenly dropping any momentum previously gained. Nowhere is
this is more apparent than in a nonetheless strong track,
“Marketplace/Fallen Idol/Meeting With Zita”. The delicate theme builds up
delightfully before transitioning into a frantic string motif. Once the
track threatens to reach its peak it drops off into near silence for the
final 30 seconds, clearly with the intention of making a smooth switch
into “Love At First Sight/Midnight Trap/The Birth”. While it is
understandable that a transition between tracks should avoid any jarring
change-ups, it comes at a disappointment when LAURITSEN provides moments
of excellence, only to be scuppered by the constraints of a soundtrack
release and perhaps the film itself. Despite this, “Love At First
Sight/Midnight Trap/The Birth” revives the heights previously reached with
a sumptuous string and harp duet finale.
LAURITSEN’S consistent ability to paint each manner in which he has scored
with delicacy is something of a marvel at times as he has managed to weave
melancholy and grace into the most dramatic and least subtle moments of
the score. “Mountain Climb/Jhinna In Prison” opens with a forceful horn
rally before the return of the harp and strings.
As the score moves into the final half of the tracklist the complexion of
the score shifts somewhat and becomes harder to predict and is all the
better for it. From the exotic percussion of “Drum Dance/The Warrior
Zita’s Dance” to the gorgeous sweeping of the strings and descents of the
harp in “We Are All Connected”.
In a string-dominated score, the emergence of horns comes as a welcome
shift in dynamics when they do arise, and this is exemplified in the
reflective “Truth Revealed” as the Horns compliment the strings well. The
horns also often represent LAURITSEN’S rare expedition into action
territory as heard in “Fight For Freedom/Jhinna’s Execution. The word
“action” is perhaps defined somewhat differently in STRINGS as it might be
in, say, AVATAR, but it is effective all the same, despite the lack of
distinct bombast. “The Final Battle/Hal Return/Burning Strings/After The
War” all hint at a potential explosion into traditional action-based music
but LAURITSEN opts to take a more subtle approach, never forcing the
emotions on the listener, but never quite whisking them away as he may
have intended.
The absence of a truly obvious main theme for STRINGS is somewhat puzzling
as it seems to be hinted at early on in the score, but never truly
materializes as a powerful force in the various, often anonymous, motifs
heard throughout. LAURITSEN does manage to squeeze out one of the
strongest tracks for the finale n “Jhinna’s Farewell” which comprises of
beautiful vocals that lead into a triumphant and resounding conclusion.
LAURITSEN’S score for STRINGS is perhaps too delicate and relaxing for its
own good. It often suggests that it may erupt into glorious fanfare before
checking itself and resuming into a more subdued but occasionally
breathtakingly fragile complexion. For only his second score, STRINGS, was
an impressive follow-up to his debut, and LAURITSEN is clearly worth
taking notice of in any future projects.
Rating:
7/10
Track
Track Title
Track Time
Rating
1
Death of the
King/ Main Title
2:49
****
2
Evil Plan
1:49
**
3
Requiem/
Close
the City
Gates/
Fencing
Fight
2:25
***
4
Lost
Hand/
Invisible
Letter
1:22
***
5
Hal
Ready
for
Revenge
1:12
***
6
Mausoleum/ Quest Begins
2:25
****
7
The Swamp/ Hal's Nightmare
2:50
***
8
The Letter
1:20
***
9
Beauty and the Beast
1:29
***
10
Marketplace/ Fallen Idol/ Meeting with Zita
2:15
****
11
Love at First Sight/ Midnight Trap/ The Birth
3:30
****
12
Mountain Climb/ Jhinna in Prison
2:05
***
13
Ghrak's Story/ Fighting at the Lake
4:30
***
14
Underwater
0:57
**
15
Stranger with No Name/ Ghrak's Renewal
1:56
***
16
Drum Dance/ The Warrior/ Zita's Dance
2:32
**
17
We are All Connected
2:53
***
18
Akra's Death
1:08
****
19
Tied by Hate and Bound by Love/ The Path of Betrayal
1:52
***
20
Erito in Dungeon
1:29
****
21
Hal Lost in Desert
2:21
****
22
Some People are Bound Together
1:21
***
23
Truth Revealed
1:12
****
24
Fight for Freedom/ Jhinna's Execution
1:30
****
25
Fall of the Tyrant
1:09
***
26
Prelude to War
1:46
**
27
The Final Battle/ Hal Return/ Burning Strings/ After the War
