Robert Townson paid a great deal of attention to the release of this score from the Varese Sarabande CD Club by adding his own liner notes in tribute to, as he phrased it, a "genuine film music event." He was not wrong. The score took far too long to make its way to fans of the music of Elmer Bernstein.
I find the experience of hearing this music like drifting from emotions both dark and light as the score alights on the differing aspects of this film presentation of the life of Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster). The tenor of this score reminds me of Bernstein's documentary work or his scoring of the films of Charles and Ray Eames (if you threw the Eameses in prison, I guess).
The mono presentation is very crisp and clear and I like that they indicate unused portions of the score on the track listings. The bonus track is interesting and ear-catching and the 'secret' bonus track of the song based on "The Birdman" is a nice addition. I can't seem to hear this theme in the score so I'm guessing it was written apart from the film's themes? I certainly can't get it out of my head after listening to the CD!
I was drawn away from my post before completing my thoughts - so here goes round 2.
Bernstein draws considerable inspiration from bird calls in this music. This is a device that goes way back in classical music and was/is a staple of film music written for jungle settings (Miklos Rozsa's JUNGLE BOOK being one obvious example). Bernstein makes this less about atmosphere than about intimacy as Stroud begins to care for the birds. The birth of the baby birds in "Godfather Feto" is the standout cue encompassing this aesthetic (as Robert Townson points out in his liner notes).
The score also responds to the pressures of incarceration with heaviness and repeated phrases. Against this music, Stroud's positive accomplishments stand out in relief from the rigors of prison life. I particularly enjoy the cues "Cage Preparations" and "Cage Building" with their purposeful rhythms and peppy energy - this is classic Bernstein.
Then there is the ennobling music heard in full expression during the "Main Title" and repeated for the unused "End Credits" music. It pops up now and again throughout the score, but really acts as a kind of testament to a spirit that can rise above difficult circumstances no matter how hopeless. It has that stirring "Americana" feel that is a hallmark of the Elmer Bernstein sound.
