My local orchestra was supposed to be playing this live to picture this December and the performance was cancelled. Very disappointing. I wonder if it was a rights thing or if they just wouldn't have had time to get it down or what.
While I have no doubt that this score required a lot of difficult adaptation, and that Howard did it skillfully, it's hard for me to call this a James Newton Howard score.
The movie...I'm reminded of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. That is not a compliment, by the way. Fool me once, dot dot dot.
Yup precisely. Take a simple story and make it far more complicated so you can be flashy and show off your ability to make special effects. And yeah we really need JNH to make a modern adaptation of the classic music instead of just licensing a good recording of it.
I can't imagine this film times to a pre-existing recording of "The Nutcracker."
Indeed. And as Michael McCuistion ably demonstrated on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, there's a lot of fun to be had mining this material, if done properly...
(Fun fact: the original title for this cue was "Attack of the Sugarplum Fairy"...)
Before that, of course, was Danny Elfman with SCROOGED...
1. The Nutcracker and The Four Realms 2. Presents From Mother 3. Drosselmeyer 4. Clara’s New World 5. Mouserinks 6. Just a Few Questions 7. Sugar Plum and Clara 8. The Fourth Realm 9. The Polichinelles” 10. Clara Finds The Key 11. The Waterfall 12. The Bridge Fight 13. Clockwork Mice 14. The Machine Room Fight 15. Queen Clara 16. The Nutcracker Suite – Performed by Lang Lang 17. Fall On Me – Andrea Bocelli featuring Matteo Bocelli
Before that, of course, was Danny Elfman with SCROOGED...
So JNH will be in good company!
And let's not forget Williams' HOME ALONE.
JNH has been hit and miss in recent years, also in this genre (loved MALEFICENT, didn't really care for FANTASTIC BEASTS), so I'll await judgement. But the talent involved is impressive.
Only 1 Hour 6 Minutes in length and at least eight minutes of the score won't be anything original by JNH. The first cue is a bit to "Danny Elfman" inspired for my tastes. Don't let me down JNH!
Only 1 Hour 6 Minutes in length and at least eight minutes of the score won't be anything original by JNH. The first cue is a bit to "Danny Elfman" inspired for my tastes. Don't let me down JNH!
Only 1 Hour 6 Minutes in length and at least eight minutes of the score won't be anything original by JNH. The first cue is a bit to "Danny Elfman" inspired for my tastes. Don't let me down JNH!
I've listened to this score a couple of times and it's very pleasant but I have to admit that very little is sticking with me. JNH's original themes are completely overshadowed by Tchaikovsky's. I do love the "Queen Clara" cue, though. Sounds like Maleficient's long-lost cousin.
It's up on all the digital and streaming platforms...
The last 20 minutes (starting with 'The Waterfall') are great, but the first 40 are pretty meh, and the song is horrible. Plus the 'Nutcracker Suite' (which I assume are the end credits, not including that in the 20 minutes) are nothing anything worth sneezing about for one like me who knows the original pretty intimately. The Tchaikovsky interpretations are just sort of there too....kinda like that The Sorcerer's Apprentice movie, they don't really add to the score much.
This on Spotify. Certainly a disappointment. The treatment of Tchaikovsky's music is just off in every case it’s referenced.
Tracks I would cut out from the get go are-
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” “The Nutcracker Suite” (truly uninspired) “The Polichinelles” (Ugh, what was that?) “Fall on Me” (A very average pop song at best)
The rest is pleasant enough. Nice easy listening music, but it doesn’t exactly take me on a musical fantasy journey.
The score picks up some drama from “Clara Finds the Key” and on, in fact most tracks after that cross-fade on the album. But it’s hardly grand material.
“Queen Clara” like the majority of the score is sweet and beautiful but not a good way to end the album. But there's nothing else to replace it with.
