The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

Composer and Conductor: Eric Serra
Orchestra: The London Session Orchestra
Choral (Director): The Metro Voices (Jenny O' Grady)
Lable (Release Year): Sony Classical (1999)
Availability: ****
Rating: ***1/2

The Messenger marks yet another collaboration between Eric Serra and French director Luc Besson. The last one is being The Fifth Element. Due to the genre of the movie, The Messenger obviously will not be like The Fifth Element being a fun filled score. However, there are similarities between them.

The album starts off with a soft and mellow cue. It has a beautiful but not very dominant motif that is first introduced by clarinet and then is fully exposed by the string section accompanied by harp. It is a very good track, however, most of the tracks of the first half of the album just could not keep up with it. As you can see, the first half (before track 15) of the album contains mostly very short tracks. Most of them are just dark and very low key under score. They don't really have strong thematic materials. Sometimes, they will contain a motif or two in bits and pieces and they are too subtle. Most of them are filled with the electronic stuffs that you can hear in The Fifth Element. "No Amen", "Chinon", and "Procession To Orleans" are the only stand-out tracks. "Chinon" is a good action track but just falls too short. Fortunately, after listening the rather dull first half, I find myself having a good time listening to the second half.

The second half is where the orchestra, the choral, and the thematic materials really kick in. As you can see, it contains the longer tracks of the score. Starting off with "The Tourelles", it is a rather bombastic cue. It sounds very much like a variation on the theme of Predator by Alan Silvestri. "La Hire's Lucky Charm" is another version of the motif mentioned before and it is played with guitar with time. "To Arms", the longest track on the album, is my favorite track. I think is a major theme of the whole score and I am surprised that it does not appear until this point of the album. It has a good larger than life and majestic feel. The track is long enough so that it is built up very well. "Armaturam" is the first track that the choral has a strong lyrical part. It is another majestic and noble track that reminds me of Howard Shore's Looking for Richard. The next track "The Miracle" picks up where the last track left off and the noble music continues. "Rex Coronatur" is a reprise of "The Tourelles". "Anger and Confession" and "Answer Me" return to the quieter moment like before. "The Repetitance" is an electronic version of "The Tourelles". Of course, in an epic film, it is not surprising to hear an adaptation piece of "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana." And the last score track "Angellus In Medio Ignic" is exactly that. I think it makes a good conclusion of the score. And the song "My Heart Calling", written by Eric Serra and Noa, is a very good song.

In general, the score occasionally gives you a good epic and medieval feel. However, I just think Serra used a bit too much of electronic instruments. Nonetheless, it is a decent score and worth a listen.



    Track Listing:
  1. Talk To Him (2:31)
  2. A Sword In A Field (0:49)
  3. Joan And The Wolves (1:17)
  4. Burying Our Children (1:31)
  5. No Amen (1:54)
  6. At One With You (1:11)
  7. Chinon (1:06)
  8. Yolande (1:39)
  9. The Messenger Of God (2:45)
  10. Find Him (1:21)
  11. Secrets Of A Strange Wind (4:53)
  12. To The King Of England (1:34)
  13. Sent By God (0:59)
  14. Procession To Orleans (1:32)
  15. Recrossing The River (2:16)
  16. The Tourelles (4:12)
  17. La Hire's Lucky Charm (1:51)
  18. To Arms (5:59)
  19. Armaturam Dei (3:19)
  20. The Miracle Of Orleans (2:00)
  21. Rex Coromatur (2:50)
  22. Trial (3:37)
  23. Anger And Confession (2:05)
  24. Answer Me (1:15)
  25. The Repentance (2:51)
  26. Angelus In Medio Ignis (2:16)
  27. Noa - My Heart Calling (4:23)
    Total Time: 63:56


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