The Ninth Gate
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Composer: Wojciech Kilar
Orchestra (Conductor): The City of Prague Philharmonic and Chorus (Stephan Konicek) Lable (Release Year): Silva Screen Records America (1999) Availability: **** Rating: ***1/2 |
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Bram Stoker's Dracula and Portrait of a Lady are the best known film scores of Polish composer Wojciech Kilar among fans. Like some other film composers, e.g. Michael Nyman and Philip Glass, Kilar is more active in the contemporary classical music world. Kilar, born in 1932, is associated with the group of contemporary composers known as Vintage 33 since the other composers, Mikolaj Henryk Góreki and Krysztof Penderecki, were both born in 1933. The Ninth Gate marks another rare appearance of Kilar in film scoring. Although one may put Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Ninth Gate in the same genre, Kilar's scores for both films are quite different. While Dracula is a more energetic and symphonic score, The Ninth Gate is quite subtle and soft. The opening track "Vocalise" is a very poignant vocal theme. Sumi Jo's beautiful voice adds another dimension to the sorrow of the piece. "Opening Titles" is a strings dominant deviously eerie theme. It is like the strings only version of Christopher Young's theme for Hellraiser. It can be heard quite frequently in the score. "Corso" marks the entrance of the third theme. Unlike the previous two, it is a very playful and catchy theme with muted trumpet as the solo instrument. "Bernie Is Dead" is an array of unsettling solos by oboe (maybe English horn), clarinet, and piano. Interestingly enough, the playful "Corso" theme can be heard in the middle. Like some contemporary music, "Liana" and "Chateau Saint Martin" are cues that a motif keeps repeating itself while it changes slight in every few bars (The same (minimal?) technique can also be heard in Michael Nyman and Philip Glass' works). "Plane To Spain (Bolero)", the longest track on the CD, is one of the highlights. It features two bolero version of the "Corso" theme. The first version is a playful one while the second version is a serious one. Following the reprise of the "Corso" theme in "Missing Book," an intense brass motif makes the first and brief appearance in "Stalking Corso". "Liana's Death", a cue combine with unsettling piano and the brass motif, marks the start of a series of good cues. We also start to hear more of the Kilar of Dracula. "Boo!" picks up where "Liana's Death" left off. "The Chase" is a soft piano version of a major motif in Dracula. "Balkan's Death" is the best cue of all. Starting with the bold brass motif, the orchestra gradually builds up and the chorus kicks in at mid point and we hear the gothic and haunting chorus theme for the first time. It is definitely a reminiscence of Dracula. With Sumi Jo's powerful voice over it, it is no doubt a top notch piece. "Corso and the Girl" is a mix of "Vocalise"/ "The Chase" and a reprise of "Balkan's Death". The score bookends with a reprise of "Vocalise". Other than strings, piano is also a key instrument of the score. Because of the way that Kilar uses of piano, the score also reminds me of Jerry Goldsmith's Coma. Soprano Sumi Jo' vocal is also well used. In general, The Ninth Gate is very atmospheric and has many good moments. If you like a quieter horror score, I would recommend this one to you. | |
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