REVIEW | THE RED VIOLIN

I simply love this score. What I find so fascinating is that the concert piece “Chaconne for Orchestra and Violin” was written before the film score was written. So, basically, Corigliano had already written his film score before the picture was finished and all he had to do was adapt it to the images. Most of the major themes and motifs are in the concert work however the Chaconne is a much larger set piece which incorporates the entire symphony orchestra (powerful stuff) while the film score itself is a much smaller and intimate work. The Chaconne is easily one of the great stand alone pieces of music these ears have ever heard. And then to hear those themes developed and dissected into the film score is a brilliant feat in itself.

If you aren’t familiar with the score then you might want to start with the Chaconne first so that you are familiar with the themes and then can go through the score proper to hear how they are adapted and utilizes. Or you could play the album from start to finish and then hear the Chaconne last which works almost as a 17 minute long End Credit piece. Which ever way you do listen to it the experience will be a rewarding one. It all plays more like a concert work rather than a film score anyway.

NOW PLAYING “Chaconne For Violin and Orchestra” | The Red Violin | John Corigliano

Corigliano’s main The Red Violin theme is stated numerous times throughout the score but it goes through many variations (all brilliant performed by Joshua Bell) that keeps the theme from becoming stagnant. One of my favorites version is when Corigliano turns the theme into a hypnotic tune to help seduce the character Morritz. Corigliano gives the violin a real voice and soul.

Different cultures and sounds are featured in the score as well. The Gypsy music is about a light as the score gets and is a most welcomed piece to take the score out of its dark, moody atmosphere, which is the dominate texture during the albums playing time.

Also check out the track “Etudes” which is a piece where violinist Joshua Bell show us what he is made of. The tracks starts off with what I assume is a metronome clicking at a very slow tempo. Bell begins his performance playing a very difficult passage as a leisurely pace. The metronome soon begins to speed up and so does Bell until we are at a breakneck speed and you wonder if Bell’s violin strings are on fire. Bell doesn’t miss a beat or a note. Absolutely masterful!

NOW PLAYING: “Etudes” | The Red Violin | John Corigliano

Esa-Pekka Solonan conducts the LA Philharmonic in one of those rare scores in the past 10-15 years or so that truly deserved to win the Academy Award.

I really hope that we get to hear more from John Corigliano in the film world, however, after having his Edge of Darkness score rejected last year I doubt Corigliano will dabble in film ever again.  It’s too bad really because he is a gifted composer and has written three stunning film scores in his career. Revolution made its debut on Varese Sarabande Records a few years ago and if you don’t have Altered States or The Red Violin in your collections I highly recommend you remedy that right away. You will not be disappointed.

THE RED VIOLIN | Sony Classical SK 63010 | 1999