Horner: Film music

I've been relistening to a CD that has unintentionally migrated from my father's collection into mine. I really need to send it back to him. And I need to buy my own copy because this collection of film tunes is great fun. A tremendously impressive recording from the Telarc studios it is too. There are two highlights amongst these 14 tracks. I never seem to tire of James Horner's schmaltzy and elegiac music for the 1985 feature film Cocoon. Typical American Edelkitsch, likely, but its a product of great craftmanship (of a barely 30-year old composer). A beautiful theme, stirringly developed and brilliantly orchestrated (with a trumpet voice that reminds me of Hovhaness' Mysterious Mountain). Also his soundtrack for the second Star Trek movie (The Wrath of Khan) is always a pleasure to hear (with Leonard Nimoy voice-over). The other piece on this collection that I keep returning to is Bill Conti's march from his music for Philip Kaufman's 1983 epic The Right Stuff. I've always loved this movie (must have seen it at least four times) and Conti's radiant and soldierly music is the perfect foil for it. It craftily wraps a highly strung, jubilant theme (introduced in melancholy shades by a beautiful solo for cor anglais) in a no-holds-barred 'right stuffish' march.

There are more great tracks in this varied collection. John William's Planet Krypton from Superman is a terrific opener. Also Don Dorsey's all-synthesizer Dimensions is a great hifi demonstration piece. And then there is one track with live recordings of humpback whale songs which are eerily beautiful. All in all a delightful disc that doesn't wear thin.