John Barry: Somewhere in Time Royal Scottish National Orchestra Artist

This re-recording of {|John Barry|}'s score for the 1980 {|Jeannot Szwarc|} {|romantic fantasy|} film is a bit of a puzzle, albeit a delightful one. Recorded in 20-bit digital audio by {|John Debney|} and {|the Royal Scottish National Orchestra|}, th... Read more

This re-recording of {|John Barry|}'s score for the 1980 {|Jeannot Szwarc|} {|romantic fantasy|} film is a bit of a puzzle, albeit a delightful one. Recorded in 20-bit digital audio by {|John Debney|} and {|the Royal Scottish National Orchestra|}, this is the best account ever given of that score -- ironically, {|MCA|}/{|Universal|}, which distributes {|Varese Sarabande|}, also has out the original soundtrack as a full-priced item in its catalog, though the latter has never been upgraded from its late-'80s remastering and offers less music than is present here. Every section of {|Barry|}'s music -- not just the vastly lyrical romantic passages, which are the obvious focus for most listeners -- is given a beautifully expansive reading. The darker sections, such as {|June 27th,|} {|Room 417,|} and {|The Attic,|} benefit from the playing of the full-size symphony orchestra, which offers more virtuosity than the {|MCA|} pick-up orchestra could ever bring to this music. {|Edwin Paling|}'s solo violin and {|Lynda Cochrane|}'s piano also bring an optimal realization to the key musical moments in the original portions of the score, which the {|Rachmaninoff|} variation used as a key plot element. One is able to perceive, in this score as realized on this CD (especially on the track {|A Day Together|}), the rich and expansive internal orchestral language that {|Barry|} would employ to brilliant effect in his scoring of {|Dances With Wolves|} a decade later. ~ Bruce Eder Less