CD Review: Michael Nyman compilation
The Very Best of Michael Nyman - Film Music 1980-2001 ****
MICHAEL NYMAN
Virgin CDVED957
Disc One: 19 tracks - 75:39 Disc Two: 20 tracks 74:51
(UK/ European release October 2001
US/ Canada release February 2002)
"Best of" compilations are usually a cynical excuse to repackage old
material in a shiny new case -- great for the uninitiated who want a broad
introduction to an established talent, but of no interest to the fans who
already have the tracks nestling elsewhere in their collections. So, kudos
to Virgin for releasing this long overdue two-disc set that not only contains
crowd-pleasers like The Piano and Wonderland, but previously
unreleased music or variants on available work. Newcomers get a comprehensive
introduction to Nyman's experimental world, and the fans get to fill in
the gaps in their already exhaustive collections.
I won't wax lyrical on the structure/merits of Nyman's work (previous
FSM
reviews have tackled this in detail), but rather concentrate on the lost
treasures that are finally available to the populace. On the down side,
the track listings don't indicate what film the music is from, thus making
it difficult for the borderline fan to determine what he's buying. This
is partially remedied by a sticker revealing that the set contains '...music
from The Piano, Gattaca and Wonderland.'
Arguably, a greater selling point is the inclusion of Practical Magic,
which was replaced in the movie at the eleventh hour by Alan Silvestri's
score. Nyman featured on the first pressing of the predominantly "songs-from"
disc, but this was hastily withdrawn and re-released with Silvestri's tracks.
Until now, the original version of the disc was a Holy Grail for Nyman
collectors, so it's a pleasure to hear the enchanting "Convening the Coven"
on a mainstream release.
As well as the premiere release of new recordings from Monsieur Hire
and Nelly's Version, there's new recordings from The Hairdresser's
Husband and Carrington, plus a previously unavailable track
("Miranda Previsited") from Prospero's Books. Add to that some previously
unavailable (in the UK) work from The Ogre, The Diary of Anne
Frank and the sublimely beautiful Gattaca and you can see why
this shapes up a definitive collection. The discs also feature tracks from
The
Piano, Wonderland, The Claim, the erotically-charged
Six
Days, Six Nights, Golden Globe-nominated The End of the Affair,
cannibal-fest Ravenous, Greenaway's The Falls, A Zed and
Two Noughts and operatic The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover
and Drowning by Numbers.
The composer's anecdote-laced liner notes are particularly enlightening.
Did you know that "Chasing Sheep..." from The Draughtsman's Contract
was based on an interlude from Purcell's The Fairy Queen or
that Wonderland was originally temped with The Piano? On
a personal note, it's gratifying to see that my original printed observation's
about The Claim's homage to Once Upon a Time in the West
is acknowledged by the composer -- he describes it as "Miranda (from Prospero's
Books) meets Morricone."
Even if you already own The Essential Michael Nyman Band compilation,
this is an opportunity to get bang up-to-date, or just re-acquaint yourself
with his prolific output. The new discs also allow you to sample the various
incarnations of Nyman's musicians, from The Zoo Orchestra to The Michael
Nyman Band and Michael Nyman Orchestra. And while you travel on this chronological
aural journey, you get a full appreciation of how the music even segues
between films, thus making the album a coherent whole, rather than a mismatched
gathering of old tracks.
Not since Elfman's Music from a Darkened Theatre Volume 2 have
we been treated to such generous suites on a 'best of' compilation. For
a minimalist composer, there's maximum value on offer with this 2 and 1/2
hour celebration of Michael Nyman at the movies. -- Nick Joy
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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