by Dylan on 10/2/2004
favorite track: 13
 
Christopher Young is best known for his horror scores, and The Dark Half is no exception. The film itself, an adaptation of the Stephen King book, is a bit of a mess (though it does have a wonderfully surreal opening scene). I watched the film a year or two ago, but I didn't remember the music. However, when I realized this was one Young score I wasn't familiar with, I decided to search for samples online. Upon hearing a 30-second sample from the first cue, I ordered it immediately. I had absolutely no recollection of such a gorgeous and seductive theme.

And indeed, the first track on the album, "Prologue and Tumor," is both beautiful and intensely frightening. We open up with a lovely piano theme, which then segues into dissonance and solo violin. Then suddenly, we are face to face with a phenominal and gothic theme performed with a boy's choir. This theme, heard for only about forty seconds in the first track, will make precious few appearences in the remainder of the score. The track then comes back to the lovely piano melody, but very soon will segue into the score's most dissonant and terrifying moments.

There is another theme in this score, a rather delicate and comfortable waltz that is featured in the track "Green to Green." The bulk remainder of the album is purely atmospheric music. Some of this is very beautiful, but most of it is unthematic, horrorific, but interesting.

"Sparrows" is an exciting track in which a lot of interesting action is contrasted with the horror, but it ends with a pleasureful bang. The choral theme first heard ever so briefly in "Prologue and Tumor" gets a gorgeously brief but epic statement, which recalls the most gothic and epic moments from Young's Hellraiser II score. And at last we arrive to my favorite track. The same theme which has only gotten two brief (albeit excellent) statements in the score finally gets its due when it's performed in full glory. Track 13, "The Dark Half" (or End Titles), is as good as film music gets. The boy's choir is magnificent, and the cue itself recalls both Elfman's Edward Scissorhands and Young's own Hellraiser. A grand effort from Young.