by Crono/Kyp on 11/7/2000
favorite track: 12
 
I was introduced to the music of Rachel Portman when I first saw the teaser trailer for The Legend of Bagger Vance, which uses original music from the movie. I promptly searched for other Portman albums and found The Cider House Rules, which I still love to this day. While similar in style (many Portman scores are), Cider House does not stand anywhere near the power that Bagger Vance conveys to the listener.

Hired early on in the project, Portman was able to get in touch with the story and characters and their struggles. After quickly establishing the main theme ("The Legend of Bagger Vance"), she uses it throughout the score in a lot of different ways. From a full orchestra blast to a tiny solo piano, this theme surrounds you as you listen.

Portman's minor themes are also great. The vocal performances heard in "Junuh Sees The Field" and "Junuh Comes Out of the Woods" are flawless and beautiful in every respect. This score would have been great without vocal performances, but having them makes it all the better.

The music from Bagger Vance surrounds the listener in a warm blanket, sounding good to the ear. You'll certainly be humming the main title long after listening to the CD. Again, there are similar elements in Bagger Vance as Cider House - here, however, the music is both more developed and even more beautiful.

When you get right down to it, this score is excellent, worth every penny, with the exception of the source music that bookends the album. I personally wish the album was all score, but in the long run it doesn't matter. Let's hope Portman's score will be recognized by the Academy, as Cider House was last year. Hopefully, this time she will win the much-deserved award. In any case, this score is brilliant and a worthy addition to your collection.