Review from Doug's Corner

On The Beach
Composed And Conducted By Christopher Gordon

Varese Sarabande 302 066 153 2
26 Tracks Total Time 73:47

Easily my pick of the week. Sobering, eloquent music for a remake of a classic. And
a score that has somewhere to go, a destination.
On The Beach was first a novel by Nevil Shute. Stanley Kramer filmed it in 1959. His
movie had a great cast including Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony
Perkins. Unforgettable music was supplied by Ernest Gold, who based his primary
theme on the Australian song "Waltzing Matilda".
This new version helmed by Russell Mulcahy updates events to the year 2006 but
tells the same story. It hasn’t aired as I write this but advance word hasn’t been kind.
Bear this in mind. Discussing film music without seeing the movie is like half a
discussion. Maybe this once it’s not a big issue though. Just from album packaging and
reviews I gather we still have the big war, deadly fallout, survivors in Australia, sub
commander Towers and his lady Moira, mysterious signals from the North, a desolate
San Francisco. I know we have the submarine. And I’ll bet we get our beach. Any
substantial changes in the story however and we’ll find out together. Should we watch.
It’s not about atomic war destroying our planet but how a few survivors live those last
days before the "cloud" arrives. Sacrifice, courage, cowardice, anger, resignation. And,
of course, love. All that good stuff.
It’s great fodder for a composer. Lots of emotion. The composers for each version
made similar musical choices. Sad music, without optimism. No one gets blamed, no
bad guys and good guys stuff. Everything’s just tragic. Like many scores dealing with
somber images there are lots of strings, long lines, and harmonies as important as
melody. To his credit Christopher Gordon brushes an unusual array of color and style
within this doomed painting. And he’s got somewhere to go but more on that later.
Track one ("The World at War") reveals the folly. It’s symphonic, epic in scale. Track
two ("A New Day") goes in the opposite direction, gentle, fading. Solo French horn
paints a lonely picture as "Melbourne Decays" and martial percussion and trumpets
take over in "Decommission". All this color and the score’s just getting under way.
But Gordon’s music does have a destination. You can feel it by now. Key points
start coming into focus in "Through The Darkness". Strings, sad music, a Samuel
Barber does Ralph Vaughan Williams sound. It’s here. It’s the heart of Gordon’s music.
Amazingly, Gordon doesn’t rely on minor chords to make it sad. Major sonorities are as
important as minor ones.
It begins with solo harp and a major key, then swells as strings enter, emerging with
an important new motif. It recurs often, a sadly noble idea penetrating anything be it
major or minor. During "On The Jetty" the somber full main theme comes into focus. It’s
a rich, heartfelt piece, one of the most haunting television has produced. Though based
in a minor key it uses major sonorities often. The results are stirring. It’s given deeper
treatment during "The Great Ocean Road", both in terms of duration and rhythmic
interest.
There are diversions, such as during "Prepare To Dive". On a mission to track
mysterious signals, the submarine heads North to a rousing flourish. The "Voyage
North" brings spectacular brass ringing to the fore. "Anchorage" is pretty grim, ultimately
powerful.
Reaching the desolate city of San Francisco Gordon’s music grows intense, severe,
challenging. "Alien Landscape" stands out. Furious percussion, complex layers of
brass, swirling strings. Moving from clusters to musical pain, the lengthy sequence ends
with a haunting solo trumpet giving way to a most intense brass unison. One
powerhouse cue.
The sub still has somewhere to go though. Back home. Gordon devotes lengthy
cues for the final chapter. "Hirsch" stresses strings, expressive viola and cello lines,
moving music throughout.
And then comes "Flight Through The Apostles and Elegy". It’s a genuine highlight,
perhaps Gordon’s bid at an award. Starting with a stirring variant of the main theme
everything soars. Watch the horns! Unwinding it all, Gordon develops his main theme in
those invaluable strings.
But Gordon ain’t through yet. He’s kept a big chorus at bay for some time now. They
come out during "Lacrimosa". It’s his climax, his destination, as good as movie music
gets. Quite simply it’s what this score comes down to. Chorus, supported by strings.
Voices in two parts, in full chorus. Not ethereal, nor distant, this chorus opens the
heavens with a fortissimo in the minor.
Having brought his rich musical journey thus far, Gordon closes with a pair of moving
codas. First a brief solo for child soprano. Then in summary of emotion and musical
ideas Gordon ends with his lengthy "From The Beach, Silently Weeping". With one final
stroke Gordon paints a mournful, somber, beautiful portrait, and dots the eye with a last
delicate major chord.
Christopher Gordon had a lot to say and knew how to come and go with all of it.
Here’s movie music with vision. And a composer with an awesome career ahead. Moby
Dick and now this. What a moment it’s gonna be to hear him write a score to something
not a remake.
Varese provides a bare minimum of packaging, but does a great service by grouping
the selections under broad categories such as "Melbourne" and "San Francisco". They
give the listener a roadmap. And a bright and dynamic recording lets tourguide
Christopher Gordon keep you glued to the path.

NP- On the Beach (not-yet-rated)

Well it's a submarine score. But don't expect a U-571! instead of going down that road Gordon choose the more Saving Private Ryan/Thin Red Line approach, so theres lots of slow emotional string writting.
There are some dramatic, almost action like tracks, but nothing frentic. The first track is the only real action track which is kind of like an Overture called "The World At War". Theres also a chourus towards the end. I've been able find 3 themes so far, all are interesting, but I only can remember the heroic actiony one, the other 2 are more reflective and emotional. *****

On The USS Charlston
1. THE WORLD AT WAR 4:07

Melbourne
2. A NEW DAY 1:21
3. A MATTER OF MONTHS 0:55
4. MELBOURNE DECAYS 1:45
5. DECOMMISION 1:38
6. NORDSTROM'S THEORY 1:07
7. THROUGH THE DARKNESS 2:25

On The Beach
8. MOIRA AND TOWERS MEET 2:34
9. CHRISTMAS MEMORY 1:16
10. ON THE JETTY 1:43
11. THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD 4:02
12. THE BEGINNING OF THE END 1:00

Message from the North
13. PREPARE TO DIVE 1:28
14. VOYAGE NORTH 0:31
15. ANCHORAGE 5:45

San Francisco
16. ALIEN LANDSCAPE 4:51
17. SWAIN RETURNS HOME 3:23
18. THE VOTE 2:29
19. AT THE TAJ MAHAL 0:47

The Burial Cloud
20. HOMECOMING 0:47
21. HIRSCH 3:50
22. FLIGHT THROUGH THE APOSTLES AND ELEGY 5:56
23. FINAL FAREWELLS 4:53
24. LACRIMOSA 2:52
25. LUX PERPETUA 2:23
26. FROM THE BEACH SILENTLY WEEPING 6:34

73min