Brave Soundtrack

Okay - this is not a review. I can't review things seriously; it's way too much pressure. But still, I've recently purchased the wonderful Brave Soundtrack on iTunes, for the total fee of £7.99. Should be saving moneys for university, but trust me, it was worth it. The music is fabulous.

It uses a large amount of traditional Scottish/Gaelic instruments, those oh-so-familiar bagpipes (smoking hot) and tin whistles, with those large skin drums that were traditional throughout the Celtic tribes of the British Isles. It's fantastic, really. Coupled with the usual film-music orchestra, it's brilliant. The composer of the orchestral score pieces, Patrick Doyle, is amazing. He gets the instruments, you know? He knows how to use that drone on the pipes, tension building, rising, continuous terror and fear expanding within you. Until bam! he's flipped into one of those old country-tunes, the traditional kind of melody you associate with Scotland and Ireland, lilting and carefree, flipping up and down the scales. Its's fantastic - he knows timbre. Pops the bass clarinet in with pizzicato strings, and BAGPIPES ARE BACK! As you can probably tell, I'm listening write now (harp - amazing) to "Through the castle", I think this is when *spoiler* they're trying to get Bear-Mum out of the castle, because the Father will kill her. :)

 

But yes, it's a very, very good soundtrack. constant flipping from motif to theme, backwards and forwards. A real step up for Disney - but I will put in a good word for Alan Menken; Tangled is another film with one of those unforgettable soundtracks that you just want to sing and dance to. Of course, this is the genius behind the Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack (also on the iPod) and Beauty and the Beast. Then again, Mr. Doyle has also previously composed the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Both notable composers. Huh. I wonder what it takes to become a successful film composer. Good music, I suppose.

 

Note, scary track = "show us the way". Yeah, the chords will send chills down your spine, especially when coupled with that bloody tin whistle, and those glissandos on the strings. I think I just peed a little. (>_<) Scary, scary stuff.