Burwell returns to handle
Breaking Dawn - Part 2
and build upon the tremendous progress he made in the previous score.
The composer's career has always been defined by awkward meters,
disjointed chords, and harmonies that are difficult to grasp, but in
these final two
Twilight scores, he has managed to transition
that personal preference towards the needs of the rather
straight-forward fantasy elements in these stories. Ten years prior, it
would have been inconceivable to think that Burwell would unleash
harmonically satisfying, resounding orchestral and choral music of the
nature heard especially in
Breaking Dawn - Part 2. There are his
traditional stylistic fingerprints still evident throughout the work, in
part because of the continuation of his primary theme from the 2008
movie, but multiple sequences reveal a side of the composer that
emulates the unashamed fun of Christopher Young's
Priest, a cheap
but in this case effective choice. Several cues in
Breaking Dawn -
Part 2 utilize ear-friendly gothic magnificence, some of which, as
in "Exacueret Nostri Dentes in Filia," raising the deeply chanted choral
hell from Jerry Goldsmith's
The Omen scores (though in this case
with appropriately funny Latin lyrics). Emphasis on brass muscularity
over bombastic percussive ramblings is impressive in many cases, though
equally derivative in parts, such as the reference to Don Davis'
The
Matrix in "Chasing Renesmee." Some of the outrageously massive
battle music at the end was co-written by two of Burwell's assistants,
however. The instrumentation of the remainder of the score continues to
be the key to the effectiveness of Burwell's return to the saga. The
piano is again the emotional heart of the tale, performed on screen once
more during another affectionate scene, rotating between the original
"Bella's Lullaby" and a new, related identity for the character's
daughter, Renesmee. Various guitars continue to represent the coolness
of the vampires in the concept, and the Japanese Taiko drums and
associate stick-banging is reprised for the werewolves. The mixing of
these elements continues to improve with each Burwell entry, "Cloud
Forest" particularly impressive in its layering. Even the pop-like cues,
best exemplified by "A World Bright and Buzzing," are more palatable
than before, the electric guitar performances of the lullaby over varied
percussion and electric bass yielding to a resounding Basil
Poledouris-like brass conclusion in that cue. The most intriguing
emphasis in
Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is the addition of the choral
mix, a rarity for Burwell and one that provides an invaluable identity
to the baddies in this tale. Heard first in "The Immortal Children,"
this material flourishes in "Gathering in Snow."
Thematically, Burwell creates a more cohesive tapestry
in
Breaking Dawn - Part 2. The main theme, "Bella's Lullaby," one
of immense personal meaning to the composer, is adapted to represent the
entire clan of protagonists in the story. Its associated motif of
happiness, heard once again at the very end of this score ("Such a
Prize"), is still distractingly similar to the equivalent theme at the
end of
Conspiracy Theory, but at least it utilizes more of
Burwell's traditional style of movement for veteran enthusiasts of the
composer. The new theme for the daughter is a simple offshoot of the
main lullaby as well, a logical choice and one introduced on flute in
"Meet Renesmee." The developed theme for the evil vampires in "The
Immortal Children" and "Reading Edward" is a guilty pleasure and
resembles the monolithic, static stomping heard in Shore's franchise
entry. Perhaps the most interesting and praise-worthy aspect of
Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is Burwell's choice to score the "Twilight
Overture" with a combination of his themes and those by Desplat and
Shore. This outstanding tribute to the entire franchise's music opens
with flirtation between Burwell's main lullaby and Desplat's
New
Moon theme before affording the latter its piano-led solo dues. A
prevailing action motif from Shore's
Eclipse proceeds with
expected dual-note expressions and slammed percussion. Remarkably,
Desplat's theme and Burwell's lullaby both ramble out of this Shore
insertion before "Bella's Lullaby," as intended by Burwell, receives a
final performance that builds up to its
Conspiracy Theory-like
conclusion. This cue is among the best of 2012, in part because of the
mere choice of included themes but also because of how well Burwell
arranges them together. Thereafter, the
Breaking Dawn - Part 2
album contains a few sequences of highly listenable material, notable in
the first third and in the cues leading up to the final confrontation.
The several minutes including and following "Sparkles at Last" (with a
downright lovely manipulation of the main theme) is outstanding,
"Catching Snowflakes" featuring a remarkable crescendo of string and
brass pulsations perfect for the awe and suspense of the moment.
Undeniable magic in "A Way With the World" is truly un-Burwell-like.
That said, there are some unlistenable explosions of percussive blasting
in the score, some of which abruptly opening album tracks that flow
directly out of pretty, prior cues. The closing tracks, including "Such
a Prize," are a bit understated, too. A fantastic twenty-minute
compilation can be made of the highlights of
Breaking Dawn - Part
2, ultimately, and although the brief, heart-warming performance of
Desplat's theme may send listeners back for a full dose of
New
Moon, one could fill an entire CD album with engaging and memorable
material from Burwell's three scores for the franchise.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
