In one of the most fascinating switches within a franchise in years, Desplat's music for The Twilight Saga: New Moon reverses the equation of Burwell's previous score. The intellectually deeper, mostly orchestral score by Desplat is sure to attract significant attention from traditional film music enthusiasts (including the composer's own growing following among an older crowd). On the other hand, many franchise devotees immediately condemned this score for lacking the rough, modern edge that Burwell had established, not to mention the fact that Desplat completely disregarded Burwell's thematic constructs. Thus, there are two equally important but completely different ways of looking at the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: New Moon. On one hand, Desplat put far more intellectual thought into the concept that it deserved, yielding a much more palatable score than Burwell. On the other hand, he failed to satisfy any of the expectations of the concept's viewership. From the perspective of someone who thinks that the entire Twilight phenomenon is asinine, you have to prefer the direction taken by Desplat. But unfortunately what matters here is the collective opinion of the hoards of fangirls who lined up for days to view this picture in the theatre. No other intended audience existed for the entire production, and judging by the parameters of what appeals to these young women, Desplat's music is inappropriate. As irritating as Burwell's score was in its majority, that was the kind of music the franchise needed and deserved. Desplat was certainly capable of retaining the romantically classical touch that he and Weitz obviously agreed upon for The Twilight Saga: New Moon while also infusing some contemporary tones for either the action or more melodramatic brooding scenes (some of his instrumentation from Largo Winch would have been of help here). Ultimately, by emphasizing the classical nature of the vampire and werewolf mythos, Desplat's ensemble was predictable. For many listeners, it will sound like an extension of The Golden Compass, even down to the accentuated supporting roles for harp, triangle, xylophone, flutes, piano, and pulsating electronic bass rhythms. Fortunately, Desplat doesn't overplay these elements; each defines his style well and creates the mysterious atmosphere of the story's uncertain characters, with the possible exception of the synthetic bass pulsations. Compared to string bass plucking that can better enunciate the emotional intent of a cue, Desplat's rambling thumping sound continues to be a detriment.

Perhaps the most notable aspect in which Desplat's music fails to nail the concept's tone is in the action sequences. There are shades of The Golden Compass to be heard in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, but these accelerated rhythms and jabbing brass figures never coalesce into any statement as truly convincing or satisfying as those that overwhelmed in the memorable 2007 score. These are likely the portions of the score that will most offend franchise fans. On the other hand, the Desplat does beautifully convey a sense of whimsy and dread at once in his remarkable love theme that resides at the center of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. With surprisingly basic progressions and an abundance of dramatic harmony also of the most simplistic kind, this love theme for Bella and Edward is among the composer's most accessible themes. Its elementary shifts and lengthy string performances give it a sense of warmth (though slightly creepy, as necessary) often missing in Desplat's more technically accomplished compositions. It is presented brilliantly in the "New Moon," using a format of acceleration and addition of instruments (along with interlude pacing) in each statement that reminds of John Williams' concert arrangements. This cue is perhaps Desplat's single most engaging career piece thus far. It is joined by equally pretty though not quite as glowing renditions of the same love theme in "Edward Leaves" and "Full Moon," with added sense of wonder in its variations in "You're Alive" and "Marry Me, Bella." Together, you could form fifteen minutes of undeniably superior performances of this theme from the score-only product for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, making it a solid recommendation. The most prominent secondary motif in the score is a waltz for the Volturi (the vampire establishment), plainly introduced in "Volturi Waltz" and twisted into frightening forms in "To Volterra" and "The Volturi." This idea, along with the lengthy sequences of quiet brooding in the score, always leaves you wanting the next full performance of the love theme; the album runs a bit too long in these regards. To squeeze more money out of Desplat collectors, the label placed a unique, four-minute piano rendition of the love theme on only the song compilation album, a major disappointment. The score album has a few artifacts in its presentation, including an obnoxious click at 3:07 into the first track. Of Desplat's remarkable eight feature scores produced in 2009, though, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is among the most impressive despite its refusal to adhere to the desires of the concept's fanbase and only partial success in redefining the franchise's musical style.   @Amazon.com: CD or Download