Composer Marc Streitenfeld has been Scott's regular
composing collaborator since the mid-2000's, replacing Hans Zimmer, who
had mentored the younger German associate for several years prior. The
quality of Streitenfeld's output for Scott has varied considerably, his
work for
American Gangster clearly superior to
Body of
Lies and
Robin Hood thereafter. The intelligence of his
motific development for
The Grey earlier in 2012, regardless of
the poor listenability of the score, bode well for similar
thoughtfulness in
Prometheus. Strangely, also contributing to the
continuation of the
Alien concept is composer Harry
Gregson-Williams, another connection to Zimmer and Scott (the ill-fated
Kingdom of Heaven). While Streitenfeld is responsible for most of
the music in
Prometheus, the more established Gregson-Williams
contributed a theme for the mythological angle of the story that weaves
throughout several vital scenes, including the opening credits ("Life").
Fortunately, the material by Gregson-Williams is executed in a sound
similar enough to Streitenfeld's music to avoid any glaring stylistic
continuity issues, and mainstream listeners won't likely notice any
difference in the music by the two men here. The approach Streitenfeld
took to
Prometheus will please film music collectors familiar
with the franchise and worried about the dilution of the concept with
the kind of brainless, Remote Control-derived music that embarrassed
Battleship earlier the same year. Very conscious of the
franchise's history was Streitenfeld, who seemingly took inspiration
from Jerry Goldsmith, Elliot Goldenthal, and John Frizzell for the
various facets of his score. The eeriness of Goldsmith's original
returns, fluttering woodwind figures and disparate high and low tones in
strained atmospheric haze eventually culminating in a credited full
statement of the 1979 theme. The nod to Goldenthal is in the texture of
the orchestral element, meandering brass pitches (and other brass usage)
and percussive techniques reminiscent of the epic brutality of
Alien
3. Meanwhile, often overlapped is Frizzell's infusion of electronic
sound effects for
Alien Resurrection, much of the sound design
portion of
Prometheus similarly conveyed. One of the unfortunate
absences in the 2012 score, while understandable to an extent, is the
ball-busting militaristic tone of James Horner's
Aliens for the
new action sequences. Still, while ripping action motifs are not a part
of
Prometheus, Streitenfeld replaces them as necessary with a
sense of grandiose harmonic astonishment, building from the hopeful
tones of Gregson-Williams' material to several statements of tonal awe
that are not common in the franchise.
The scope of the grand, accessible fantasy portions of
Prometheus is more respectful and restrained than in Brian
Tyler's seemingly intentionally over the top
Aliens vs. Predator -
Requiem, endeavoring to achieve a feeling of mystery beyond all
else. This approach clearly directs the themes for the film.
Streitenfeld conjures three recurring themes for his score, the main
identity related to the aspiring character of Gregson-Williams'
mythology theme for the picture. Heard on lonely brass and oboe early in
"A Planet," this primary theme is finally conveyed in full by strings at
1:25 into that cue. The first plaintive lines of this theme are heard
throughout the score in hints, most notably in "Small Beginnings,"
though it does occasionally blossom in its more obvious form again, as
in "Collision." The two secondary themes are also established in "A
Planet" and reprised fully in "Collision." The minor-third rhythmic
phrase for the alien threat, essentially the scary identity of the
score, is introduced at 0:30 and expanded at 2:05 in "A Planet,"
likewise applied frequently as a background device in the score. Its use
in "Going In," "Not Human," and "Birth" makes it, in some ways, the
work's most memorable motif. The most interesting idea in
Prometheus is Streitenfeld's final theme, arguably an interlude
to the main theme that expresses the tragic gravity of the journey in
the film. This noble interlude is expressed best at 1:42 on brass in "A
Planet," massively at 0:16 in "Space Jockey," and twice in "Collision,"
transferring slightly to "Dazed" and other cues requiring a melodramatic
touch. Gregson-Williams' theme seems somewhat redundant, its light
choral majesty guiding similarly conceived cues by Streitenfeld.
Officially credited with writing "Life" and "We Were Right" was
Gregson-Williams, though his comparatively upbeat theme (recalling John
Williams' Krypton opening from
Superman in "Life") does venture
into "Earth" and inform other Streitenfeld cues like the appropriately
creepy "Weyland" and "Try Harder." Together, all of these themes form a
surprisingly cohesive core for
Prometheus, though don't expect
the identities to really develop throughout the work in a way that will
define a focused narrative. Therein lies the greatest weakness of this
music; instead of building a clearly delineated foundation for perhaps
another franchise of films, it instead relieves listeners because of
what it is not and, in so doing, typically reminds of others' writing.
Outside of the
Alien universe, Streitenfeld even recalls the work
of Marco Beltrami, especially with connections to
I, Robot in "A
Planet." The mass of sound design for the horror and suspense sequences
is as disappointing as the somewhat limited action material, and a
listener will need to rearrange the album experience to condense the
melodic portions into a solid 15-minute presentation. Overall, it's an
organic and melodramatic surprise, albeit a fragmented one.
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