As the composer meandered further towards experimental, minimalistic ensembles in the late 1990's and early 2000's, the Tom Newman that prevailed in The Shawshank Redemption seemed lost until Finding Nemo and Angels in America would resurrect his orchestral dominance. Despite its reputation, however, The Shawshank Redemption isn't Newman's best score, nor should it be in the running for some of the decade-spanning awards that others have given it. It's a very good work, certainly, but doesn't quite deserve the occasional super-hype it receives, in part because its primary job in the film was to stay out of the way. The story of The Shawshank Redemption, as Newman immediately observed, was strong enough to suffice without any score at all, so a very careful, minimalistic approach was needed until the emotional payoff at the end. The balance between the genius, the humor, and the hope on one side of the score is integrated well with the gloomy shades that occupy much of the score's first half. Among the main thematic ideas is the "Stoic Theme" for the prison itself, a repetitive four-note motif performed by bass string and cello that seems to rise with false hope until inevitably dropping back to the extreme low regions to start the phrase once again. Bleak layers of strings, aided by low brass tones, provide this theme with an appropriately smothering persona without resorting to the fragmentation of dissonance. A similar performance with more exasperation appears in "Sisters" and a mutilated form with significant low string and brass droning overpowers in the ultimately hopeless "His Judgment Cometh." Another source-like element of prison life is the use of the fiddle in "May" and "Workfield." Many conversational cues in the prison are paired with solo piano performances, often hinting at the "hope theme" that would eventually prevail in the score. Also known as the "redemption (or sometimes simply the primary) theme," this idea accompanies the few small tastes of freedom that the laboring prisoners experience throughout the film, such as "Suds on the Roof." Newman was careful not to apply themes to specific characters; rather, he approached common concepts in how he developed his themes and instrumentation, including the many solitary woodwinds (dubbed separately) that define the music, though a harmonica for Red was a conscious association for that character.

As the primary character in The Shawshank Redemption manages his escape, as well as the unrest that ensues, Newman throws the score into a second gear, and this is the music that you'll find yourself enjoying on album time and time again. In "Lovely Raquel," Newman translates the pulsating string thumps from "His Judgement Cometh" into the lighter, more spirited affair for plucked strings that we have come accustomed to hearing from the composer. If you throw the cue "The Shawshank Redemption" in among the final five cues on album, you have fifteen minutes of frequently emulated Newman orchestral bliss. The folksy string rhythms of "And That Right Soon" echo the personality of Danny Elfman's concurrent Black Beauty, while the "hope theme" is finally expanded upon during the famous scene of rainy freedom ("The Shawshank Redemption"). The plain sincerity of Newman's ensemble melodies and tortured chords, assisted by the same strong bass presence that previously provided the score's dread, leads to an "End Title" performance both dramatic and uplifting in an ultimate release of orchestral satisfaction. Throughout these final bursts of melody, Newman still maintains the elegant restraint evident at the score's outset. He also utilizes soft percussive effects very well throughout the work, including an array of lightly mixed tingling and rattling sounds appropriate for a prison. The score is indeed among Newman's most accomplished, especially in the context of the story, but compared to the immense talent for diversity heard later in his career, The Shawshank Redemption is one step away from his top tier of production. It's challenging to judge an album for music that succeeds so thoroughly through deliberate, troubled understatement in mostly ambient atmospheres for so much of its running time. The original 1994 album, which featured dynamic sound quality for its day, especially in those plucked strings, contains a handful of various source cues from the film. In 2016, La-La Land Records expanded the presentation to include a variety of alternate takes and film versions of previously released cues. While interesting to study from an academic standpoint, the listening experience was already challenging to appreciate in the whole before, and the longer presentation does languish at times. A simple arrangement including the final, emotionally victorious tracks on either album will be rewarding for any listener. Patience is necessary, though, and revisits in a quiet environment are highly advised.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download