Disc I:
1. Prologue and Main Title (5:31)
For this album, Debney struck a perfect balance
between the film and concert versions of this opening track. First
is a maestoso playing of Williams' new Superman fanfare in the brass and
horns, which promptly segues into the film version of the prologue.
For the flashback sequence shown on screen, Williams uses a quiet, tranquil,
wistful variation on the fanfare, which foreshadows some of the impressionistic
Krypton music, although not as dissonant. As this fades into the
distance, the composer introduces a dotted ostinato theme on a low C, which,
after building for a while, introduces a brassy transitory fanfare.
This is transformed into the powerful main theme, perfect for the comic
book sensibilities present in the film. Again, even in this heroic
upbeat track, somehow the conductor and composer inject a bittersweet longing,
which foreshadows the first half of the plot. I don't know if I'm
the only one hearing this (maybe I've finally gone completely insane.),
but it adds a nice touch. In some of the quieter sections, Williams
subtely continues the ostinato, but now in high woodwinds. After
another fanfaric part, the composer adds a new section with the opening
fanfare played over the march ostinato, which segues into the playing of
the next theme. For this love theme, Williams somehow keeps up the
breakneck pace from the titles, even with the pulsing low C still in the
bass. Later, we get a final, triumphant rendition of both the main
theme and the opening fanfare, now accompanied by a descending bass march
vamp. Again, even though this score continues the swashbuckling Wagnerian
tradition present in Star Wars, the composer goes for a completely different
execution, using a 20th Century sound.
2. The Planet Krypton (4:35)
We now return to the impressionistic, sometimes
dissonant orchestration of the Prologue. However, before that happens,
Williams uses a simple, grandiose opening fanfare to set up the setting.
First stated quietly in the brass, it later reaches soaring heights, only
to back down into the orchestral depths, which characterizes most of the
rest of the cue. A short section of upbeat woodwinds comes next,
playing an offshoot of Star Wars' force theme along with a quiet recap
of the Krypton fanfare. However, dissonant string orchestration takes
over with the introduction of a sinister synthesizer tone. An urgent,
atonal brass march takes over, which quiets into a menacing trilling section
for strings and woodwinds.
3. The Destruction of Krypton (5:27)
Continuing with the dissonant, impressionistic
music of the previous track, this cue opens with a section combining 3
elements: atonal growling bass, a meandering woodwind melody, and spooky
female chorus. Later, a French horn gets the main melody, and the
soundscape builds into another grandiose brass fanfare, much more urgent
and desperate than anything we've heard so far. After various meanderings,
a new bittersweet woodwind theme enters, which unfortunately was never
used again. The orchestration continues to build, and, after a chromatic
string line, climaxes in another fanfare. Next is a new theme which
will be used throughout disc 1 as a beckoning theme as Clark Kent confronts
his past. It's a shortened, minor key variation on the original Krypton
theme. However, the last minute ends in a desperate brassy action
cue as the planet is completely destroyed, based on Krypton's theme somewhat.
Overall, this is one of the highlights of the score.
4. Trip to Earth (2:38)
Another one of my favorite tracks, this is a
woodwind scherzo combining various snippets of the main theme with fluttering
glissandi. I think that the leisurely pace taken by Debney helps
bring out more orchestral color and emotion than was present elsewhere.
Glueing the cue together is a swirling string theme.
5. Growing Up (2:05)
This is the first cue to employ the trademark
John Williams Americana sound. After both a wistful horn version
of the Superman fanfare and a dissonant rising string passage, the track
becomes a bouncing scherzo with a jubilant 2/4 ostinato in the bass.
6. Jonathan's Death (4:09)
Previously unreleased, this bittersweet, moving
track introduces the Americana Smallville theme, to be heard again in the
following track. Played usually on French horns or strings, the theme
becomes a moving elegy for both the hero's earthly father, as well as the
simple lifestyle he will eventually be leaving.
7. Leaving Home (4:46)
Personally, "Leaving Home" is my favorite track
in the score. It resurrects both the ethereal female chorus and the
"beckoning theme" in the beginning, which build into a sudden dissonant
brass chord. More Americana follows, based somewhat on the Smallville
theme. Soon this theme arrives in full on a solo oboe, followed by
performances on various other instruments. At the climax of the cue,
the theme receives both a fortissimo string reading, as well as (in perhaps
the most moving section on the album) a potent, yearning French horn fanfare.
8. The Fortress of Solitude (8:22)
Definitely the most ethereal cue present in the
score, this reintroduces both the themes and impressionistic music found
in the previous 2 Krypton tracks. The first section is another creepy
section based on the "beckoning" theme, complete with chorus. Later
a string scherzo breaks out, still with the voices, which segues into more
atonal orchestral mutterings. However, the tone eventually becomes
more triumphant with a few complete playings of the Krypton fanfare.
In the second half, Williams uses 4 main elements: the major key Krypton
fanfare, the minor key "beckoning" theme (based on the Krypton fanfare),
ethereal synthesizers and chorus, and finally, more impressionistic, sometimes
dissonant music. All of these elements combine into almost a psychadelic
4 minute section, which James Horner later emulated in one track of his
score for Krull. However, the stage is set for the action-packed
second half of the score and movie with a return of the heroic Superman
fanfare and march.
Disc II:
I think the producers of the disc picked the
perfect spot to seperate the 2 discs, since we've just come out of Smallville,
and are about to enter Metropolis.
1. The Helicopter Sequence (6:16)
Out of all the action cues, I think this is my
favorite. Williams combines an urgent, sudden brass fanfare with
both the Superman theme and strings of blazing action music. Interestingly,
the brass stinger always leaps into the music in the middle of the action,
sometimes even when a positive, more upbeat section is playing. The
second half of the cue forms a grandiose action cue with the Superman theme
and fanfare as its basis. Also, for the first time since the main
titles, we hear his soaring love theme, played as an elegant brass fanfare.
2. The Penthouse (1:50)
We now move on to a more romantic section in the score, which consists
of three main cues: the concert version of the love theme, the Flying Sequence,
and this, the prelude to the flying sequence. By now, the tone has
completely changed to an innocent romantic style, including heavy use of
the love theme. Touches of Williams' Americana approach come in every
so often, although nothing as American as the Smallville sequences.
3. The Flying Sequence (4:16)
Thankfully, there is no hideous spoken vocal
on this track (they just removed that section altogether.) Overall,
this is almost like a second concert suite of the love theme, although
more innocent than the other suite. After a brass fanfare, Williams
gives a powerful series of readings of this theme, each one getting more
bombastic and brassy, befitting the super hero setting. This is one
of the main highlights of the second disc.
4. The Truck Convoy (1:54)
After a huge military action section, there is
the introduction of a new comical theme in the tubas, almost like an offshoot
of the Ewok theme. It's not particularly memorable next to the rest
of Williams' "light" themes, but entertaining in its own way. The
rest of the track weaves between more military marches and more of the
tuba theme.
5. To the Lair (3:56)
This expands some of the action cues in the previous
track and adds the Superman fanfare. One building motif near the
beginning sounds like a precursor to the "evil people" theme from E.T.,
which came four years after this. Later in the cue, Williams pays
an homage to Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nuremburg with a series of
string runs. The rest of the cue features more of the fanfare.
6. March of the Villains (3:56)
The comical theme from track 4 gets its own concert
arrangement here, with the melody carried usually in low woodwinds and
brass. Each variation gets more grandiose, and, like ROTJ's Ewok
concert suite, eventually hits a fortissimo march. Varese could have
done everyone a favor by leaving this off, since it would have reduced
the running time down to 78 minutes, enough for one CD. While a nice
little piece, I would have rather saved about $7 and gotten 1 CD that was
4 minutes shorter. The other solution would have been for the company
to record about 20 more minutes of the score and thus make a second CD
more practical.
7. Chasing Rockets (5:12)
This forms another trademark John Williams action
cue with a few more tender bits thrown in. Most of the track is based
around the Superman fanfare. At about the 1:30 mark, Williams really
lets loose with a large collection of brassy fanfares. Also present
in parts is the love theme, usually interpolated in the woodwinds along
with the Superman fanfare. Unexpectedly, the swirling string accompaniment
from "Trip to Earth" makes a short cameo in the second half of the cue.
Also noteworthy, near the last minute, is a full action fanfare based on
the march ostinato.
8. Pushing Boulders (2:24)
Yet another heroic action cue based on the main
theme and fanfare comes next. Unlike most of the other action tracks,
however, this also has some impressionistic dissonant orchestration.
9. Flying to Lois (2:58)
Williams returns to his "superhero save-the-day"
action technique, basing this track around the love theme for Lois Lane.
However, we get a break with a straightforward pastoral version of this
theme. Toward the end, the composer uses dissonant orchestration
and synthesizers.
10. Turning Back the World (2:01)
The final action track of the score is almost
certainly one of the best, using nearly every theme heard so far, including
the main theme, fanfare, love theme, Krypton fanfare, and "Trip to Earth"
motif. A lot of the action is based around virtuoso trills in both
the French horns and woodwinds. A final wistful version of the fanfare,
heard previously in "Growing Up," ends the cue.
11. The Prison Yard/End Title (6:27)
Before the final send-off of most of the themes,
Williams interpolates a more tender, soaring cue with the fanfare and love
theme, finally climaxing in a reintroduction of the march ostinato, which
leads into a recap of both the main themes and love theme, almost identical
to the main title, although the love theme has a louder French horn accompaniment.
All in all, a fantastic finale to a fantastic score.
12. Love Theme from Superman (5:01)
I love the placement of this cue - it serves
as a perfect encore to the score, a lot like "The Forest Battle" Concert
Suite at the end of Return of the Jedi. Very few of the arrangements
of this theme were heard in the score proper, and this cue is one of the
better ones on the album - it's longer and more reflective, yet still as
exciting as "The Flying Sequence." Like the aforementioned cue, each
presentation of the theme becomes louder with more complex accompaniment,
until, after the climax of the cue, Williams perfectly lets us back down
to the ground. Finally, special mention must be made to the horn
descant present in one of the sections. It's simply magnificent!
Overall, this is one of the most important scores
of John Williams' career, and I heartily recommend the score to anyone.
If you just want one recording of it, go for the expanded OST that will
be coming out later, but if you're looking for a different, fresh interpretation
of the score, you should definitely look into this. I'm only going
to take 1 point off the length category for the needless 2nd CD, since
I'd actually rather have 82 minutes than 45 or less, which is most likely
how long it would have been otherwise. The only reason this doesn't
get the Choice Award is because some of the action cues on the 2nd CD become
somewhat wearing after a while.
| Music Rating | 10/10 |
| Packaging/Liner Notes | 10/10 |
| Sound Quality | 10/10 |
| Length | 9/10 |
| Orchestral Performance | 8/10 |
