Album

The music of film is one area that might be overlooked when it comes to classical music, but this album by the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester might make one reconsider. The CD features pieces from well-known American and European films such as The Lord of the Rings and Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie) with pan flute soloist Ulrich Herkenhoff, and perfectly captures the culture, spirit, and mood of each piece. In Dreams is absolutely epic, majestic in its scope, while Ladies in Lavender sounds appropriately pastoral, pure, and sweet. The Kammerorchester show its versatility without ever losing a firm grasp on excellent technique and strong musicality, with each phrase carefully shaped. This is especially evident in The Godfather pieces, which are absolutely lyrical and expressive. Could it be an album of absolute perfection? Some might argue that the pan flute is an acquired taste, and the arrangements for pieces where it is the solo instrument sound downright corny or schmaltzy. The Morricone pieces, while played beautifully by both the Kammerorchester and Herkenhoff, are an example of this rather distasteful arrangement, and the crisp edginess that one expects from the original version of The Pink Panther is missing. It is instead limp and maudlin. This is in no way a reflection on the soloist, nor on the other pieces in which the pan flute is quite fitting. May it be uses the pan flute well (it certainly creates a suitable mood for a scene in The Lord of the Rings), as does The Age of Innocence, where it feels just right in a piece that sounds like early music. The "Convento di Sant'Anna" is like a throwback to a Bach fugue, but unfortunately it sounds too processed, as though the piano were synthesized. However, if one can look past these seeming aberrations, there is a lot of good music here. The bonus track of Elise goes to Hollywood alone is perhaps worth the price of the album: a brilliant variation on Für Elise, it morphs into various film pieces, most notably Psycho. It is a showcase for the strings of the Kammerorchester, leaving one with the impression that this is a talented group of musicians that has made classical music very accessible.

© V. Vasan, Rovi

CD 1
Howard Shore / Fran Walsh Composer In Dreams, song (from The Fellowship of the Ring) Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
1	In Dreams, song (from The Fellowship of the Ring)	2:54			$0.99
Elmer Bernstein Composer Age of Innocence, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
2	The Age of Innocence: End Credits (arr. M. Keller)	3:34			$0.99
Gabriel Yared Composer The English Patient, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
3	Convento di Sant'Anna	3:26			$0.99
Ennio Morricone Composer Nuovo cinema paradiso, film score (aka Cinama Paradiso) Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
4	Suite	18:04			$2.99
Nino Rota Composer The Godfather, film score Work 5:16 Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
5	Waltz	2:24			$0.99
6	Love Theme	2:52			$0.99
Yann Tiersen Composer Amélie, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
7	Poulain	2:26			$0.99
Enya Composer May It Be (for the film Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring) Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
8	May It Be (for the film Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring)	3:35			$0.99
Niki Reiser Composer Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence), film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
9	Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence): Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence) (arr. N. Reiser and M, Keller)	3:49			$0.99
Nigel Hess Composer Ladies in Lavender, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
10	Ladies in Lavender: Theme (arr. N. Reiser and M. Keller)	3:49			$0.99
Ennio Morricone Composer La Califfa (Lady Caliph), film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
11	La califfa: Theme (arr. M. Keller)	4:32			$0.99
Ron Goodwin Composer Miss Marple, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
12	Miss Marple: Theme (arr. M. Keller)	3:39			$0.99
Luis Enríque Bacalov Composer Il Postino (The Postman), film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
13	Il postino (The Postman): Theme (arr. N. Reiser and M. Keller)	5:01			$0.99
Henry Mancini Composer The Pink Panther, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
14	The Pink Panther: Main Theme	3:02			$0.99
Matthias Keller Composer Elise goes to Hollywood, film score Work Frank Zacher Conductor, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Orchestra, Ulrich Herkenhoff Pan Flute
15	Elise Goes to Hollywood: Theme (arr. N. Reiser and M. Keller)	5:40			$0.99