I was surprised to find that Dimitri Tiomkin scored It's a Wonderful Life, I invariably associate him with westerns and the odd epic, but he evidently enjoyed a six film collaboration with Capra, of which this is the last. The notes indicate that much of Tiomkin's score was removed for the final cut and replaced with more upbeat music from various other sources. It has to be said that some of the central portions are fairly intense, George is Unborn, Haunted House and Wrong Mary Hatch reach heights of drama that wouldn't be out of place in a Shostakovich symphony. The opening and closing segments are considerably more gentle, particularly the gorgeous Heaven, replete with angelic choir which, curiously enough, isn't a million miles away from the choral writing that David Newman himself often employs. It is later subverted for the swirling desolation of Pottersville Cemetery. Tiomkin's own melodic material is perhaps less memorable simply because of the number of standard tunes he uses, notably Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Oh Come, All Yeah Faithful, plus a brief quote of Beethoven for the finale.
The album is rounded out by two suites from other Christmas scores, the first by Richard Addinsell from one of the classic filmed versions of A Christmas Carol, before the Muppets got their hands on it. The Main Title is surprisingly heavy handed, with booming bass brass and a brief diversion for a full choral performance of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. The rest of the score is much more restrained, particularly the charming Toy Shop that introduces Tiny Tim's theme. Ahhh. The central sections accompanying Scrooge's trip through time are by turns somber and tempestuous, but a cheerful, choral version of Silent Night rounds out the suite. Miracle on 34th Street is the original version, not the Bruce Broughton scored remake and the suite from Mockridge's score is a delight, from the bouncing main title to the more delicate, but playful remainder with a few quotes from Jungle Bells interspersed with original music.
Being on Telarc, the sound quality is excellent and the performance of the Royal Philharmonic under Newman's direction is impressive. Tiomkin's music is notoriously difficult to perform idiomatically, but since I have few benchmarks, can only comment that on its own terms, the performance is terrific and the music itself quite wonderful. It seems a shame that Newman doesn't contribute to any of the current re-recordings done by other labels, but I would assume that his composing work keeps him busy. The highlight is undoubtedly Tiomkin's contribution, but all three are filled with genuine Christmas spirit without contemporary sugar coated sentimentality and it puts all but the best of recent Christmas scores to shame.
Rating ~ It's a Wonderful Life - Dimitri Tiomkin
A Christmas Carol - Richard Addinsell
Miracle on 34th Street - Cyril J Mockridge
Total Time ~ 64:32
I must be one of the few people to never have seen It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra, the benchmark feel good film against which critics compare any whimsical and uplifting movie today. This album was to be the first of a set of recordings as part of the Sundance Film Festival, supported by Hollywood heavyweights such as Robert Redford, who pens an articulate introduction to the detailed liner notes. Unfortunately, they didn't figure on how badly it would sell, even though it contains music from one of the best loved American films of all time. The album is conducted, perhaps surprisingly, by David Newman who evidently knows the craft of film music inside out, as another in the long line of the famous Newmans of Hollywood. The album opens with Newman's own Sundance Fanfare and while not quite as memorable as Alfred's Fox Fanfare, a sparky little number none the less.
