Soundtrack Review: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Posted by Jon Blough

January 7, 2009

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504073 300x300 Soundtrack Review: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) This is a review of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World by Ira Davies, Christopher Gordon & Richard Tognetti.

The original score for Master and Commander is nothing special. Some of the percussive rumbling and brass in “The Far Side of the World”, “Into the Fog”, “Smoke N’Oakum” and “The Battle” is enticing for sure, but they are countered by a host of obnoxious dissonance in “The Phasmid”, “The Doldrums”, and the first half of “Smoke N’Akum”. Dialogue in the last track is a head-scratcher too. The music is serviceable enough for the film, but the lack of a thematic identity makes it all pass by without being terribly memorable. It’s heavily disappointing considering how fantastic the rest of the film’s production values are, as well as epic statement from Children of Dune soaring through the film’s trailer.

And yet this material is almost entirely forgivable because of the source cues. The energetic folksy material in “The Cuckold Comes out of the Avery” and “Folk Medley” feature toe-tapping, knee-slapping fiddle work at its most addictive. The string ensemble work on “Fantasia on a Theme By Thomas Tallis” is a sweeping, somber highlight of the album. So too are “La Musica Notturna Delle Strade Di Madridi No. 6, Op. 30” (what a mouthful!) and its interpretations in the last two minutes of “The Far Side of the World” for their enthusiastic string performances. And come on, who can resist Yo-Yo Ma’s performance of Bach’s “Prelude From Unaccompanied Suite No. 1 in G Minor?” Every source cue is smartly inserted into the film and beautiful to hear on album, enough so to counteract most of my negative feelings about the original compositions. The album is perhaps more designed for fans of classical music than soundtrack fans, though that shouldn’t be a reason for the latter group to avoid picking it up. On a side note, read the books. I’ve read the first 6 so far and all were compelling reads.

Album (59:45)
1. The Far Side of the World (9:19)
2. Into the Fog (2:12)
3. Violin Concerto No. 3 “Straussburg” K.215, 3rd Movement – W. A. Mozart (1:19)
4. The Cuckold Comes Out of the Amery – Traditional (3:27)
5. Smoke N’ Oakum (5:27)
6. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis – Ralph Vaughn Williams (5:14)
7. Adagio from Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 8 in G Minor, “Christmas Concerto” – Arcangelo Corelli (1:56)
8. The Doldrums (2:46)
9. Prelude from the Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 – J. S. Bach (2:28)
10. The Galapagos (1:39)
11. Folk Medley: O’Sullivan’s March, Cuckold Comes Out of the Amery, Mother Hen, Mary Scott, Nancy Dawson – Traditional (5:12)
12. The Phasmid (2:34)
13. The Battle (5:07)
14. Boccherini La Musica Notturna Delle Strade di Madrid, No. 6, Op. 30 (String Quintet in C) – Luigi Boccherini (9:23)
15. Full Circle (with dialogue) (1:34)