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Director Julie Taymor's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" explodes onto the screen, then slowly sinks under the weight of events that cross the fine line between absurdity and mere silliness.
Composer Elliot Goldenthal, on the other hand, takes full advantage of Dante Ferretti's brilliant and unpredictable scenic design. Just as the visuals combine incongruous elements of ancient, Fascist and contemporary Rome, so too does the soundtrack exploit the differences between symphonic, swing, Tibetan, electronic and surf music.
This carefully paced and beautifully integrated score draws on the talents of the London Metropolitan Orchestra, English Chamber Choir, Mask Orchestra, the aptly named Pickled Heads Band, guitarists Page Hamilton and Bang on a Can All-Star Mark Stewart, saxophonist Bruce Williamson and trumpeter John Thomas.
Goldenthal, who studied with Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, has written for theater, the concert hall and movies as diverse as Michael Mann's Heat, Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire, Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy and Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever. |
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