The collaboration between director David Cronenberg and composer Howard Shore is one of the longest and most successful filmmaking relationships in Hollywood. Together, the two men have worked on--among others--The Fly, Crash, eXistenZ, Spider, A History of Violence, and most recently Eastern Promises.
There are two primary themes in Eastern Promises: the film’s main theme, presented in the first track, and the theme for Tatiana, first heard in the second track. The main theme is present in almost every track, often backed by clarinet and dulcimer or harp. Both themes are quite beautiful and are played primarily on solo violin by Nicola Benedetti. Appropriately, they evoke an eastern European feel which adds an air of authenticity in the film.
Although the album is a short 35 minutes long, it is a heavy listen. There are light breaks in the music at times, but it’s difficult to get through. It doesn’t help that main theme is repeated so often that it wears on the listener.
Shore’s Eastern Promises is a difficult album to review. The two themes are spectacular -- easily two of the best in this lackluster year of film scores, but the entire album isn’t as satisfying. One thing is certain, I would certainly pay to hear “Tatiana” played at a concert, and that counts for something in my book.
3/5
