Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow (Music From The Motion Picture)

Music Composed by Danny Elfman

Celebrate this year’s Halloween with our new release: Sleepy Hollow by Danny Elfman. Loosely based on Washington Irving's 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", the 1999 gothic horror film is directed by Tim Burton, and stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Christopher Lee, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Gough, Richard Griffiths, Ian McDiarmid, and Christopher Walken. Its plot follows police constable Ichabod Crane (Depp), who is sent from New York City to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of strange beheadings. There he not only untangles a complex web of family affairs, sinister conspiracies, and even his own childhood traumas, but also comes face to face with the ghost of a headless Hessian horseman, who rides through town chopping off heads.

Even though the film suffers from stale acting performances and the lack of a strong narrative (especially in its third act), Sleepy Hollow has all the traits you can expect from a director like Burton tackling the horror genre: black comedy, an eccentric protagonist, an outlandish design (courtesy of production designer Rick Heinrichs), beautiful monochromatic visuals shot by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki…  and countless macabre scenes of beheadings. 

For the film music community, Sleepy Hollow was highly anticipated because it meant the eighth collaboration between Burton and Danny Elfman, and because it saw the return of the composer to the gothic fantasy genre. Elfman's composing style had evolved considerably in the mid nineties, with many nostalgic enthusiasts lamenting that he could no longer write scores like Beetlejuice, Batman and Edward Scissorhands. However, Sleepy Hollow proved that Elfman was still able to reach back into the orchestral approaches he had become widely known for in the film music business.

For Sleepy Hollow, Elfman wrote a considerable amount of music. The complete score as heard in the film is about 95 minutes long. But a large number of re-shoots and last-minute edits of the movie required many musical revisions, inserts and alternate cues, eventually doubling the amount of recorded music. In spite of this, surprisingly, Sleepy Hollow is mostly a monothematic score. Elfman resorts to his usual approach of introducing his main theme at the start of the film (“Introduction”) and building it up during the main title sequence (“A Place Called Sleepy Hollow”). This theme consists of a malleable motif that Elfman originally conceived for Ichabod’s dreamlike flashbacks. Instinctively, he later decided to appoint the same theme to the Horseman itself, establishing a musical thematic connection between Ichabod’s childhood and the villainous monster he has to overcome. Therefore, the theme is omnipresent throughout the score. The lyrical main melody is ghostly performed by a boy soprano soloist, accompanying Ichabod’s oneiric flashbacks, heard in cues such as ‘Young Ichabod’, and ‘More Dreams’. Elfman also dresses the theme with alto flute, piano and string for the romantic scenes between Ichabod and his love interest, Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of Sleepy Hollow’s patriarch –cues “A Gift”, “Tender Moment”, and “Love Lost”. And lastly, aggressive arrangements of the theme with choir and a predominant brass section accompany those scenes in which the Horseman is onscreen –the cues “The Story of the Hessian” and “Masbath’s Terrible Death” are perfect examples. A secondary descending three-note theme exists for the Horseman for when he is rising up from his grave or galloping full blast. “The Tree of Death”, “Horror at Sleepy Hollow”, “The Church Battle”, “The Windmill”, “Carriage Chase”, and “The Final Confrontation” all exhibit excellent performances of this secondary motif, along with the other significant attribute of the score: the action music. The orchestra and choir are put to the test with these series of chase and fight cues, showcasing impressive low brasses, rolling percussion and the disturbing phantasmagoric tones of the Metro Voices.

The score for Sleepy Hollow was released as a 68-minute album by Hollywood Records in 1999 and it is indeed all that most collectors will require from the work. However, as expected, the album is missing some music as well as some of the composer's best alternate takes of several cues. The score was re-released two more times in expanded treatments. First, as part of the 2011 Warner Brothers Records set, "The Danny Elfman and Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box". And later, as a limited 4-CD set assembled by Intrada Records in 2021, including everything Elfman recorded for the film. As you can imagine, these two sets are very lengthy. This new program put together by Renovatio Records addresses those conflicts and presents an album with new alternate cues, a new track assembly, as well as improved sound, providing a tight yet enjoyable narrative arc. Hit play and enjoy what may well be one of Danny Elfman’s top five best scores to date. Happy Halloween!

Tracklist:
1. Introduction (4:15)
2. A Place Called Sleepy Hollow (3:12)
3. The Story of the Hessian (4:29)
4. Masbath's Terrible Death (1:37)
5. Young Ichabod (1:19)
6. A Gift (3:47)
7. Phillipse's Death (1:16)
8. More Dreams (1:41)
9. The Crone of the Woods (3:21)
10. The Tree of Death (4:00)
11. Horror at Sleepy Hollow (6:04)
12. Tender Moment (2:17)
13. Evil Eye (3:43)
14. The Church Battle (4:17)
15. Love Lost (4:31)
16. The Windmill (6:05)
17. Carriage Chase (3:18)
18. The Final Confrontation (4:17)
19. A New Century (1:27)
20. End Credits (3:21)

Total Running Time: 68:17

Download Link

Size: 398.3 MB

Files type: FLAC Audio File [.flac]

Channels: 2 (stereo)

Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz

Sample Size: 16 bit

Bit Rate: 1,411 kbps

Cover Artwork:

Credits:

Music Composed by Danny Elfman

Produced by Danny Elfman

Executive Album Producers: Tim Burton, Scott Rudin & Adam Schroeder

Executive in Charge of Music for Paramount Pictures: Randy Spendlove

Orchestrations by Conrad Pope, David Slonaker and Albert Olson

Additional Orchestrations by Steve Bartek, Mark McKenzie and Marc Mann

Orchestra Conducted by Allan Wilson

Orchestra Contractors: Andy Brown and Isobel Griffiths

Choir Contractor: Jenny O'Grady

Concertmaster: Rolf Wilson

Adult Choir: Metro Voices

Boys Choir: The London Oratory School SCHOLA

Music Production Supervisor: Graham Walker

Music Production Coordinator: Liz Schrek

Music Recorded by Shawn Murphy at The Colosseum, Watford, England; Air Studios; Abbey Road Studios; Whitfield Street Recording Studios, London, England

Additional Music Recorded by Jonathan Allen

Mixed by: Robert Fernandez at Manhattan Center Studios, New York

Digital Music Editing: Ellen Segal & Craig Anderson

Music Editor: Ellen Segal

MIDI Preparations and Supervision: Marc Mann

Music Preparation: Vic Fraser, Julian Bratolyubov and Ron Vermillion

Mastered by Andy VanDette at Masterdisk, NYC

Music Published by Ensign Music Corporation and Molly Girl Songs (BMI)

Renovatio Records [0-01702-19060]

The Haunting

 

The Haunting (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith

Spooky Season is upon us, and to get in the right mood, Renovatio Records invites you to revisit Jerry Goldsmith’s remarkable score for the 1999 supernatural horror film The Haunting, directed by Jan De Bont and based on the 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Starring Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, and Lili Taylor, the film follows a group of people who accepts an invitation to participate in an apparent insomnia study at Hill House, a secluded manor in western Massachusetts. However, the scientist conducting the study is in fact interested in studying their responses to fear and hopes that the house’s dark past will help in providing the necessary chills. Unfortunately for him, the house is indeed haunted and inhabited by spirits that awake when they sense the presence of one of the guests, with whom they have a supernatural connection.

At the time of release, The Haunting suffered from unconvincing acting performances by most of its cast, as well as weak plot contrivances that differ greatly from the source material. One of the strengths of the novel is its ambiguity, implying that at least some of the eerie supernatural manifestations may all be products of one of the character’s imagination. The 1999 adaptation, in contrast, favors a fantasy horror approach, with all the main characters being terrorized by supernatural events, two actually being explicitly killed by the ghosts. Despite its flaws, the film is perfectly watchable and enjoyable, thanks to the efforts of the talents behind the camera. The cinematography by Karl Walter Lindenlaub and Gothic set design by Eugenio Zanetti are outstanding, to say the least. The elaborate visual effects by Phil Tippett are quite impressive for their time. The resonant sound editing and design by Gary Rydstrom are of reference quality. And the score by Jerry Goldsmith is considered by many to be one of the strongest works of his late career.

Goldsmith was no rookie in the horror genre, having worked on films like The Omen and Poltergeist in the past, two of his most acclaimed scores. The Haunting saw his long-awaited return to the genre, but the composer chose an elegant suspense approach for this film, rather than the bombastic horror of the others. In this score, the composer focuses on strong evocative themes as well as producing an eerie atmosphere for the haunted house. Goldsmith has three main themes for The Haunting. The protagonist Eleanor (Lili Taylor) is treated with a romantic “family” theme, which represents not only her innocence and goodness, but also the lost souls of the children trapped in the mansion. This lovely theme for flute and xylophone makes its first appearance in “A Place for Everything” and is repeated throughout the score until getting a satisfying resolution during the end phrases of “Finally Home”. The other two themes are more mysterious in nature and are directly associated with the house and its haunting. The first of these two themes is a malevolent-sounding motif for the evil spirit that haunts the mansion. The theme opens the score as brassy fanfare in “Afraid” and makes several appearances as the characters explore the mansion’s hallways, successfully creating a feeling of uncertainty. The other identity is much more memorable, serving the purpose of alluring the viewer into the strange beauty of the mansion while suggesting false comfort. This motif is a series of descending notes generally played by the full string ensemble of the orchestra, making its most memorable appearances in the film during aerial shots of the imposing mansion (“The Curtains” and “Curly Hair”). Goldsmith also composed an additional fourth identity for The Haunting, a carnivalesque carousel theme that is employed as a source cue for the scenes in which the characters visit a merry-go-round with moving mirrors in the mansion. For the scary sequences of the film, Goldsmith resorts to synthesizers, the most noteworthy being a pulse-pounding rhythm with the composer’s signature echoplex effect. This effect is heavily used during the action horror scenes such as the rousing cues “Terror in Bed” and “Finally Home”.

Overall, The Haunting is a score that leans heavily in the fantasy aspect of the story while also managing to be creepy. It benefits greatly from Goldsmith's extraordinary sound recording quality, courtesy of Bruce Botnick's work at the Newman Scoring Stage. The dynamic and reverberating sound mix aids greatly in expanding the film’s mysterious soundscape.

Goldsmith’s score for The Haunting was originally released in 1999 by Varèse Sarabande, in the form of a short 35-minute album that left many great cues in the cutting floor. The same label produced a lengthy "Deluxe Edition" in 2017 offering almost the complete score. The approximately 70 minutes of music in this release were well received by film music enthusiasts but many consider it to be excessive. This new release by Renovatio Records addresses these conflicts and presents a new program that includes the highlights of the score, while also maintaining an accessible runtime and enforcing the film’s musical narrative. Step safely into the phantasmagorical domain of Jerry Goldsmith once more and enjoy one of the maestro’s best late scores.

Track List:

1. Afraid (0:44)
2. A Place for Everything (3:16)
3. Hill House (1:36)
4. Nell's Story (2:19)
5. The Curtains (3:05)
6. The Fireplace (2:35)
7. Green House (2:32)
8. Curly Hair (3:11)
9. The Picture Album (4:48)
10. Return to the Carousel (3:09)
11. Terror in Bed (5:33)
12. Crashing the Gate (2:25)
13. Finally Home (2:25)
14. End Credits (6:06)

Total Running Time: 50:52

Download Link

Size: 274.7 MB

Files type: FLAC Audio File [.flac]

Channels: 2 (stereo)

Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz

Sample Size: 16 bit

Bit Rate: 1,411 kbps

Cover Artwork:

Credits:

Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith

Produced by Jerry Goldsmith

Executive in Charge of Music for DreamWorks: Todd Homme

Orchestrations by Alexander Courage

Recorded and Mixed by Bruce Botnick and Bobby Fernandez at The Newman Scoring Stage

Music Editor: Ken Hall

Performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony

Orchestra Contractor: Sandy De Crescent

Music Preparation: Jo Ann Kane Music Service

Mastering Engineer: Erick Labson

Assistant to Mr. Goldsmith: Lois Carruth

Renovatio Records [0-01702-19055]

Batman

 

Batman (Original Motion Picture Score)

Music Composed by Danny Elfman

Our next release is none other than Danny Elfman’s score for the 1989 superhero film Batman, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film is directed by Tim Burton and stars Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader, Jack Nicholson as The Joker, and Kim Basinger as the damsel in distress. Supporting characters were played by Michael Gough, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, and Jack Palance. The film takes place during Batman's war on the wave of crime terrorizing Gotham City, focusing namely on his conflict with his archenemy The Joker. Critically and financially successful, Batman was highly praised for the performances of Nicholson and Keaton, as well as Burton's direction, with special mentions given to its outstanding cinematography, production design, and Elfman's superb score.

This adaptation makes use of a dark tone, showcasing a serious version of Batman, in line with the way the creators of the character, Bob Kane and Bill Finger, had envisioned him in 1939. This approach allowed Burton to not only display his well-known artistic tendencies, but also to explore themes such as good versus evil from the perspective of two disturbed people, Bruce Wayne/Batman and the Joker. At the time of its release, the film was an astonishing success, making over $42 million on its opening weekend. Furthermore, it helped to establish a renaissance of costumed superhero movies that continues to this day.

For the score, Burton hired Oingo Bongo frontman Danny Elfman, with whom he had collaborated on Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice. Elfman had to face not only his concerns about working on a big budget production, but also skepticisms from the producers, who were unsure about the young musician's capabilities. However, Elfman managed to quickly conjure up the Batman theme, which was so remarkable that it quickly convinced everyone that he was the right composer. The theme is epic and full of energy, with nods to Bernard Herrmann, Richard Wagner, and Carl Orff in its orchestral choices. Many fans have even argued that it is the best superhero theme ever, head to head with John Williams’ Superman theme. Elfman’s five-note theme is so catchy and malleable that it is present throughout the score in many forms, either to accentuate the Caped Crusader's ghostly appearances or to accompany the action sequences. The Batman score makes heavy use of percussion, as it is an action-driven score. Nevertheless, Elfman still incorporates many lyrical passages, such as the cue "Flowers" which perfectly elicits the tragedy of Bruce Wayne and his difficulty to cope with the deaths of his parents. Another example of Elfman’s lyricism can be found in the love theme for Bruce Wayne and journalist Vicki Vale, an arrangement for strings and piano of the song “Scandalous” by Prince. For the villain, Elfman resorts to a circus waltz theme, first heard during “Joker Face-Off” and later presented in its full form during “Waltz to the Death”. Another thematic material used for the Joker is an arrangement of Stephen Foster’s “Beautiful Dreamer” in the form of an ethereal treatment with celeste and strings. Both, the music box effect and the waltz performances, provide a dark comedic side to the Joker’s sickness. Yet, it is in the action music where Elfman’s composition truly shines. His orchestrations range from aggressive percussion, to a heavy brass section with several layers of trumpets and tubas, to frenetic piano ostinatos, to an occasional pipe organ. The dynamism of the action passages of cues such as “Axis Chemicals Shootout”, “Batmobile Chase” and “Attack of the Batwing” is simply magnificent. Choir is also quite present in the score, with two major standouts. The first being the female vocals of the first half of “Remembering Childhood”, providing a haunting atmosphere over pulsing low-end piano beats. And the other being the “Descent into Mystery” cue, in which chanting voices resemble the techniques of Carl Orff, providing awe as the Batmobile races through the darkness toward the Batcave.

At the time of its release in 1989, Batman was one of the first films to spawn two soundtrack albums, one being a song compilation, with the other showcasing Elfman’s score, both by Warner Brothers Records. The score was later re-released by the same label as part of "The Danny Elfman and Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box" in 2011, with additional unreleased tracks. La-La Land Records would also issue two releases in 2010 and 2014, containing Elfman’s complete score. Now, Renovatio Records’ release provides a new program of Elfman’s music, which improves the album's narrative by omitting filler cues and incorporating tracks that were missing in the original release, thus providing a coherent listening experience of this classic score. Press play and feel free to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight!

Track list:

1. Main Title (2:39)

2. Roof Fight (1:42)

3. Bat Zone (1:51)

4. Axis Chemicals Shootout (5:28)

5. Joke Face-Off (2:04)

6. Flowers (1:55)

7. Photos (2:28) *

8. Museum Mayhem (2:02)

9. Batmobile Chase (4:18)

10. Descent Into Mystery (1:30)

11. The Bat Cave (2:35)

12. The Joker's Poem (0:56)

13. Remembering Childhood (4:24) **

14. Charge of the Batmobile (1:44)

15. Attack of the Batwing (5:58)

16. Up the Cathedral (5:04)

17. Waltz to the Death (3:54)

18. Final Confrontation (4:59) *

19. Finale (1:47) **

* Includes "Beautiful Dreamer" composed Stephen Foster

** Includes Scandalous" Composed by Prince with John L. Nelson

Total running time: 57:18

Download Link

Size: 326.7 MB

Files type: FLAC Audio File [.flac]

Channels: 2 (stereo)

Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz

Sample Size: 16 bit

Bit Rate: 1,411 kbps

Cover Artwork:

Credits:

Music Composed by Danny Elfman

Produced by Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek

Executive Album Producers: Jon Peters and Peter Guber

Executive in Charge of Music for Warner Bros. Inc.: Gary LeMel

Music Supervisor: Michael Dilbeck

Performed by The Sinfonia of London Orchestra

Conducted by Shirley Walker

Orchestrations by Steve Bartek

Additional Orchestrations by Shirley Walker and Steven Scott Smalley

Music Editors: Bob Badami and Robin Clarke

Contractor: Peter Willison

Engineered by Eric Tomlinson

Mixed by Shawn Murphy

Recorded at CTS Studios, England

Second Engineers: "Young" jonathan Morton and Steve Price

Digital Editing and Mastering: Bruce Botnick at Digital Magnetics

Danny Elfman's Filmmusic Representation: Richard Kraft, ICM

Danny Elfman's Management: Mike Gromley, Laura Engle, LAPD

Renovatio Records [0-01702-19050]