MOVIE MUSIC UK

Original Review by Jonathan Broxton

P.T. Barnum is the first movie in the Hallmark Entertainment series not to have its music released on CD. Quite why this should be the case is unknown because, by and large, it is one of the best scores written for the excellent string of TV films and mini-series that have included Merlin, Moby Dick, Noah’s Ark, Animal Farm, Alice In Wonderland and Durango. The music for P.T. Barnum was written by Canadian composer Hummie Mann, whose work in Hollywood to date has mostly been limited to writing Mel Brooks comedies, small-scale features and undertaking orchestration duties for Marc Shaiman and others.

The film, of course, is the life story of Phineas Taylor Barnum, one half of the legendary circus owners Barnum and Bailey, whose success under the big top was subsequently immortalised in the hit musical by Cy Coleman. Unusually, though, this story looks at Barnum’s life leading up to his fateful meeting with his partner-to-be, the triumphs and tragedies of his life, the ups and downs of his career as he struggles to make ends meet for himself and his wife Charity. This version of the Barnum story is directed by Simon Wincer and stars Beau Bridges, Henry Czerny and Cynthia Dale.

The press quotes which adorn this release liken Mann’s score to the “rousing and festive music in the tradition of John Philip Sousa”, and state that it is “a perfect fit to the circus like atmosphere of the story”. But, actually, I think that these quotes to a disservice to Mann’s work. Granted, there are moments when it could almost be that Sousa picked up Mann’s baton and incorporated his musical style into the score, but in actual fact the hackneyed Americana marches usually associated with Sousa are not the driving force of the score. Instead, Mann had turned more to that other classic American composer Aaron Copland, the lush themes and vibrant orchestrations of whom are adopted much more freely. But this is not to say that P.T. Barnum is merely a Copland clone – on the contrary, I think that this score is very much the true musical voice of Hummie Mann.

Mann’s theme first appears as a whizz-bang piece for a marching band in the ‘Main Title’, before changing to a more conventional approach in the lovely ‘Reminiscing’. It’s a large, open theme than one would normally attribute to Basil Poledouris or Marc Shaiman, the feelgood influence of whose music is stamped all over this score. The main theme is an omnipresent factor throughout the score, and it is exceptionally malleable, given to renditions which can be rousing, noble, poignant, whimsical, and downright funny. There are a few spectacular moments when the score reaches a dizzying emotional peak, particularly ‘Frances Dies’, ‘Loyalist Supporter’ and ‘Public Office’, and several equally superb instances of great tenderness and restraint, notably the lovely recorder solo in ‘Caroline is Born’, the excellent trumpet performance in ‘Discovering Tom Thumb’, the gorgeous piano in ‘Iranistan’, and the moving ‘Charity’s Illness’ and ‘Charity Dies’.

In addition to the above, there are a couple of superb wild west pieces, notably ‘Young P.T & Charity’, ‘Barnum’s Return’ and the finale of ‘Back to New York’, all of which allude to the rhythms and orchestrations of Copland’s Rodeo, but without the blatant plagiarism that so tainted James Horner’s score for Fievel Goes West. Mann even found a way to work a rendition of the famous “Battle Hymn of the Republic” into the finale, ‘P.T. Dies’, further illustrating the way in which Barnum’s accomplishments are woven into the fabric of American tradition. The album is also structured intelligently, with several short cues being merged together to form long, musically satisfying suites that allow for development and emotional growth. It is quite an accomplishment on Mann’s part that the shortest cue on the album is over three minutes long!

Having not had his score released through the usual channels, Mann and Intrada owner Doug Fake collaborated to press this limited edition promotional release, primarily for Mann’s own usage but which will undoubtedly be available to the public through the usual specialist outlets. However, it is not inconceivable for this CD to be completely overlooked by collectors, many of who will have only experienced Mann’s music as a result of Year of the Comet, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and other films with colons in the title. To do so would do Mann a great disservice. P.T. Barnum is a score which has as much heart and energy as the man whose life it accompanies; is a score with as much to enjoy as the shows he arranged; and is a score which should be sought out and savoured by anyone with an ear for excellent soundtrack music.

Track Listing:

• Main Title/Reminiscing/Young P.T. & Charity (6:13)
• Caroline is Born/Touring with Joice Heth (5:28)
• Proving Turner Wrong/Back Home/The Scudder’s Swindle and Purchase (4:26)
• Discovering Tom Thumb/Touring Europe (6:34)
• Letter to Charity/Frances Dies/Return from Europe (5:26)
• Iranistan/Back to New York (3:15)
• Disoriented Memories/A New Start/Paying Off Debts Tour/Iranistan Burns (4:34)
• Permission to Marry/Lecture Tour/Caroline’s Baby Dies
• Barnum Returns/Loyalist Supporters/Alone (4:46)
• Newspaper Article/Charity’s Illness/Road Show/Charity Dies (5:23)
• The Greatest Show on Earth (3:29)
• New Life with Nancy/Public Office/Pauline Dies (4:03)
• Barnum & Bailey Join Forces/P.T. Dies (3:48)

Running Time: 61 minutes 21 seconds

Intrada HMCD-1000 (1999)

Music composed and conducted by Hummie Mann. Performed by The Northwest Sinfonia. Orchestrations by Hummie Mann, Ira Hearshen and Tim Huling. Recorded and mixed by Rick Riccio. Edited by Bob Beecher and Chris Ledesma. Album produced by Hummie Mann and Douglass Fake.