CYRANO – Film Soundtrack (Decca Records)
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
The much-lauded new version of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale is being released and with it the soundtrack album. Starring Peter Dinklage in the eponymous role, this production takes on a new dimension. Usually Cyrano is portrayed with a large nose but this time there is a focus on his diminutive stature.
The music is by the brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner. It is lush, atmospheric and stirring yet, at times, quite pared down. It all adds to the ambience of the piece. At once strident and majestic and at others, quiet and romantic. However, the lyrics can become overly saccharine at times and Dinklage, although he is a masterful actor, is not what you would term a great singer. However, he manages, by strength of his acting chops, to put the numbers over. Even a very strange rap-style number entitled ‘When I Was Born’. Haley Bennett more than makes up for Dinklage’s lack of vocal power and even Ben Mendelsohn and Glen Hansard get a look in.
Tracks are: ‘Intro’, ‘Opening’, ‘Someone to Say’, ‘When I Was Born’, ‘Dying’, ‘Madly’, ‘Ten Men Fight’, ‘Your Name’, ‘Garrison Arrival’,’ Not a Toy’, ‘Someone To Say (reprise)’, ‘Every Letter (radio edit)’, ‘I Love You’, ‘I Need More (radio edit)’, ‘Overcome’, ‘The Kiss’, ‘Marry Christian’, ‘What I Deserve’, ‘Saying Goodbye’, ‘Close My Eyes’, ‘Wherever I Fall (pt1)’, ‘Wherever I Fall (pt2)’, He Will Be Here’, ‘Cyrano’s Message’, ‘No Cyrano’, ‘Somebody Desperate’ and ‘Saying Goodbye (piano solo)’.
The music is played by the London Contemporary Orchestra, with a haunting piano solo as the last track by Vikingur Olafsson, who also composed some of the music. A lush reminder of the film.
Nick Wakeham
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