Battle of the Somme

Categorized as one of the deadliest and bloodiest battles during World War I, the Battle of the Somme occurred throughout a five month period as an attempt by allied forces to advance their troops through German lines while diverting German soldiers from the battle of Verdun. Many leading British and French commanders opposed such an offensive believing it would help very little. Even though the British gained over 20 miles of territory, at the end, however, the massive losses of British soldiers have forced historians to refrain from calling it a victory in the literal sense. The Battle of the Somme, as a documentary film, proved to be quite a success for British audiences in 1916, making it an authentic box office hit. Going back in time, it took more than 60 years — until the 1977 release of Star Wars— for a film in the UK to attract such a huge audience. Although disputes existed over the authenticity of some of the scenes depicted in this film, some film historians and scientists have been able to validate most of them using a number of techniques. Needless to say, this film portrays some gruesome occurrences in what would soon become an iconic battle. Having first being released in 1916, the Imperial War Museum undertook the task of restoring this documentary in order to introduce it to the new audiences of the 21st century. The restoration process would also include a new score. The aforementioned would subsequently be commissioned to Laura Rossi. Admittedly, Laura Rossi had no easy task, but in the end, her splendid orchestrations and variations make this score a wonderful example of great orchestral composing unaided by any type of synth loops, sounds, or anything that reminds us of the cheap, out-of-the-box sound we have been bombarded in recent years by Hollywood composers.

Part one begins as an orchestral buildup slowly rising in intensity for the first two minutes of the piece, finally reaching a climatic point with a truly beautiful motif that can only be described as majestic and stunning. Both strings and woodwinds seem to perform the theme flawlessly. This short motif is followed by intriguing passages of woodwind ostinatos that seem to keep the images and movement in place without drawing too much attention to the music. Some of the passages that will follow — particularly in the middle of this track — will contain orchestrations reminiscent of those used by John Williams and Bruce Broughton. After ending in a somewhat majestic tone, the piece dissolves and transforms into a different second half. The music acquires a tenser undertone with constant string tremolos and timpani rolls that eventually revert to the charming motif from the beginning.

When Part two begins, the somewhat cheerful tonality at the beginning surely gives the audience a sense of joy. Nonetheless, Rossi is very careful and tries to abstain from deliberately stirring emotions from the listeners. In reality, the images on screen speak for themselves, sometimes complicating the association between the melodies and harmonies from Rossi’s score with the brutality depicted. Much of the rest of this track contains wonderful solo woodwind and string passages that are not necessarily dependent on single melodies or memorable motifs. The real focus always seems to be a flowing underscore with orchestral evolvement that never sounds monotonous.

Part three starts with a slow, uncanny buildup that gradually develops within a suspenseful harmonic modulation, eventually transitioning to more of a woodwind driven arrangement. The rich harmonies and intriguing flute parts dominate some portions of this track. More importantly, the elaborate arpeggios and woodwind tones keep the music flowing and interesting throughout the whole piece. Not surprisingly, Part four seems to revolve around a loop of string lines for the first three to four minutes, while the woodwind section continues to dominate the aural spectrum with admirable performances. However, the elegance of the horn motif introduced in this track becomes the focal point for the whole movement. This evocative motif does not attempt to overstress any particular emotion, but will certainly be perceived as heartening.

Part five — the last of the tracks — contains music that is never sappy or overdramatic, evolving magnificently well throughout a 16 minute time frame. The trumpet passages seem to be executed within the best possible instrumental range, often reminding the listener of the late Jerry Goldsmith and his arrangements for this instrument. Starting at about nine minutes, the Philharmonia Orchestra outshines all other performances by playing a sequence of exquisite notes that conform to a single, radiant passage. At the end, inevitable as it may seem, the true and pure war undertone finishes the piece in a grandiose, yet gracious way.

Rossi’s masterful knowledge of orchestration is evident from the very start of the CD, never allowing for a dull moment in the music. Her orchestrations are on par with those of the great Hollywood composers. The music is brilliantly written with very little weaknesses. Perhaps the dryness of the string tremolos and timpani rolls for the more suspenseful parts in the beginning can be perceived as weaker parts, but make no mistake; Rossi certainly has a very keen sense of instrumentation even in the slower movements. Undoubtedly, the music deserves nothing less than a 10 out of 10 rating. Nevertheless, as a soundtrack and album by itself, the five-part track division can be quite inconvenient for listeners. Yes, the tracks were written to fit the movie reels, but the tracks average about 12-13 minutes in duration, making the task of locating a particular motif or passage rather difficult. Having said that, this is a truly breathtaking score that will positively influence other young composers. Incredibly well written and performed, Rossi’s score for The Battle of the Somme was among the best of 2008.