Kenneth Branagh and Patrick Doyle have had a fruitful and successful director/composer collaboration so far, with several Shakespeare movies on their mutual resumé. Hamlet, produced in 1996, is a lively and grand take on Shakespeare's classic tragedy from 1602, with big, splendid sets and equally splendid actors.
Doyle's score is an important part of the film, often present, both in background and foreground. The orchestrations are heavily dominated by strings, and some woodwinds, with brass usually placed in the back seat. The music is lyrical and subdued, with a beautiful, albeit quite sad, main theme (for Prince Hamlet). Doyle weaves this strong theme in and out of the music and it appears in several shapes and forms throughout the score. Themes for Ophelia and Claudius are heard in cues such as "Oh what a noble mind" and "Now could I drink hot blood", but it is Hamlet's theme that will linger on in your head afterwards. This theme also forms the basis for "In Pace", a song performed by Placido Domingo, which opens the soundtrack album.
Even if most of the music is lowkey and romantic, some elements of suspense have managed to find their way into the score, as well. The almost ten minutes long "The Ghost" is filled with aggressive and tensed music, dominated by percussion and staccato brass. Unfortunately, its latter part, dominated by a depressing solo violin is far too long and repetetive to be really interesting, even if the orchestrations are somewhat interesting and effective.
Highlights include the short, but festive, "Fanfare", the many string renditions of Hamlet's theme and "If once a widow", which is dominated by a beautiful harp, supported by solo oboe and cello. Very beautiful. Also, the two final tracks "Goodnight, sweet prince" and "Go bid the soldiers shoot", with strongs statements of the main theme and some effective choral music, are worth revisiting on a regular basis.