Mathilda (Bootleg)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

David Newman's career is full of unreleased scores. Bootlegs are flying around on the market, requests are traveling faster than the speed of light and impressions are the only wondering reaction that is yet to be solved. It is then also tricky as I am the one who has to deliver it all! In fact, I have no doubt Mathilda in general has its fans but I'm not one of them and I really can't stand the Newman nature, which is too over the top here and there. 1996 already contained a bit too much of the bombastic side (The Phantom for those of you wondering), contained serious quirkiness of The Nutty Professor (also an unreleased score) and Mathilda had to prove me right in obtaining it fair and square. In the case I receive a minimum of David Newman's trademarks, meaning an enjoyable main theme and a respected combination of good ideas. But in the case of enjoying it, there are not enough of those moments to keep the line in balance when it concerns the crazy nature of this bootleg. The sound is very respectable and the material is lengthy, but place it too much in the quality of the score and you've got a bouncy listen, one with the benefits but especially the detractions.

I know, I usually repeat the same thing but it is the truth. Mathilda has an enjoyable main theme and yes, it is constructed primarily for the piano but it works and it does help to smoothen the listen once and a while. Best heard in the first track 'Newborn' or most effective and enjoyable in 'Trunchbull's Office', the theme is not the winner in the big David Newman book but definitely respectful in its genre and basis. The main theme also receives some attention what I consider the best of the long tracks and that is 'To the Library', covering it with a sense of wonder and intellectual passion (yes, this man has gone to school!). From track 3 however, the mood starts to pick up steam and mostly, you receive the downfall of this score, meaning the energetic nature of the music (which is still acceptable at times) but mostly the array of tone. At times you get these strange sound effects through a wall of non thematic noise and even at times harmonica, sometimes an ethnic flute and for the most part jazz which feels non fitting for my book. Of course someone talking here that hasn't seen the film yet! You have several examples and mostly they cover around the largest tracks, meaning 'A Narrow Escape' and 'The End of Trunchbull' which does cover a nice finale, a la Newman of course. The rest is basically a calmer track, the main theme version of it or the crazy, energetic nature which reminds me of the moments in Ice Age and Coneheads for one.

Also, the tracks are at times extremely short you barely even notice them in advance and the lack of a real strong highlight is in fact the real disappointment in the soundtrack. I in fact was expecting a little more magic, wonder and good versions of themes and not this over emphasized energetic and crazy nature. David Newman perhaps responded that Danny de Vito left him with some space to compose the score, and the short but fun thematic moments really lighten the score but not enough to give me the pleasure of hearing it once and a while. Mathilda is then also a score I hardly recommend for those trying to discover what David Newman is good at. There are lot more scores the man composed I prefer over this one. The quotation overall feels the way I described it but to those who are still wondering, here is my final response. I always ask the question whenever I have doubts about a certain quotation. Will I listen to the score much and will I listen to it in full? Both questions receive a negative response. Mathilda has moments but they are slim and perhaps not enough to satisfy a regular listener of film music.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Newborn (Mathilda Theme) (0.49)

2. To The Library (3.07)

3. The Haunting (5.31)

4. Multiplication (Mathilda Theme) (1.55)

5. Hair Tonic (1.51)

6. After The Explosion (0.52)

7. Moss Honey (1.06)

8. A Narrow Escape (5.20)

9. Miss Honey's Story (2.34)

10. Trunchbull's House (3.47)

11. Crunchem Hall (3.21)

12. The Pitcher (1.19)

13. The End of Trunchbull (6.36)

14. She Got What She Always Wanted (Mathilda Theme) (0.54)

15. Hammer Throw (0.56)

16. Trunchbull's Office (1.55)

17. Bruce Bogtrotter (3.05)

18. Trunchbull Teaches Class (2.34)

19. Drinken The Newt (0.49)

20. New Dance (1.40)

21. Discovering Her Powers (1.20)

22. Another Crim In The Making (0.44)

23. Carrot Toss (0.21)

24. Mathilda Writes Her Name (1.13)

25. The FBI (0.57)

26. Wormwood Actors (1.11)

Total Length: 56.03

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: David Newman ===