Arsčne Lupin

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

British composer Debbie Wiseman isn't widely known beyond the European circles and sad this is. Because every composer strikes gold at least once in his or her career and then the known status would come in handy. Then we review sites need to inform you about that winning status. And so we'll do that with the effort that Debbie Wiseman deserves to be recognized for. Arsčne Lupin, a French adventurous crime movie didn't exactly set the interest further but luckily labels believe in the potential of the music. And rightfully so, because this score is a real piece of art, one which demands a darker mind then perhaps intended first, but returns the favor with bringing darkish brilliance in abundance. The score is performed by a large sounding Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the renowned Crouch End Festival Chorus lends a helping hand too in setting a gothic level to the already gloomy but enticing dark mood. And then everything is on board to make it successful, even the song. While being just an ordinary song, Debbie Wiseman wrote the underscore while performer M added a lounge feel to it. Actually the only tones we remember of Wiseman's score is the descending mysterious tunes but it remains close to the feel of the entire CD nonetheless. The score by Wiseman starts with 'Arsčne Lupin' and introduces us to the ominous mysterious and yet gothic theme, Wiseman keeps the theme interesting by letting it to be a long and 2 part theme, where both parts can be heard later separately to set the character of Lupin alive. 'Le Grand Café' is the longest track and builds on light choir, soft flute melodies and when occasional fanfares arise, you get the feeling you're hearing Wiseman's touch in an otherwise eerie Trevor Jones mood at occasions. A pumping rhythm is heard in the end. 'Arsčne Deserted' has then one of the few occasions where a more optimistic mood is heard, with piano and the theme blossoming open on variations.

There is some room for diversity and tracks as 'Casino' and 'The Ballroom' add some orchestral waltzing charm to the otherwise dark foreboding music, and perhaps just well too its there. On the other hand I do prefer when Debbie unleashes her orchestral voice in this score, because then the score comes alive and examples as 'The Needle of Etretat' and 'Arsčne Escapes' are masters in the genre, with gothic touches of the theme around walls of brass and trumpets blazing galore, either lightened by piano or drums on the faster rhythm. And 'Countess Cagliostro' shows touches of this with added choir, centering around parts of the theme or variations on it. Be warned, the mood never goes to a more positive level but the quality of the gothic music is still impressive. 'Goodbye Mother' has even a exact horn opening ala The Prince of Egypt, but these horns are based on the theme, in the middle we have the now frequent explosion of action with the brass techniques ripping the sound apart, but this returns to the lonesome theme statement near the end nonetheless. 'Underwater' has fireworks near the end with a suspension fanfare at the finish while 'Arsčne Et Beaumagnan' is now becoming Patrick Doyle, with an opening of brass (Needful Things and Frankenstein) and a rage of them all the way through the piece, excellent if you can cope it as player. Even more to cope is 'Theft of the Crucifix', the first minute and a half at least with brass blasts and a constant bell rhythm accompanied to it, it makes for furious listening, the fanfares return with choir for the final pound, and a solo vocal returns with a part of the theme to close it softly with. 'Under the Spell' takes that route further with first choral versions of the theme and then solo vocals setting a more mysterious mood while church organ and dark underscore doesn't exactly set 'The Mask of Prince Sernine' alight but it of course sets the mood in the vein as you've been hearing all along.

But when you've heard the entire ruckus you could handle, Wiseman unleashes her best take upon that action. 'Fields of Lupin' is 4 minutes of blazing fury, but here the choir plays a large role and the brass playing alone between 2.18 and 2.36 is furious yet brilliant, it makes you gasp for air. 'The Eight Star will be Divine' begins the same way but turns into various moods later on, brief comedy, rhythmic suspension builder, underscore and the theme. And effectively are the latter tracks, choir growing of the ashes of the theme in 'The Hollow Needle', playful music based on the theme in 'Fooled by a Newcomer' while silence is interrupted with a brass blasts in 'Clarisse Wakes' after about a minute. 'The Blue Lupin' has the final gasp of excitement with the organ and the pound setting the theme in motion, whirling strings and a fine orchestral build up ensures the ending nicely of Wiseman's gothic score. 'Secret Passage' brings the theme naturally in full version back to close the CD. Easily, with 73 minutes there is much to discover of music, and perhaps a bit too much because how exciting the begin is, you need to get back on track near the end, and the highlights help on that. And of course the large gothic action spectacles due help, with 6, 8 and 17 being masterpieces in their own right. Arsčne Lupin in its own world a master CD, because few scores handle the gothic level as masterful as Wiseman's composition, of course this demands the score is largely covered in the demanding dark enthralling world of the thief. And at 73 minutes this perhaps is a bit too much to handle. And while the difference between score cues barely shifts from the brass, at least the ideas or the thematic variations are aplenty. Take it from me, in the right mood and on the right occasion, no person can withstand the moody blazing flair of Arsčne Lupin, and in its highlights no one will resist Wiseman's voice.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Qui Es-Tu?: M * (3.06)

2. Arsčne Lupin (2.15)

3. Le Grand Café (6.27)

4. Arsčne Deserted (3.14) Excellent Track

5. Casino (1.37)

6. The Needle Of Etretat (2.49) Excellent Track

7. Clarisse Et Arsčne (1.43)

8. Arsčne Escapes (2.09) Excellent Track

9. Goodbye Mother (3.07)

10. Countess Cagliostro (3.29)

11. Underwater (3.27)

12. Arsčne Et Beaumagnan (2.05)

13. The Ballroom (2.07)

14. Theft Of The Crucifix (4.13) Excellent Track

15. Under The Spell (4.18)

16. The Mask Of Prince Sernine (2.34)

17. Fields Of Lupin (4.14) Excellent Track

18. The Eight Star Will Be Divine (4.53)

19. The Hollow Needle (1.48)

20. Fooled By A Newcomer (3.08)

21. Clarisse Wakes (3.35)

22. The Blue Lupin (2.38)

23. Secret Passage (4.46) Excellent Track

* Written by Debbie Wiseman, Sébastian Martel, Piers Faccini & Marcel Kanche

Total Length: 73.53

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