What Dreams May Come (Rejected)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Ennio Morricone is known as composer by many things, or he is the spaghetti western guy who jokes up the genre with choir but with ultra delighted effects, or he is the weird innovative composer who takes up what is common and adds his own take to it, with results that often surprises the fans and therefore detest it, or he is the emotional composer who at times adds too much emotion to it (as often despised in movies) and at other times just adds wonderful emotive color to the screen that tears are not far away. Of course, of each genre we have our scores to pick out of, and perhaps one that is forgotten because it was rejected is What Dreams may Come, yet we don't categorize this in the second category, but in the third actually. I heard Michael Kamen's replacement version, and while it too carried emotion and a love mood, it especially carried the color for the depths of hell, meaning the darker angrier scarier atmosphere, while here the rejected score of Morricone offers nothing of this, just pure emotion, liturgical emotion that carries the beauty of the romance for Chris and Annie. Of course, either way, they both make their effect and perhaps its to be understood why Morricone's version ultimately went unused, but it doesn't mean it makes for bad listening. On the contrary, the only bad thing about this disc is the rather average sound quality that takes down the charm of the choir, as the bad mixing of tracks to stop each cue. Despite all that, still Morricone's short score works beyond wonders, and the choral beauty as the emotional color is all heard in heavenly wonder, not in darkish hell.

The score starts with 'What Dreams may Come' and a flute melody, growing into a warmer melody for violin and later orchestra, this is Chris' theme. Reprised softly in 'Main Titles', its Annie's theme that suddenly is heard growing emotional near the end. And these 2 themes just intermingle between each other. 'Car Crash' has Annie's theme but also atonal flutes surging over it, while wonderful male and female choir heighten the choral Christian feeling even more in 'Liturgy for the Kids', the added use of trumpets sounds even more perfect then perhaps stated here. And the liturgical feel remains a bit, with choir heard over dancing triangles, choir heard over Annie's theme in 'Annie's Suicide' and a wonderful orchestral feeling makes Annie's theme even better in 'Elegy for Annie', sad it has to be so short. 'Chris' Love' of course is spotting his theme, but Morricone regular Edda dell'Orso lends her voice to the version here, and the effect surely does work. Piano of Annie's theme in 'Search for Annie' and choir and dell'Orso again in 'Love Eternal' show a softer deeper finish. Chris' Theme with the whole flute touch and growing orchestra is for 'End Credits'. Sadly it is the sound quality that limps a bit behind, and the fact that its rather short, but the effect is nonetheless felt, Morricone adds heartfelt emotional and churchlike wonder to What Dreams may Come "Rejected", you wonder if a hell exists in the movie or not? Perhaps this is the reason the score ultimately was rejected, yet despite all this, both scores still work their own way fine and I have no doubt people will fancy one more then the other. Perhaps mixing the best moments of the 2 together, wouldn't that make for something wild?

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. What Dreams May Come (4.55)

2. Main Titles (4.06) Excellent Track

3. Car Crash (1.00)

4. Liturgy For The Kids (2.40) Excellent Track

5. Requiem For Chris (2.03)

6. Annie's Suicide (1.00)

7. Elegy For Annie (1.00)

8. Chris' Love (1.29)

9. Search For Annie (2.19)

10. Love Eternal (3.19)

11. End Credits (3.16)

Total Length: 27.51

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=== Link to Composer Site: Ennio Morricone ===