Miss Potter

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

The story of Miss Potter is a curious one, and I'm talking about the music here. Rachel Portman was assigned for the music (respected if too obvious choice), but was later replaced by Nigel Westlake, only to discover that Portman's music was still placed on album (2 tracks) and that Westlake's music ultimately sounds like Portman's. If you replace a composer for another sound, that's fair but the tone of Westlake is definitely in the same tone as Rachel Portman's bittersweet musical voice. Anyway, Miss Potter ultimately was scored by Nigel Westlake. That's the Australian composer who became famous with Babe and its sequel Babe: Pig in the City. After that he somewhat vanished from the scenery until he resurfaced with Miss Potter, the bittersweet fairytale movie of Chris Noonan. Westlake delivered great things with Babe and so I was keen to discover if he would bring fantasy to the fairytale that is Miss Potter musically. So it was strange to first discover that material of Portman still surfaced on the CD, secondly that it sounds almost Portman all the way. Its sweet, the strings and the flute are ever-present and the theme could be hers. Yet it seems that Nigel Westlake just had to make the music a little less Portman and so he did it with various little twists. Like for instance 'The Story of Peter Rabbit' which becomes a bit more classically inclined, briefly a scherzo and working its playfulness up in the wake of Babe, without any big similarities. The begin however you would swear or imagine it was otherwise Portman handling the strings here, 'Miss Potter' has a charming opening with the main theme for piano and strings but its presented on such a manner you swear the theme is Portman written. 'The Park' is composed by Rachel Portman as that is too evident with the way she presents her secondary theme in the typical yet always working charm of her previous scores. For how much you heard it, its always damn lovely. 'A Bunny Book to Conjure With' has some nice fantasy moments, with swirling strings and playful flutes jumping around and making the music dance ever softly forward.

With 'Mother' which is a playful flute moment with the theme of her book character Peter Rabbit and 'Jemima Puddle Duck' you are definitely in fantasy land, here alone reaching inspiring heights through the assistance of piano and orchestra. 'Mr. Warne!' returns with the main theme tinkling lightly forward, apart from Portman's brief theme and a more serious nature at the end. However if you want fairytale conditions you best check out 'Beatrix & Norman', 5 min of nothing less that fairy dust and wonder. It swirls ala Nanny McPhee, we notice some emphasis on brass and the main theme is used ever lovely, its really sweet. Things change in 'Return to London' and Portman's second piece 'Beatrix Locks Herself Away', its darker, less cheerful and with the use of solo cello and violin (based on the theme), Portman once again goes easily to her work as well in tone. Slightly more optimistic in 'Recovering' and 'I'm Painting Again', it reaches its happy climax in 'The Lakes', where ala Rachel Portman her melody is introduced with the main theme, forming together the pair of composers and themes for a voice that was always one. Katie Melua, the hot Russian jazz singer presents here 'When you Taught me How to Dance', the theme of the movie supported by her ever amazing voice. I like Katie Melua a lot, she's got such a wonderful soothing voice, you just shut up when hearing her sing and when its centered on a pleasing melody you heard those 40 minutes before you just wonder if it could end wrong at all. Of course it doesn't and any Katie Melua fan will see this easily as a song by her own. Together Miss Potter brings the strange mix of rejected material and the final music together, without a real question why both styles sound so much alike. The only difference is in mere voices where Westlake and Portman differ in. But on album that voice is one and the bittersweet nature makes sure its such a pleasing album from begin to end. True, bittersweet and we heard it so many times before but still, but still ...

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Miss Potter (3.47)

2. The Park * (3.03)

3. A Bunny Book To Conjure With (3.17)

4. The Story Of Peter Rabbit (2.49)

5. Mother (1.34)

6. Jemima Puddle Duck (3.14)

7. The Rabbits' Christmas Party (1.39)

8. Mr. Warne! (2.36)

9. Beatrix & Norman (5.59) Excellent Track

10. Return To London (1.13)

11. Beatrix Locks Herself Away * (3.12)

12. Recovering (1.26)

13. I'm Painting Again (1.29)

14. The Lakes (3.45) Excellent Track

15. When You Taught Me How To Dance: Katie Melua (3.26) Ex Track

* composed by Rachel Portman

Total Length: 42.29

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Rachel Portman ===