Blade Runner (Orchestral Arrangement)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

In the year 1981, Vangelis wrote history. With his amazing theme for Chariots of Fire (now known all over the world) he won the Academy Award for original music and one year later, his synthesizers built the mood and vision of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. This score was released later in various forms, such as the original synthesized version but also later in an orchestral arrangement, under the guidance of The New American Orchestra. And its easy to say that this orchestral arrangement does a little more justice to the music. Still occasionally performed on synthesizers, it are the strings during 'End Title' that really make the main theme of the score worth it. This theme is also reprised in the last track but not in 'Main Title' which is actually various short fanfares and a mysterious mood builder simply through twinkles of bells. The other theme of the movie is one that's simply for fans, but still nice and charming. 'Love Theme' is performed through a trumpet and its of course much more real through the real instrument then the synthesized one, but its all still for the person who loves a rather lounge feel overall.

This basically isn't a surprise since the whole score has a bit of a lounge feel. Like the fourth track 'Memories of Green' which is purely dominated by piano and the added song (the only piece not solely composed by Vangelis) 'One More Kiss' is in the same mood to listen to. The score basically is made up of the rather wonderful main theme version, with trumpets occasionally reaching the Rocky fanfares, the percussion that creates a thump and even the synthesizers giving it its futuristic setting, making even the real synthesized version very good in its genre. Another interesting track is 'Farewell' because here a very relieving future is created, through light strings and twinkles of bells, again giving it this feel that flows just right. Altogether Blade Runner "Orchestral Arrangement" will fit more with the normal fan of film music, because it leans closer to actual orchestral film music and because it also seems to delete various dissonant tracks without knowing why, when or how. Vangelis' original score on the other hand might please the die hard fans more because of the way it sounds with his use of synthesizers. As said, the electronics do still return in this score but simply the sound of a more orchestral approach is enough to give you a more soothing feeling when listening to it.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Love Theme (4.16)

2. Main Title (5.05)

3. One More Kiss: Don Percival (4.02)

4. Memories Of Green (4.54)

5. End Title (4.18)

6. Blade Runner Blues (4.42)

7. Farewell (3.12)

8. End Title Reprise (3.05)

Total Length: 33.34

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Vangelis ===