Search - Milan Svoboda :: The Last Butterfly (1990 Film)

The End of An Era

Brian D. Mellies | San Francisco, CA | 07/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Last Butterfly" is the final film score written by the great Alex North in a career that began nearly forty years earlier with the inestimable score he provided for Elia Kazan's "A Streetcar Named Desire". His work remained, to the end, as precious as a fine rare jewel. The title of this film could have been a tribute to the composer himself. Actually, the CD consists of about 20 minutes of music written by the Maestro, interspersed with music by Milan Svoboda. The film, I believe, was actually produced by North's son, Steven. While I in no way wish to minimize the work of Svoboda, I bought this CD for the work of Mr. North. After listening to the entire CD, my suggestion to those interested would be to program your player to play just the tracks written by Mr. North. What you will hear, in my opinion, is a beautiful elegy derived from the soul of a man obviously at peace with himself and his years. In his own typically unique and self-effacing way, the Maestro, with this work, bids a final and affectionate farewell to us all. That we could all end our destinies with such quiet grace. But, then, how many Alex Norths have we been given?"

Last Butterfly = Last Hurrah

J. A. Retzer | Phoenix, AZ | 10/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD [Varese Sarabande VSD-5287] never having seen the film or heard a note of the score, but it was by Alex North and it was his final score (plus it was cheap) so there was little to lose; besides, none of my other North scores has ever disappointed me.



As a previous reviewer (and others elsewhere) have noted, the 45 minute CD contains only about 20 minutes of North's own compositions, with the balance being provided by Milan Svoboda. In my opinion, far too much has been made of this. It may be a sticking point for North purists, but for the average lover of a good score, it's really no big deal.



I popped the CD in and listened to it from beginning to end (listening "blind" as it were, without reference to the track listing) and loved every track. There was not a clunker in the mix and the musical landscape drifted by seamlessly from one vignette to the other. North's more studious compositions danced a charming pas de duex with Svoboda's folk-inspired pieces, and the chamber pieces harmonized gracefully with the cafe waltzs.



The CD was beguiling from beginning to end and bears up well for repeated listening. Both on its own musical terms and as Alex North's final bow to film music fans, The Last Butterfly is assured a place among my permanant CD collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."