Search - Richard Harvey :: Animal Farm: Original Television Soundtrack

One of the most underrated and moving scores I've ever heard

Robert Pollock | Durham, NC USA | 05/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The composer for the TV movie Animal Farm, Richard Harvery, is not a big name in the scoring industry nor has his other works. Animal Farm has been unfairly subjected to this type of rejection even though it is a true classic. It shows a variety of moods from dark to playful to moving and Richard Harvery shows this seamlessly and masterfully. The score begins with the moving main theme played over an electronic beat, Zimmer style. The theme has a sound like the theme from Last Of The Mohicans and always breaks out majestically and with power. It easily conveys the hopes of the farm animals. The happier tracks are playful and remind me of the playful music in some of John Williams' scores but with more emphasis on the woodwinds and less overly happy. Chorus plays an integral role in the film. The fantastic dark rebellion theme, sung in English, reminds me of the theme from Hunt For The Red October and parts of Conan the Barbarian. It, along with the rest of the music and songs in the film, sound Russian in style and without corny stupid lyrics. On track 6, after chaotic scoring, the rebellion theme comes in with overwhelming feeling by the French Horns. Too bad the theme only appears in the beginning. The farm life theme, some parts reminding me of Jame Horner's Titanic, played after the animals are free is lifting and flowing in a lyrical style. Towards the ending the music gets darker again and more sinister. Squealer's theme, a variation of the main theme, fits the pig's loyalty to Napoleon and the Song of The Grateful Duck sounds like a Russian opera which turns malevolent. Words cannot describe this masterpiece. It is not your average TV movie score or film score. The subtle scoring and themes make this a memorable score. I highly recommend it above most scores."