Search - Bob Marley, Dun Tan, Tan Dun :: Tan Dun: 2000 Today (Original Soundtrack)

Promises more than it ever delivers-and a year too early

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 12/14/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Melville advised that to write a mighty book, you need a mighty theme. Ditto for a mighty piece of music, where "theme" has a double meaning. Although the new millennium will not start until January 1, 2001 (since 2000 is the 100th year of this century and not the first of the next), a lot of Impatient Ones could not wait, and we are stuck with an incorrectly timed Big Event. As it turns out, the BBC is planning a monumental 27 hour telecast so greet the "new" millennium as it appears around the world's time zones; and Tan Dun was commissioned to compose the music. Now even Richard Rodgers, a far better composer, was stressed to the limit for all those hours of "Victory at Sea." So when I received the new Sony release, (SK 61529), I had no idea what to expect. The whole disc (it runs just short of an hour) starts with a sophomoric vocal called "One Love," that is supposed to be the "official anthem" of the broadcast" and that instantly had me wondering about how "monumental" this effort was going to be. What followed was a series of short pieces designed to "introduce continents and countries anticipating and preparing for the moment of the millennium's arrival" (to quote the press release). What I heard was a good deal of banging and twanging on "instruments ranging from banjo, electric guitar and penny whistles to erhu, koto, djembe, paiku and stones." At first the sound was different enough (though not too different for this composer) to catch one's attention; but the novelty quickly palled and I almost yearned for the soporific twiddle of Philip Glass. I did, however, find on my poetry shelf Mac Leish's "You Andrew Marvel" in which he masterfully traces the progress of the spinning earth in a few punctuationless stanzas--and does a far better job than this music does. No, I do not doubt Dun's sincerity or his talent. In fact, this music might go very well with the visuals of that telecast. Who can tell? But I am reviewing a CD and I am sorry to say I find it of little more than passing historical interest and of little musical interest. Others may love it. Again, who can tell?"