Bruce Broughton: And on the Sixth Day; String Theory. Olivier Stankiewicz, oboist; Jonathan Bloxham, conductor; London Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.559958.
First, I remain a bit confused about the particulars of this release. There seem to be two similar recordings: this one (containing And on the Sixth Day and String Theory) and Naxos 8.559950 (which adds Broughton's Horn Concerto). I have access to both Spotify and Naxos Music Library, and I did not see No. 8.559950 on either of those streaming platforms. I'm guessing it's currently available only via hard copy? Very well, then I'd have to wait to review the Horn Concerto until I get my hands on that, or until it finally ends up available via streaming at some later date. Honestly, though, I think I've heard enough with just these two works.
That sounds ominous, doesn't it? I'm sorry. I'm not so much "down" on this music, which is quite nice. It's just a matter of managing expectations. Bruce Broughton is widely known for his film, television, and game work, and particularly for his dramatic underscoring. That gives you a clue as to what these two pieces are like. They show a composer with tons of orchestration facility, ample formal polish, a sharp ear, and a penchant for writing great atmosphere/mood music. What they do not show is someone with a particularly strong compositional personality, nor even someone with the ability to compose winning tunes à la John Williams. But again, is this a fair expectation? Maybe not. Still, the issue is worth mentioning right away.
And on the Sixth Day is actually an oboe concerto in three movements, which are entitled "Prologue: In the Beginning," "Evening," and "Morning." The first of these starts off with a kind of "soft dissonance" style featuring angular melodies. Bits of consonant warmth break in here and there. It's all pretty agreeable stuff, and very well put together...but not very memorable. The "Evening" movement strikes me as more TV-like, with increased consonance and sweeping but derivative melodic material. I kept thinking that this music would be more effective accompanying visual imagery, but it's nice enough on its own. The finale starts out as a kind of tarantella; Broughton likes his triplets. While the second movement sounds like it could accompany some visual landscape, much of its successor recalls action sequences. The work owes much to Copland, and perhaps a little to Vaughan Williams and Grainger.
String Theory is a set of variations on a typically winding theme, with the Copland debt strongly felt right off the bat. If you like the stock aesthetic of 'Americana classical music,' you'll like this. The variations are all skillfully written (one is fugal), but it doesn't take long to realize that Broughton has a limited stylistic range. And it doesn't take him all that long to burn through it. Again I was forced to consider how effective his music would be in the short bursts that motion-picture media demands of him. But in extended compositions, I had the feeling of having heard it all multiple times in the course of 1-2 works.
It's all perfectly fine stuff. But you can tell Broughton's bread-and-butter is writing "partial attention" music fit for viewing accompaniment. There are few (if any) signature turns of phrase. There are no moments that make you sit up and marvel. But...not every composer can be a John Williams or an Aaron Copland (specifically the populist Aaron Copland we all love). Most of the rest of us have more modest talents, including those which are well suited to writing background music. And that's perfectly fine.
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