Recording Review #44: Elfman Elsewhere

Danny Elfman: Wunderkammer; Percussion Concerto; Are You Lost? Colin Currie, percussionist; Joann Falletta, conductor; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony Classical 19658889842. 

To get it out of the way, Danny Elfman is one of my favorite film/TV scorers. He's great at composing one-off opening tunes and contributing to rich cinematic atmospheres. When I am particularly struck by the music supporting what I'm watching onscreen, chances are fairly good it's an Elfman score. And of course, the distinctiveness of The Simpsons title theme alone would be sufficient to forever enshrine his name in American culture of the most recent fin de siècle. 

But (and you knew there was a "but"), I'm not convinced he's significantly more than this. After listening to the present release and similar fare, I think you have to add his name to a growing list of individuals who never really won matching respect in classical genres outside of their popular theater niches: Arthur Seymour Sullivan, Meredith Willson, Miklós Rózsa, Leonard Bernstein, John Williams, etc. Which is perfectly fine, but let's be honest. 

This is not to say I didn't enjoy Elfman's Wunderkammer, Percussion Concerto, or Are You Lost? On the contrary, each is pleasant enough. But when I view them as musical works in their own right, I'm forced to recognize that there's a reason Elfman became famous on another basis. The first problem is that there is no signature tune in any of this music. If you come to it expecting something like that Simpsons main theme you're going to be disappointed. This echoes a curious trend connected with most of the other people I just mentioned: the flavor of their famous stuff doesn't always transfer well to their "serious" classical compositions. 

It is true that Elfman's rich colors and atmosphere building are present in all three compositions here. But the second problem is that this kind of material is far less riveting in an extended classical structure than it is accompanying Edward Scissorhands trimming hedges or Batman sneaking up on some crook in Gotham City. Elfman is forced to introduce ideas in a kind of minimalist fashion, and stick with them for a time before moving on to other ideas and doing the same. None of them invites sustained attention, and the wholes make nice-ish but underwhelming impressions. One could retort that Philip Glass (whom I've praised here) isn't much different. True, but Glass's distinguished melodic gift transfers over from his film to his concert music comparatively smoothly; he can catch and hold one's ear with the smallest bit of magic. Elfman's magic, such as it is, fizzles outside of its natural home. It all just becomes ordinary. 

I'm not a snob about media music. I've defended its legitimacy in concert settings and as a bona fide classical genre. But I can think this and still recognize that handling a memorable theme in an extended composition is another thing entirely. I respect both skills, but in the end they're separate skills. The number of people great at both constitutes a rarefied group. Elfman isn't in it. 

Verdict: Mildly Recommended