Jerry Goldsmith's Timeline - SACD
8-Sep-2004 - At last! A score Varèse Sarabande could not allow to be filed away as a mysterious film music casualty. Jerry Goldsmith’s Timeline is an exceptional work. It’s grand in concept, detailed in execution, melodically and rhythmically inspired, exquisitely beautiful and exhilarating. Poised to be another epic merging of the virtuoso words of Michael Crichton and the music of Jerry Goldsmith, the film Timeline was also to bring about a rather historic reunion … that between Goldsmith and director Richard Donner. The two hadn’t worked together since The Omen, in 1976, the score which earned its composer an Academy Award.
Goldsmith began work on Timeline shortly after completing Star Trek Nemesis for director Stuart Baird (Donner’s frequent editor and another veteran of The Omen), in August of 2002. All told, Goldsmith invested some seven months in the project, with recording sessions separated into two main blocks. Three days of recording took place on December 16 – 18, 2002, with more sessions from March 5 – 8, 2003. From these recording sessions emerged an invigorating symphonic work that was embraced by the filmmakers, as cue after cue met with ovations and praise.
When, a short time after the score had been completed, news broke that the film was going to be rescored, it was one of the most unexpected and perplexing developments in recent times.
Despite the film’s pedigree, however, what had resulted was, in industry lingo, a troubled picture. Faring poorly in test screenings, the film’s April release date was aborted and the entire postproduction process, including editing and scoring, was reopened. The film was to receive a rather extreme makeover, even going so far as to excise the opening sequence (the scene which originally accompanied the cue The Dig). Having already devoted many months to the producers and delivering a score of might and brawn, Goldsmith viewed any further investitures as futile.
Composer Brian Tyler’s score for Paramount Pictures’ The Hunted (directed by William Friedkin) proved to be the key résumé entry that landed him the daunting task of composing a replacement score. But despite all the rethinking and second-guessing, the production’s efforts were for naught as the film still failed to either draw the public or satiate the critics.
Goldsmith’s score, under these circumstances, seemed destined to be lost to the dark purgatory of unused and rejected film scores. Despite Donner’s acknowledgment that Goldsmith’s score was “phenomenal,” “magnificent” and “extraordinary,” it was, nevertheless, a score without a film.>br>
But Jerry Goldsmith has always done far more than simply score films (not that there is anything simple about that!), Jerry Goldsmith is an artist. He always has been. And the music he writes is lasting, memorable, moving and important. So, ensuring that this particular score, despite the fate it met in the film, can find its way into the hands and collections of his most devoted fans, Varèse Sarabande is proud to offer this special SACD presentation of Jerry Goldsmith’s medieval symphonic adventure.
Robert Townson - Varèse Sarabande.
This is a hybrid SACD, playable on all regular CD players but offers additional features and fidelity to those with SACD players.
For more info, visit Varèse Sarabande.
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