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Ghost And The Darkness, The

Ghost And The Darkness, The (1996)

Composer(s):
Jerry Goldsmith

Released in:
1996

Reviews

Goldsmiths Big Journey to Africa!
by a soundtrack collector (May 15, 2003)
If you think about African-influenced music, shortly Hans Zimmers compositions for THE LION KING and PRINCE OF EGYPT come to your mind, for which the use of modern drums, African chorals and synthesizers is very characteristic. The very modern influences on Zimmers musics make them a good listen, but also a not that superior one. Zimmers use of (mostly synthesized) drums or brass is always very simple and the chorus is more influenced by so called "world music" (Adiemus & Co.) than by real chants rooted in African culture.
With THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS Jerry Goldsmith made something wonderful: He combined more traditional, to say European instrumentation (a big use of several horns in here) with REAL African percussion and chorus plus some very atmospheric or foreboding synthesizer sounds, which are fitted pretty good into the whole concept. There's one big theme, mostly for great horn figures, that describes the connection between an Irishman and the dark continent, which is a central element of at least the score, not that much of the film. The victorian tradition of instrumentation combined with the african percussions and chants makes his first good impression in the "Theme" and even when it is played by less european instruments, like some flutes, it's still rooted in victorian, or better said westerly influenced music so the connection is always present, when the theme is played. Connected with this theme is a kind of little Love theme that also appears pretty early in track 1.
For the pure Africa Goldsmith created a very aboriginal and dark sounding motif for solo voice, horns and several westly and african percussions, that make it very powerfull.
The music for the lion's attack is very harsh and fast with a great deal of native percussions and horn performances. Althought also rooted in "normal" Hollywood- and Goldsmithsound, the parts form the impression of pure unclouded rage of natural fierceness presented by the lions, that gets even more strengthened by wild statements of the African percussions section.
The contrast of majestic and sometimes also soft and quiet melody and wild and very percussive African music is very effective and makes a good listening expirience. The performance of the great National Philharmonic Orchestra is great and also does not lack a certain engagement, which is neccessary for such powerfull statements.
But what makes you wonder is, that only nearly 40 Minutes of score found their way on the album (by the way in very good sound quality), although the music was recorded in England and should have made more music on the album possible, because of the low re-use-fees you have to pay in England or generally in Europe. Instead some native african chants can be found on the CD, what gives you a good impresson of the music of the dark continent, but is doubtly that, what people who by the soundtrack really want. Well , 40 minutes are not the worst that could have happened, although the absence of the music for the cave sequence, which gives you a greater hint at the insanity of the lions by using a synthesizer sound which later became the characteristic spooky Borg-sound in STAR TREK - FIRST CONTACT, is very sad. Apart of that the music selection is very good and gives you a decent look at the musical concept not depriving great and epic moments of monumental scale. So the CD is a quite good deal not only for Goldsmith fans and a very good alternate for people who are fed up with the toothless african sounds that Hans Zimmer produces very often.
Highly Recommended!!!

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