Paris - Hollywood

Alexandre Desplat has composed his way into the company of cinema’s immortals, with scores for Hollywood blockbusters, quirky independent movies, and French films. His neo-Romantic soundtracks, with their innocent folksy tunes, reassuringly warm harmonies, and sumptuous orchestrations, have the character necessary to stand apart from the moving images they were conceived to complement. This album’s smart selection of pieces from, among others, Desplat’s scores for Wes Anderson, Stephen Frears, and Greta Gerwig, captures the pathos and gentle humour of the man’s music, helped by pin-sharp performances from the Orchestre de Paris. His suite from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows forms a potent concert work, as does the captivating rework of music from The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick’s reflections on the Book of Job, and a suitably atmospheric trio of Godzilla pieces.