About the Soundtrack: "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" offers music by composers Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman, who teamed up to compose the score. Both composers have been achieving individual successes in their own right so having the two pair up for a score such as this is a great situation for listeners of film music.  The soundtrack itself is filled to the brim with score material, making up 36 of the 37 selections that are on the disc, so there's quite a journey to embark on here.  Although the running time for each cue isn't very long, 36 tracks are still 36 tracks!  In addition, the audio quality is top notch and the tempo of the score is quite consistent, so it is indeed a nice package.

 

What You Need to Know:  Both Desplat and Zigman are gaining notoriety within the industry and among fans alike, so everyone should be at least a little enthused when the two composers converged on this project.  Each of their recent individual soundtrack releases have been very well made and fit their pictures nicely.  In short, they've each been doing respectable work.  While Zigman has had some interaction with fantasy inspired fare (Bridge to Terabithia), this was the first time that I accessed any work from Desplat in this genre.  So along with my enthusiasm came a bit of curiosity; what kind of range would Desplat have apart from the drama genre and how consistent would the overall sound be from this collaborative effort?  The answers were pleasingly simple -- this is an excellent score.

 

The soundtrack is guided by a lofty, dreamy melody that serves as the main theme.  It's really a nice, pleasing motif that is whimsical and memorable, arranged nicely throughout the score.  Sometimes, a soundtrack is only as good as its main theme, since setting a tone is so crucial for a good score, so this one has you covered in that regard.  With the tone set, the fun really begins with a series of unique sounding tracks that really makes you feel like you're a tyke in a toy shop.  While highly original, the music never gets carried away into the realm of the wacky, eg Danny Elfman/Willy Wonka. The composers were able to capture a sound that is hopeful and enthusiastic yet also retaining a mature, classic sensibility to it; the work here is quite polished and that makes for some good listening.  The tail end of the soundtrack slows down just a tad, giving way to more of a dramatic period in the score, but it doesn't halt the enthusiasm of the overall experience.

 

When listening to this score, you'll notice that it doesn't hurry along (even though the tracks are brief) and the use of the piano also adds a timeless quality to the work. There is an even balance from one track to the next and this aids the listening experience tremendously.  In other words, when the movie called for a bit of playfulness, the music obliged.  Likewise, when there was a need for a bit more of a sweeping touch, the main theme was there.  Perhaps the only item missing from this score was an extended suite that could have served as the end credits.  From what I heard, there is ample material to make a great concert suite even beyond this album.

 

Final Grade: This collaboration between Desplat and Zigman was quite a success.  Their music offers a touch of imagination and fantasy and should please most film music fans.  When you do buy this one, and I am certainly recommending it, don't be in a hurry when you're listening to it as the score is at its best when heard with a relaxed and open approach.  I also want to commend each of the maestros for presenting a unified voice with their work as this is a consistent effort from the first track onward.  I'd say that's great teamwork.