During a week where new soundtracks from James Newton Howard and Brian Tyler arrived on the scene, I instead opted for a purchase that featured music that I've heard multiple times before.  Call me crazy, but I couldn't resist buying the music from the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, as performed by the Prague Philharmonic.

 

When I interviewed Hans Zimmer during the summer of 2007, he mentioned that there was a wealth of orchestral 'Pirates' material in the Remote Control archives, but he made no mention of any plans to release it commercially.  Thankfully, Silva Screen has developed a soundtrack that features the music from all three films in an orchestral and choral format.  As big as a fan as I am of James Newton Howard and Brian Tyler, "Michael Clayton" and "Finishing the Game" could wait.

 

Typically, the Prague re-recordings make for a terrific option for film music lovers.  Not only do they offer selections of relevant and classic work, but often times their re-recordings present a slightly different take on the music that we enjoy.  While this works especially well for some of the older, classic scores (to have an updated recording), it also serves the modern works well too, offering highlights that are arranged nicely on their album releases.

 

The music from 'Pirates,' as mentioned earlier, presents material from all the films to date.  The soundtrack runs in sequential order from the first film on to the third, which really makes for one heck of an adventure.  All of the main themes from each movie are well accounted for; as usual, the team did their homework in selecting the best possible moments from each of the scores.  What makes this album shine, however, and what should motivate you to buy this even if you own the original discs, is the chance to hear the works presented in a purely orchestral manner.  The electronic resources that Zimmer's team had employed are set aside for this compilation, making for more of an organic sound.

 

In my opinion, the music from the Pirates trilogy doesn't get its just due.  Forgetting about what instruments and synths were used in the original recordings, it's simply great music.  I think one gains a deeper appreciation of that after hearing this compilation version.  From the 'Curse of the Black Pearl' to 'At World's End,' all the favorites are included here.  While true, there are times that the tempo is a bit slower than I would have liked with certain cues, overall this is a satisfying and exciting soundtrack. 

 

In my opinion, the best material, as heard here, is from the first and third films (though hearing an orchestral version of 'The Kraken' was quite different and interesting to listen to).  More specifically,  the finest moment of the release is from 'At World's End,' with the cue entitled, 'Up is Down.'  The string section really excels with this cue and the instruments are beautiful to listen to as they engage the colorful melodies of the track.  The action suite from 'At World's End' is also a distinct highlight as it brings together a culmination of themes that were employed for the third film.  I must also state that it was refreshing to hear the choral aspects that are included.  This demonstrates how valuable a live choir can be to accentuate and enhance the sound of music like this.  

 

My only complaint about the work here harkens back to the pacing.  I've noticed that on Prague recordings, the tempo is slower than it should be with certain performances.  Best examples of that is the re-recording of John Williams' prequels work, with 'Duel of the Fates' and the 'Battle of the Heroes'  suffering from damaging pacing.  I noticed this sluggishness with the excerpts from 'Curse of the Black Pearl' on this release, with the fast moving action cues as an example.  Had the pacing been there in that area, I would have given this release a perfect 10 for 10.  As it is, perfection is a rarity and this is still a high value release. 

 

In conclusion, the musical fabric from the Pirates films will always be debated by traditionalists and naysayers alike.  In my opinion, they're missing out.  The scores from Klaus Badelt, Hans Zimmer and his team make for a truly entertaining journey with vibrant melodies, adventurous themes and a fearless approach.  This is all on full display with "The Music from the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy," a score that no swashbuckler should be without.