December 14, 2018

  • Limited Release of Early Portman

    Fans of Rachel Portman should be rejoicing at this new deluxe three-disc set of her work for The Storyteller (1987-88; 1991) from Varese Sarabande.  Muppet creator Jim Henson was in the midst of many creative bursts in the 1980s that began by first wrapping The Muppet Show and moving into the fantasy worlds of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1988).  In the middle of this fertile time, he produced Fraggle Rock which ran on HBO (1983-1987) becoming an important cultural touchpoint for those who were able to watch it on premium cable.  As Fraggle Rock was coming to a close, his daughter Lisa suggested a series that would be an anthology of stories steeped in mythology and folklore.  That idea would become The Storyteller.  John Hurt played the narrator who relates these tales to his rather cynical dog.  The series ran in the UK and appeared here on NBC first.  While reviews were stellar (it even received a Primetime Emmy) the series did not quite catch on and it was dropped from the latter’s schedule.  It would get a second chance on pay cable when HBO decided to run the series and even added a third set of stories, The Storyteller: Greek Myths (1991).

    Composer Rachel Portman was in that early stage of her career where a great project would catapult her into more work.  Her first film, Privileged (1982) is remembered mostly for its introduction of Hugh Grant.  Other projects that followed were mostly made for TV movies.  The opportunity to work on a series with somewhat cinematic qualities was an important opportunity for her to demonstrate her craft and she would score all the episodes for both incarnations of the series.

    She would write a deliciously mysterious “Main Title” with an opening flute line that gives way to a dark bass clarinet.  Varese opens the first disc with an extended version of this opening leaving disc two to open with the version featuring John Hurt’s narration.  Both discs for The Storyteller are bookended by title music, an “end title” for disc one, and then a shorter main title for disc two.  Disc Two also includes a couple of unused bumpers for the series.  The music is presented as suites (“A” and “B”) that essentially present the two halves of the episode.  These are presented in chronological order.  The music here encapsulates so much of what Portman’s music is known for overall.  Warm string writing, gorgeous melodies that are brilliantly shifted through different instrumental timbres, and that little minor third minimalist-like ostinato pattern.  These are on display throughout the music for “Hans the Hedgehog” which features a heart-melting flute theme and gorgeous soprano sax.  There is even a delightful fiddle jig that adds some folkish flair.  In “A Short Story”, Portman uses her end titles music as the thematic source developing here with these contrasts of darkness (bass clarinet) and magical light (celesta).  Some of the stories are equally creepy, beginning with Fearnot which adds to this with the use of Ondes Martenot and tremolo strings.  There is also a truly beautiful violin idea.  The Luck Child is perhaps one of the darker episodes and Portman creates the perfect atmosphere with the use of contrabassoon and an ethnic flute.  A light flute line is also used against a plodding trombone and strings for “The Heartless Giant.”  Disc two begins with the equally moving “The Soldier and Death” which features a plaintive oboe, a mysterious bass flute in its texture, and later organ.  The score tends to feature rich low woodwinds and adds a harp for a touch of magic.  French Horn becomes an important color connected in the story of “The True Bride” along with celesta.  For the more sinuous, and frightening tale of The Three Ravens Portman chose to use a cor anglaise which adds a deep, dark, reedy quality to the music.  The soprano sax returns for Sapsorrow which also features a truly beautiful waltz, and a nice little string quartet moment.  Throughout the series, the low bass clarinet often helps present the series main theme which creates a nice overall connection across the series.  There tends to be one amazing thematic surprise after another for Portman’s fans to rediscover.

    Disc three focuses on music for The Greek Myths and is edited similarly with the two suites for each of the four episodes here.  The UK version is used to open the disc with the US one closing off the primary portion of the presentation.  A couple of brief “bonus” tracks are then added.  The theme here revisits the original with some slight color differences.  The paired suites here for these four episodes are slightly longer than those from the primary series.  However, the style and rich thematic content continues with a general darker mood across the different stories.  First up is Theseus and the Minotaur”. The score continues in the style of those from the previous series, adding trumpet here for its primary tonal color against strings and winds.  The second suite features some interesting folk music that has a more medieval/ancient quality.  Perseus and the Gorgon has some equally beautiful lyric writing that explores low flutes and oboe and adds a sense of danger with high clarinet following a somewhat more sinister melodic outline.  Piano is also added for an extra magical touch here.  That romantic piano and strings, with flute, quality opens Daedalus and Icarus, but this too soon shifts into dark undulating colors.  These two opposites of simple beauty and darker brooding are the primary contrasts of these scores.  The latter suite feels almost balletic in its structure.    The final set of suites follows the storied lovers Orpheus and Eurydice.  This opens with a rapid flute idea in a modal melodic idea that is then accompanied by other folk-like instrumental sounds and a style that was used earlier.  This one tends to rely more on simple solo instrumental statements though lending it a decidedly ancient character, even when the string orchestra and harp appear.  These add a deeper emotional warmth to the music while the “period” or “folk” moments provide the musical contrast.  Each of these little episodes features more gorgeous music that reveals how Portman’s music has coalesced into the sort of sound that would become noted throughout her work in the early 1990s culminating in her Oscar for Emma (1996).

    The accompanying booklet is set up as a series of interview responses by the different creative forces involved.  These are organized into good succinct commentary that explores, the stories, the resulting mini films, the music—including brief commentary on each episode’s ideas; and the historical aspects of the primary series.  The information for The Greek Myths though is minimal.  Otherwise, it is a very well-done monument to this important moment of television history.  In a day of so much electronic generic writing, it is an amazing experience to sit back and enjoy the various ways Portman’s music warms these tales, adds an appropriate amount of emotional depth, and helps draw us into these fantasy worlds that blend aspects of darkness and light.  Each has an almost timeless quality to them which makes for an engaging, and rich, listening experience.  This limited edition release of 1500 copies may still be available.