Sleepy Hollow: Music from the Motion Picture

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Free Music Notes for Sleepy Hollow: Music from the Motion Picture

Free Music Review: The Elfman/Burton magic continues to shine
Hit: 5 Stars

The ominous build in the opening of "Introduction" immediately sets the listener on edge and continues to agitate to its end. With "Main Titles," Elfman brings the apprehension of the prologue into the story itself as Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) makes his way to Sleepy Hollow. The same intensity is felt as "The Story..." is presented to Ichabod from the town fathers and continues throughout the score. The softer portions of the score like "Young Ichabod," "Sweet Dreams," and "The Gift" still have a mysterious quality about them. They merely give a slight respite from the action of the story while never losing the energy and drive of the main plot.

One of the things which holds this gigantic score together is Elfman's use of two strong themes. The first is a 4-note motif which is presented at the very outset of "Introduction" and continues through to the end of the score. This motif is the musical identity of Ichabod and his fight between the scientific and supernatural sides of his personality. Elfman is able to adapt and expand on these four notes almost infinitely. The second is the heavy, driving theme of the Headless Horseman. This theme pushes the music along powerfully and forcefully. There are similarities between the two themes such as the falling motion each takes, but where Ichabod's motif is nearly always presented in the upper registers of the ensembles, the Headless Horseman's theme is almost exclusively presented by the lower registers. This stong musical contrast gives a hint into the nature of the two characters. Ichabod is a living being, but the Headless Horseman is a being from the underworld.

One very nice feature of this soundtrack is its very generous length of 68 minutes. And with this extended length, Elfman once again delivers a strong musical experience which not only augments the effect of the film for which it is written but stands on its own as an independent experience. The score's brilliance never lets up for a moment. The amazing regularity with which he does this on all of his works is astounding. Although it can, of course, be enjoyed all year long, this soundtrack is certain to become a favourite of many All Hallows' Eve celebrations to come. Also, if you want to hog all of the Hallowe'en candy to yourself, you might try playing this score outside to scare off all of those pesky trick-or-treaters. However, this music is more than treat enough.

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