Abel Korzeniowski’s elegiac, string-lead score to fashion designer Tom Ford’s stylish directing debut based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel. Set in 1962. A Single Man stars Colin Firth as a teacher grieving over the death of his partner and planning suicide to end his pain. The film follows an unhappy single day in the life of an unhappy single man. Abel Korzeniowski’s score beautifully complements the film and is supplemented by additional music from Shigeru Umebayashi. The source music included eclectically ranges from opera to Booker T & The MG’s...

The soundtrack to A Single Man is a mixed bag of musical styles. For the most part, Abel Korzeniowski's orchestral score takes centre stage, but there are operatic and more modern musical styles incorporated.

I have to admit that, other than the operatic 'La Wally, Act I: Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana' which is taken from Alfredo Catalani's La Wally opera, I only really enjoyed Korzeniowski's music. The other tracks (which include 'Stormy Weather', 'Green Onion' and 'Blue Moon' are tracks I've heard plenty of times before and didn't really feel they added anything to the soundtrack. Still, these tracks can be skipped and there aren't that many of them to get in the way of Korzeniowski's impressive score.

One note - I couldn't help noticing that the bones to which the music for 'George's Waltz (II)' was built on sounded very similar to Ennio Morricone's score for Cinema Paradiso.

On balance this is an interesting score that's well worth checking out.

7

Darren Rea