Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight Composed by Karl Preusser
Lakeshore Records (2008)
Rating: 7/10
Soundclips below provided by
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“While the video
itself will likely languish in obscurity, without a doubt, the score
for DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT is one of biggest
surprises of the first half of 2008. ”
Never Laugh at Animated Dragons
Review by Christopher Coleman
The Dragonlance franchise has been around almost as long as Dungeons and
Dragons. This particular world of the fantasy genre was first opened up by
Laura and Tracey Hickman with their book DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT. From
that were spawned nearly 200 novels, board games and video games. After
decades of decent popularity with the D&D faithful, the world of
DRAGONLANCE came to video in January 2008.
The animated feature, DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN'S TWILIGHT was
certainly shy of the sort of resources that many animated features get
today, including those made for television or direct-to-video projects.
Unfortunately, the producers were unable to hide this fact and as a result
DRAGONLANCE is going to be, for most adults, a very difficult thing to
watch. While children, who simply love anything animated, may find this
presentation entertaining, most will find ample opportunity to cringe:
whether it be from awkward 3D animated characters, stilted writing,
uncomfortable, American accented-characters (forgive the stereotype, but
British or some European accent is a must for these types of productions),
or the painful combination of the lot. These were some of the most
difficult 90 minutes of viewing I have had in years. If I were a drinking
man, this would have been a much more enjoyable experience playing a Lord
of the Rings Reference Drinking Game while watching. All of that
negativity spouted, one thing the producers did do right - they hired
composer KARL PREUSSER to lay down the musical score. It was Preusser's
surprisingly robust score that convinced me to give them film itself a
shot. Sadly, not even the composer's dynamic score could lift this feature
off the ground, but as a stand-alone experience, DRAGONLANCE proves to be
a surprisingly entertaining listen.
I can only imagine the difficulty the creators of this animated feature
faced. It's painfully clear that they try to introduce the overall
mythos of DRAGONLANCE, the many main characters, and tell a complete story
in about 90 minutes. The end result is a rather thin experience as the
audience isn't given enough time to truly understand the key dynamics of
the world or feel connected to the vast array of characters introduced.
Playing behind all of this "disconnectedness" is KARL PREUSSER's score and
itself seems very disconnected to the imagery and story. The clear affect
on the score of packing so much into so little time is that KARL PREUSSER
had to pack a ton of motifs and themes for locations
and characters into that same container. Additionally, few of the
sequences in the film allow for a piece of music to convey one atmosphere
or mood for very long - a fact of which is reflected in the tracks
included on Lakeshore's soundtrack release. In the end, KARL PREUSSER's
score for DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF THE AUTUMN TWILIGHT plays like a sampler
from a much bigger body of work - teasing the listener or attempting to
remind of themes and motifs which were introduced in some non-existent,
previous effort.
If we look at just some of Preusser's themes, we hear his talent come
shining through. In track 1, "Dragonlance Main Title" we get a very bold
brass fanfare and the introduction of female vocalists, which he uses
quite often throughout the score. It's a decent theme, but the vocals seem
to lack the strength and force one would want for this tale. The addition
of a strong, male choir would have beefed things up considerably.
Prominent vocals can be found throughout. In "Dragonarmies" (2) we hear a
solo vocalist with wordless vocals a la Lisbeth Scott's performance on
LAIR. In this same track we also hear Gregorian-chant as well as in
"Monks/ Draconian Ambush" (12). Onee of the more attractive melodies is
found for Fizban ("Fizban's Tale" (3)). This happens to also be one of the
track rarities that flows from one segment to the next without a jarring
transition in tempo or style. The Fizban motif crops up a time or two
later as well (Track 9, 19). "The Inn of the Last Home" (7) is a brief
track that evokes a bit of a Hobbiton-like feel; a feeling that is
developed further in the succeeding track, "The Circle is Broken/ Blue
Crystal Staff (8). For the story's main villain a very declamatory
statement is made in "I Will Have that Staff!" (11). The six-note theme
finds its boldest performance here and doesn't make significant appearance
again until we reach the climactic moments of the film.
Perhaps the very best moments in DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT
come in the action sequences. As I mentioned earlier, many of the tracks
change mood and tempo several times within a given piece and among them
are engaging action segments. "Takhisis and Verminaard" (4), "Darken Wood"
(14), Xak Tsaroth/ Bupu (17) are al tracks which contain significant and
evocative segments of action-score. Tracks such as "Escape from the Inn"
(9), "Elven Rescue" (10), and the finale "The Battle of Pax Tharkas" parts
1 and 2 (27, 28), exemplify Preusser's true musical prowess for extended
action as well. "The Battle of Pax Tharkas" boldly restate many of the
main themes of the score; weaving them together and presenting them in two
of the longest tracks of the release and bringing the soundtrack to a
rousing apex. Admittedly, there seems to be a slight fragility in the
brass section when it comes to some of the higher notes, but overall,
these pieces are well performed and further kudos are deserved by Preusser
and conductors Charles Olivieri-Munroe and Richard Hein for eeking out
every ounce of power and feeling the orchestra and choir had to offer.
While the video itself will likely languish in obscurity, without a doubt,
the score for DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT is one of biggest
surprises of the first half of 2008. Upon your first listen, you, like
myself, may proceed from to track to track bracing yourself for the
inevitable cringe that comes from listening to a poorly written, poorly
executed piece. Such cautious listening is to be expected for smaller
projects like DRAGONLANCE. Most of the time, we do well to eek out one or
two enjoyable themes from a project like this, but this score offers much,
much more. It's likely that you may reach the end of this soundtrack
without experiencing that dreaded cringe even once. DRAGONSLANCE is
unexpectedly eclectic, featuring contemporary orchestral styles and even
middle-eastern flairs, but the score's stronger influences stem from the
Celtic, medieval and renaissance music. There are enough motifs to feast
upon for even the heartiest motif-mongers out there. This soundtrack is
one that can stealthily work its way into your "favorites list," provided
you give it a chance. KARL PREUSSER has done a truly admirable job.
