BRIDE OF THE WIND.(Review)

BRIDE OF THE WIND

[] Original music by Stephen Endelman, with additional material by Gustav Mahler, Alma Mahler. With Fleming; Thibaudet; Janos Bihari Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Preisler; others. Deutsche Grammophon 289 469 584-2

Movie music is called "background" for a reason: it's supposed to enhance the scene, not distract the audience. Gustav Mahler's music, on the other hand, persistently calls attention to itself. If Stephen Endelman's compositions in this recording fade into the background, that's no crime: his music effectively supports scenes in Bruce Beresford's film on the early life of Alma Mahler, often mitigating against Beresford's breakneck pacing and Marilyn Levy's whirlwind, "If It's Tuesday, You Must Be Gropius" screenplay. As the film's music director, Endelman borrows Mahlerian themes in underscoring but seldom uses echt Mahler unless it's the focus of a scene. For those listening to the album at home, the juxtaposition of the two composers' works may be jarring. Mahler's music demands that one drop everything and listen; Endelman's practically insists that one pick up a book or a deck of cards.

The chief interest in both film and recording is the participation of Renee Fleming, who, accompanied by frequent collaborator Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano, sings a snatch of one of Gustav's Ruckert Lieder, plus two lieder by Alma herself. In the movie's last scene, Fleming portrays New Zealand-born diva ...