The soundtrack for THE NOTEBOOK is equal parts 1940s time capsule--as befits this WWII-era love story--and early-21st-century symphonic scoring. The evocative "Main Title," featuring generously pedaled solo piano bathed in dreamy reverb, brings to mind an updated Edvard Grieg "Lyric Piece." While the inspiration for composer Aaron Zigman's lush orchestrations, performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony orchestra, is certainly rooted in late-19th-century European romanticism, the themes themselves suggest that bittersweet blend of melancholy and optimism that clearly points to 20th-century Americana. The interspersed tunes from the '30s and '40s, for the most part, offer a jaunty, jitterbug counterpoint. The four giants represented here are Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Billie Holiday, all performing signature tunes. Because of this broad variety of material, the collection manages to create its own little slide-show journey from start to finish, shifting moods between haunted introspection and joyous exuberance.
Composer: Aaron Zigman.
Personnel: Hollywood Studio Symphony.
Recording information: Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, CA.
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