Gosford Park (soundtrack)

Gosford Park
Soundtrack album by Patrick Doyle and Ivor Novello
Released	15 January 2002
Genre	Soundtrack
Label	Decca Records

Gosford Park Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2001 film Gosford Park.

Production

The director of Gosford Park, Robert Altman, discussed the direction the film's soundtrack would take with composer, Patrick Doyle, suggesting that the soundtrack should not attempt to direct the audience to any particular part of the film, but to support it nonetheless.^[1] Another potential issue in the soundtrack's composition was the integration of Ivor Novello songs with the overall score. Altman noted that both of these aspects were handled well by the composer.^[1] Doyle used the film's main character, Mary, as a focal point for his composition, taking influences from her Scottish nationality and incorporating them into the score. He described the collaboration with Altman as "one of the happiest of my career."^[1]

Performers

Original Score

Patrick Doyle's score was performed by ensembles of six to twelve members (the exact size depended on the piece) conducted by James Shearman. The arrangements utilized a six or seven piece string section, two woodwinds, piano, harp, classical guitar, and accordion, playing in various combinations. For swing and musette arrangements, a rhythm section of acoustic guitar, bass, and drums was added to the orchestra. On the swing pieces, guitarist John Parricelli played the Django Reinhardt-style acoustic lead guitar and Jamie Talbot played saxophone solos. The title piece is a piano solo performed by Brian Gascoigne.

Doyle's daughter Abigail sang two songs composed by Patrick Doyle, "Only for a While" and "The Way It's Meant to Be".

The original score's orchestrations were done by Doyle, Shearman, and Lawrence Ashmore.

Ivor Novello Songs

Actor Jeremy Northam, who portrayed English composer and musical theater performer Ivor Novello in the film, recorded several Novello theater songs for the soundtrack. In the film, Novello (as played by Northam) is featured singing four of these compositions while accompanying himself at the piano during a dinner party. For the soundtrack recording, Northam was accompanied on the four dinner party songs by classical pianist Christopher Northam, his older brother. In addition, Northam recorded Novello's song "The Land of Might-Have-Been" for the soundtrack in an orchestral arrangement that also featured Christopher Northam's piano.

In addition to the vocal performances, Christopher Northam recorded Novello's "Waltz of My Heart" as a piano solo for the soundtrack.

Critical response

The film review website

• 1, 6, 10, 11, 19, and 24 are songs with music composed by Ivor Novello and lyrics as noted in credits below.
• 16 and 20 are songs with music composed by Patrick Doyle and lyrics as noted in credits below.

Jeremy Northam's vocal performances are accompanied by Christopher Northam, piano.

References