Rome: Music From the Hbo Series
AfterCarnivàle,Jeff Beal has given HBO another Emmy-nominated score, this time for the tale of sex, politics, and togas known asRome.There's a long history of fabulously grand scores in the sword-and-sandals genre (Miklós Rózsa'sBen-Hur,Alex North'sCleopatra) but according to Beal HBO wasn't interested in classic big orchestral compositions, so he worked on a smaller--yet still lush--scale that emphasizes the ethnic instruments that could be found in the farther reaches of the Roman Empire. A Middle Eastern influence, for instance, can clearly be heard on "Rome Main Title Theme," "The Forum" and "Janus Breaks," among many others. If there's one signature sound on the CD, it's the recurring use of the flute, which can suggest emotions ranging from romantic ("Octavian & Octavia's Themes") to melancholy (paired with strings on "Farewells, the Storm") to dread (combined with percussion on "Caesar's Seizure"). The album starts running out of steam about two thirds of the way through, however, making one pine for a bit of orchestral bang for one's buck.--Elisabeth Vincentelli