Hero
Tan Dun straddles the very different worlds of concert music and film scores, winning admirers in both. He's perhaps best known for his score toCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which shares withHeroa visual poetry that transcends the sword-filled action film genre. InCrouching Tiger, Tan Dun's music was often striking. InHerohe often lapses into repetition and cliché, a failing compensated for by several appealing cues. The Overture, for example, begins with the mournful wail of ancient Chinese instruments set against pounding drums, a promising start that evokes ancient China and the struggles to come.  There's a mournful soprano vocalise in "Gone With the Leaves," and the "Warriors" cue recalls Prokofiev'sAlexander Nevsky. The plucking of the ancient Chinese lute in "In the Chess Court" evokes a timeless, peaceful mood, contrasting with the thrilling kodo drummers showcased in "Swift Sword." Itzhak Perlman gets cover billing for violin solos any competent studio fiddler could have handled. Tan Dun's admirers will want this, and audiophiles will love those kodo drummers.--Dan Davis