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Black Beauty the soundtrack. Music composed by Danny Elfman. Go to www.pianothemes.com to download the piano version of Black Beauty.Don't waste this one on your children: buy it for yourself. A spectacular adaptation of the Anna Sewell novel, this is faithful to the source material but creates a life of its own on the screen. Told from the point of view of the horse, it recalls a time and a place that could be both beautiful and cruel. Black Beauty faced both hardship and kindness as he passed through the hands of many owners throughout his life. Some are generous, but the agonies endured by the title character may be too harsh for small children. Unfortunately, director Caroline Thompson did not resurrect her magical touch a few years later with another animal tale, Buddy.A wondrous new version of Anna Sewell's classic about a remarkable horse and the various owners whose lives he transforms. "The most imaginative and stirring picture since The black Stallion" (Washington Times) Year: 1994 Director: Caroline Thompson Starring: Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Jim Carter.Black Beauty: (Danny Elfman) Marking the height of Elfman's orchestral majesty of the 1990's, Black Beauty would be one of Elfman's last classically influenced, fully-orchestral scores before experiementing with a more minimalist, electronic sound. Still fresh off of critical success for Sommersby and popular success for Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas, Elfman's score for Black Beauty largely unknown because of the film's obscurity and the soundtrack album's disappearance from stores shortly after its release. Some fans of early Elfman scores label this effort as the last of the great, orchestral era for the rising composer, citing it as a parting tribute to Elfman's growing classical talents in front of a full orchestra... talents which would be placed on a back burner by the composer for many years.Looking back at 1994, it was easy to say that Black Beauty was "simply just another Elfman score." The composer had established himself as a highly refined artist in the fantasy, adventure, and mystery genres, producing scores that were darkly magical and enticing. Elfman's pleasure at the time was the composition of teary-eyed themes... melodramatic heart-breakers that relied heavily on sweeping strings and broad brass. The title theme for Black Beauty is one of Elfman's best, slowly maturing from a violin solo to a heavy bass string statement of natural and slightly ethnic power. The theme, while mystical in its imaginative style, is complimented by what seems to be an Irish undertone throughout. This delicate combination of style and seasoning results in a score that is conscious of its period, but not overwhelmed by its classical roots. Elfman manages to insert his quirkly, percussive imagination into Black Beauty, featuring some romps during the active riding scenes. The woodwind and heavy string performances closely resemble those of Sommersby in their slightly brooding, but elegantly progressing mannerisms. Because of the children's aspect of the mythical story, Elfman doesn't allow the score to become drowned by its own intensity, as some have claimed Sommersby to do. The upbeat brass and woodwind performances accompanying the children's adventure scenes represent the closest Elfman would ever come to sharing styles with James Horner, who would score similar scenes with resembling bounciness. Elfman's unique instrumentation, especially in the tingling, light percussion, however, assures that this score is distinguishable from all others in its genre.The easily recognizable beauty of Black Beauty is Elfman's lyrical approach to the film. The score is poetic and graceful, meandering without fear or hesitation through its two main themes, leaving a lasting and pleasant impression on the listener. The album is arguably strongest at the start and digresses in integrity as it nears its end. The main title suite of themes is as elegant as Elfman would get in the mid-1990's, and the following two tracks feature strong, resounding piano and violin solos. Elfman would decide shortly after Black Beauty to experiment with an equally dark, but less classical collection of films. In 1995, he would dabble with Dead Presidents and To Die For, which were plagued by a return to Elfman's rock roots, and then spiraled down to the nonsensical electronics of Mission: Impossible in 1996. While Elfman would compose again for a major, orchestrally demanding fantasy film in 1999 with Sleepy Hollow, nothing as enchanting as Black Beauty would again flow from Elfman's imagination during the decade. The album for this score is extremely out of print and I would recommend grabbing a copy if you are lucky enough to find one. Even if you cannot find the original album, a spectacular suite of themes and tracks from Black Beauty can be heard on Elfman's second "Music for a Darkened Theatre" compilation from late 1996. (less)