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Music Conducted By
Jerry Goldsmith

Orchestrations By
Arthur Morton

Trumpet Soloist
Uan Rasey


Recorded By
-

Performed By
-

Album Produced By
Jerry Goldsmith

Label
Varèse Sarabande
VCL 0512 1129


Previous Release(s)
Varèse Sarabande
VSD-5677
ABC LP
MCA JAPAN LP

Year Of CD/Film Release
1995/1974

Running Time
31:20 (Score 23:31)

Availability
Normal Release

Cues & Timings

 

1. Love Theme from Chinatown (Main Title) (1:59)
2. Noah Cross (2:27)
3. Easy Living (L.Robin/R. Rainger) (1:49)
4. Jake and Evelyn (2:41)
5. I Can't Get Started
(I. Gershwin/ V. Duke) (Bunny Berigan) (3:35)
6. Last of Ida (2:59)
7. Captive (3:05)
8. Boy on a Horse (2:05)
9. The Way You Look Tonight (D. Fields/J. Kern) (2:16)
10. Wrong Clue (2:32)
11. J.J. Gittes (3:05)
12. Love Theme from Chinatown (End Title) (1:59)

Soundtrack Ratings

Disappointing

Functional

 Average

 Good

 Excellent

 Outstanding

Chinatown
 
Jerry Goldsmith's replacement score to Phillip Lambro's earlier effort is quite rightly regarded as a classic score. Goldsmith turned out to be the perfect choice (one of the few Hollywood composer to have grown up in the film's period setting), to perfectly capture the mood of the piece, and turning in his work in approximately 10 days! Although relatively modest in duration Goldsmith's task was to climb a mountain and provide the movie with an identity. Which is exactly what he did with one of the finest themes ever written for a motion picture. So good was the composer's 'hook' that legendary producer Robert Evans commented that Goldsmith single handily saved the picture.

Jerry Goldsmith's masterful score to Chinatown features quite an unusual ensemble; made up of strings, four pianos, four harps, guiro, and solo trumpet, which the composer revealed he saw in his head while watching the movie for the first time. The latter instrument went on to define the film's film noir aspect perfectly with its hypnotic bluesy theme (Main Title) for Jack Nicholson's Private Eye, and love theme for the mysterious Evelyn (Faye Dunaway). But the score to Chinatown has a darker, more avant-garde heart to it. It's here that Goldsmith presents a series of unsettling cues for the movie's thriller and mystery elements, remaining a stark contrast to his memorable opening theme.

Noah Cross introduces a kaleidoscope of sound from the lowest registers with bells and harp joined by guiro to create dissonance and motion, while strings and eventually trumpet resonate on an alternate theme. Jake And Evelyn introduces a more contemporary 70's sound with a beautiful reading of his main theme; here Goldsmith capturing intimacy and anticipation with tremolo strings and a delicate piano motif. The Last Of Ida begins with a warmer rendition of Goldsmith's theme for Jake's drive across L.A. before things turn decidedly dark with piano and chimes. Dissonant strings build to a moment of classic Goldsmith action writing as piano and snare drums rally, while the cue signs out with more trumpet and harp. The Captive follows on in a similar vain with piano creating tension, along with shakers and guiro, again to create momentum. Descending strings are now introduced along with castanets and distorted vocalisations, that all prove more chilling than some of Goldsmith's latter work for The Omen.

The Boy On A Horse introduces an eerie feeling of melancholy with a new piano motif, that leads on to more sinister work for strings. With The Wrong Clue and JJ Gites building to the downbeat and dark final act, with a warmer rendition of the love theme juxtaposed with more aggressive moments for the drive to Chinatown and the use of more unnerving piano, harp manipulations and closing with some deliriously giddy brass. The score signs off with the End Title for another chance to savour Goldsmith's memorable theme.

Originally issued on LP, it was finally preserved on CD by Varese in 1995. Though annoyingly the album content was not re-sequenced so the irritating period source cues continue to interfere with the short running time of the score. A memorable moment in the Goldsmith canon that sadly missed out on the Oscar, but will be forever remembered as one of the truly great moments in film music.