HENRY V (Doyle). Film soundtrack. City of Birm- ® ingham Symphony Orchestra / Simon Rattle. EMI C) C) LPHENRY5; TCHENRY5;

CD CDHENRY5 (59 minutes: DDD).

Kenneth Branagh's audacious film adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V inevitably invites immediate comparison with the Olivier classic of 1944. But this is in many ways unfair, for Branagh's version is a deliberately more accurate and sober representation of the play, unhindered by the wartime morale-boosting inflections of the earlier film. The music, too, follows in the footsteps of a formidable forebear and because of the sheer effectiveness and familiarity of Walton's score, it is difficult to hear its successor without making comparisons, although the knowledge that this is Patrick Doyle's first film score should help the listener to be rather more objective.

In his notes, the director states how he wanted the film "to move people to every possible extreme of emotion". Realizing that music would aid his intent enormously, Branagh openly encouraged Doyle to adopt "the epic approach; thunderous, full-blooded, heroic" whilst at the same time wanting the music to strike a delicate balance with "Shakespeare's golden words". A tricky task for any composer, and one that must have seemed particularly daunting to a first timer. However, it must be said that Doyle, with the aid of orchestrator Larry Ashmore, has delivered the goods with remarkable assurance and fashioned a score that proudly recalls the symphonic tradition of film scoring. During almost an hour's playing time there are predictably several longeurs, but the music's underlying nobility and bold colouring provides many moments of interest, including a bustling, purposeful theme for Henry, a short, but warm love scene for strings and, most notably of all, the stirring anthem Non nobis, Domine.

Naturally, "The Battle of Agincourt" will be the cue most prone to comparison with Walton and as a result does present something of a paradox, for whilst Doyle's turbulent, disjointed music aptly complies with Branagh's uncompromisingly realistic treatment of the event, when divorced from the film it simply fails to match the thrilling impact of its predecessor. Nevertheless, on the strength of this impressive debut, Doyle deserves to have a secure future as a composer for films. The CBSO should also find themselves in greater demand for film work as their playing throughout is totally committed and has been captured by a first-class recording. ROBERT SEELEY.