Search - James Horner :: Titanic (Score) (Hybr) (Ms)

Composer James Horner's ubiquitous score for Titanic remains a bittersweet, romantic modern soundtrack staple, one that became both a public sensation (the first orchestral score to soar to the top of the Billboard charts) and Hollywood legend (winning the Oscar as 1997's Best Dramatic Score). Its infusion of Irish folk motifs within a sweeping context that evokes the majestic danger of the sea is charming, its seamless interpolation of synths and orchestra still an inspirational landmark for other contemporary composers. This new Hybrid SACD Stereo/Surround Sound edition enhances Horner's unabashed melodramatics with a crystalline new mix that maintains the original's nuances, even as it underscores the composer's melodramatic orchestral thunder. The rear channels of the new mix underplay the limits of the format's surround potential, but add a spacious, hall ambience that actually enhances the spectacular new clarity of the front channels' primary music mix. Celine Dion's star turn on the film's hit single, "My Heart Will Go On," is mixed similarly, with her dead-center vocals surrounded by the orchestra, effectively creating the illusion of a stage performance. --Jerry McCulley