New York (New York), USA - Composer and producer
Brian Keane has created the soundtrack to the January PBS special,
The War That Made America (The Story of the French and Indian War), a fascinating story
about the foundations of the United States, its winners and its losers. Episodes
1 & 2 are scheduled to be aired on
January 18. Episodes 3 & 4 will be aired January 25.
Taking place in the middle 1700's, Keane drenches the score in the atmosphere of the 18th century by employing the instruments and music of the time period including works by Handel, French court composer Jean Baptiste Lully, and others. One notable example is a rendition of "D'une Nouvelle Terre" sung by countertenor Marshall Coid accompanied by a baroque orchestra. The piece was written in 18th century French Canada to commemorate the defeat of General Braddock at the hands of a much smaller French and Indian force.
Traditional
Iroquois and Six Nations music, performed by Six Nations singers and musicians
is also a key component of the score. This soundtrack provides a rare glimpse
into the traditional music of the eastern American Indians. Brian Keane's
trademark melodic composing is in evidence here too, with "Early Americans", and
the tragic "Vanishing World" among others.
Brian Keane has composed the music to more than 50 Emmy Award
winning films, more than 50 Columbia Dupont Award winning films, and almost two
dozen Peabody Award winning films among many others. In 2001, Brian Keane became
the first composer in the history of the Emmy Awards to receive all of the music
nominations in a single year. In 2002, he followed up that unprecedented Emmy
Award sweep when his score for HBO's Picture Perfect won again for "Outstanding
Musical Score", and again in 2003, winning the music category for HBO's comedy
The Curse of the Bambino. In 2004, in addition to winning the music Emmy again,
Keane scored films received 19 Emmy nominations winning six Emmy awards
including two best pictures awards and one best series award. 2004 credits
included ABC's critically acclaimed and controversial NYPD 24/7 with Dennis
Franz, the HBO late night series Bob Costas: On the Record, and the HBO 9/11
film 9 Innings from Ground Zero for which Brian has won his most recent music
Emmy in May of 2005.
[Buy The War That Made America].
World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20060101095001598