Quintet – Tom Pierson (1979) [320 DVD rip – sfx]

Rarely does one encounter a movie score that can stand alone as a substantive composition, yet also be so finely wedded to the cinematic material. The remarkably talented Tom Pierson accomplishes both, however, in his score to Quintet, which uses off-kilter orchestral effects freely, that contribute to the icy, eerie, and brooding mood of this film. Minimalism, at times reminiscent of Philip Glass, nevertheless contains enough surprises and variation to sustain interest. Composed largely in quintuple meter, and sometimes with pentatonic scaling, Pierson thus not merely remains faithful to the title of the film, but keeps the listener off balance, consistent with the mystery and uncertainty that abounds in Quintet’s story line. Dialogue is sparse in Quintet, and without Pierson’s brilliant hour-long symphony of howling wind, drums, horn, and sundry other instruments and devices, Altman’s film could not stand among the better mood movies of the era. – Uncle Paul

Quintet – Tom Pierson
Duration – 44:11

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