A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

A documentary about famed architect Louis Kahn, directed by his son Nathaniel, My Architect is an acclaimed (though little-seen) film.  Documentaries are, of course, all the rage these days thanks in large part to Michael Moore; whatever you think about him and his films, the impact they've had, to reignite the whole (very important) aspect of filmmaking has been remarkable indeed.  The success of March of the Penguins in 2005 is further proof.  As they become higher profile, everything about them is becoming slicker and smoother, sometimes stretching to orchestral scores.  Such is the case with My Architect, which features a string orchestra plus a few soloists, playing original music composed by Joseph Vitarelli.

I must admit that I don't know much about Vitarelli and his previous music, but he caught me off-guard here.  Far from the quirky style one might expect, My Architect features moving, frequently tragic-sounding, always beautiful music.  It opens with the elegiac "Adagio", which sets the tone for most of the score, with the strings playing a poignant, heartfelt piece.  It recurs much through the relatively brief score, and is always moving.  Similar ideas crop up in the two excellent "American Hymn" pieces, and the end title suite which closes the album nicely summaries it all.

The album is slightly eclectic though, with those moving string pieces being broken up by a couple of more lighthearted score tracks from Vitarelli (the sprightly, fun "Beginnings" and"Travel Waltz") and an eclectic mix of source music, from ragtime through Copland to the middle east.  There's nothing wrong with any of them, but they do disrupt the emotional flow of Vitarelli's score as a whole.  There is much to recommend here, and those who admire scores with a complete lack of showboating, but which feature highly-effective emotional music all the same (perhaps similar to what Mark Isham might have written) will surely find a lot to enjoy.  

Tracks

1. Adagio (1:43)
2. Penn Station (1:25)
3. Beginnings (:33)
4. The Mystery of Louis Kahn (3:46)
5. Arty Stride (2:25)
6. Happy Returns (3:01)
7. Burns (1:21)
8. Flying to Salk (2:00)
9. The Brick (1:27)
10. Fanfare for the Common Man (2:52)
11. American Hymn I (1:50)
12. Travel Waltz (:45)
13. Letter to Harriet (1:14)
14. Chez Louis (2:24)
15. Hayom T'Amtzeinu (1:45)
16. The Nomad (1:37)
17. American Hymn II (1:55)
18. Dhaka (2:05)
19. Call to Prayer (2:01)
20. Suite for Louis Kahn (4:40)