British period drama films have for some time been the territory of Rachel Portman, with occasional interludes from the likes of George Fenton, and so it was widely expected that someone like her would take the composing reigns for the latest reincarnation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this time starring the comely Keira Knightley, the little-known Matthew Macfayden, and the crusty old lothario Donald Sutherland.  Just as the film itself was bound to be endlessly compared with the BBC's sumptious adaptation of the same novel ten years earlier, whoever wrote the score would end up having his or her work compared with Carl Davis's delightful music for that adaptaion.  It was rather surprising when the composer for the project was announced as the little-known Italian Dario Marianelli.

Since then, he's won widespread praise for his work on The Brothers Grimm, and now this score has been released by Universal; from out of nowhere, a new film music talent has emerged, and he is a promising one indeed.  His elegant music for Pride and Prejudice is one of the most charming scores of the year.  The album opens with "Dawn", which introduces the score's main theme on solo piano, played by Jean-Yves Thibaudet; his playing is integral to the score throughout.  Thibaudet is joined by the English Chamber Orchestra on most of the tracks.  Marianelli was attempting to write in a similar style to those composers whose music Austen herself may have listened to, and there are strong echoes of Beethoven's piano music throughout (just as there were of Mozart's in Carl Davis's previous score).

As well as the beautiful main theme, there is an affectingly romantic secondary theme, first introduced in the summery "Georgiana"; indeed, virtually the whole score could be described as being summery, with the music constantly evoking scenes of rolling English hills and hedgerows, indeed conjuring pleasant memories for me of my own youth (which wasn't nearly as debauched as many people suspect).  Some sunny source music sits well alongside the score in "Meryton Townhall", "Another Dance" and "Can't Slow Down".  Sometimes the music becomes more tragic; the dramatic "The Secret Life of Daydreams" is a fine example, and this is followed immediately by the anguished, but subtle piano-dominated "Darcy's Letter".  "Your Hands are Cold" is a beautifully-drawn portrait of longing.  By the time the album draws to its conclusion, of course happier times return to the fore, and the five-minute end title piece nicely sums up the score.

Pride and Prejudice is an elegant, strikingly pleasant and particularly listenable score.  The album is the perfect length for the music - it just leaves the listener wanting slightly more, and therefore prompts him or her to listen to it again!  Hopefully Marianelli will continue to show the fine form he has exhibited so far in his relatively brief mainstream career; this is a highly-impressive score.