'The Duchess' (Opening and End titles), 'Mistake of Your Life', 'Six Years Later', and 'Never See Your Children Again', from The Duchess (2008), Rachel Portman Flashcards
When was ‘The Duchess’ released? What is it about?
It was released in 2008 and is about the life of Georgina Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806), her unhappy marriage and affair with Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey.
Who is ‘The Duchess’ scored by? What other titles have they scored?
‣Rachel Portman
‣Chocolat (2000)
‣The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
What do Portman’s scores avoid?
Electronic and synthesised sound effects.
What is the score of The Duchess made up of?
18 cues
Where are two of the cues taken from?
Classical sources:
‣Beethoven’s German Dance No. 10
‣Haydn’s String Quartet, Op 1, No 3, Adagio
What is avoided in the cues? What is used instead?
‣Classical pastiche (imitation)
‣Instead, a generally delicate underscore is used.
Which cues help to create a bleaker mood?
‘Mistake Of Your Life’ and ‘Never See Your Children Again’
How are the cues notated?
‣Notated as orchestral short scores
‣Music mostly compressed onto two staves with instrumentation indicated as required.
How is the tempo indicated?
‣Metronome marks
‣Occasional Italian terms
What language are the instrument names given in?
‣English
What language is sometimes used for terminology?
Italian
How are dynamics marked?
Traditionally
