The Belly of an Architect

The soundtrack for the film of the same name by Peter Greenaway is largely the work of Dutch composer Wim Mertens, though the most interesting music is that of Glenn Branca, here in a supporting role. With the film's references to Baroque England, it's not surprising that Mertens' score makes many references to same, including the use of harpsichords and brass groupings, but the forced marriage between this style and the composer's tendency towards Philip Glass-type minimalism is uncomfortable. His melodies have a cloying sweetness that the introduction of faux-Elizabethan flourishes does nothing to suppress. On the other hand, American maverick composer Glenn Branca's pieces for string orchestra (quite different from his guitar symphonies) is striking, original, and refreshingly brutal. The disc, oddly, opens and closes with the exact same short piece, "Augustus," a deliciously brooding and romantic composition. This and the penultimate track, a longer string exposition of enticing roughness and mystery, almost make up for excess of cotton candy they sandwich. Branca fans will want to hear this work; they may simply have to judiciously employ the track selection device on their CD player.