Paul McCartney –Ocean’s Kingdom
2011, 2011 MPL Communications/HEAR Music
2011, 2011 MPL Communications/HEAR Music
If you are Sir Paul McCartney, you can do pretty muchanything you want musically. He’scertainly earned the right over the years, from his early work with The Beatlesthrough a long and storied solo career (on his own and with Wings). In recent years McCartney has turned hisimpressive ear to classical music with increasing success. On September 22, 2011, McCartney’s Ocean’s Kingdom, opened with the NewYork City Ballet. Written without thestrictures of formal ballet style, McCartney nevertheless managed to create aviable work writing from the heart. McCartney created an undersea world, telling a love story against thebackdrop of a world threatened by human expansion and carelessness. Ocean’sKingdom is set for wide release on October 4, 2011.
Comprised of four movements, Ocean’s Kingdom shows an emotional and narrative breadth that issurprising. Movement I: “Ocean’s Kingdom”,starts is muted, peaceful tunes, setting the scene of an undersea world ofbeauty. McCartney uses a long, slowbuild in both intensity and complexity to set the stage for the struggle forlife that lies at the heart of the story. The movement rises to majestic heights before residing a bit and movinginto Movement II: “Hall Of Dance”; the latter alternates between lilting, jauntymini-movements and lyric forms full of distinctive beauty. McCartney creates some “Wow” moments here,and seems to understand the heart of the dance better than you mightexpect. The movement closes in dark,distressful tones, implying a tirade or a tragedy.
Movement III: “Imprisonment” begins, surprisingly, incontemplative, peaceful tones. Judgmentand hardship build through the use of horns into an emotional and pervasivedarkness. All the while, woodwinds tryto spread the light that holds back the storm. This juxtaposition becomes a wonderful, if understated dance; acall-and-response style between the darkness and the light that isintriguing. McCartney builds through themovement to grand themes reminiscent of some of John Williams’ finest filmscore works. Movement IV: “Moonrise” isvibrant and active; almost violent at times. The movement begins with a grand struggle, musically, but resolves intheatrical style, with the herald of trumpets. The celebration grows to full orchestra, bringing out various voices inthe process.
Paul McCartney really can do anything, Sir or not. If anyone questioned the validity ofMcCartney’s BRIT Award for Classical Album for 2006’s Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart)”, the jury is in. It was not a fluke. Ocean’sKingdom is quite literally, worthy of a world premiere with the New YorkCity Ballet. Whether or not you buy intothe environmentalist apocalyptica that seems to be prevalent in pop culturethese days, it is an impressive work that is artfully crafted. A succinct and well told story invested withdeep emotion, and a melodic enterprise that perhaps only McCartney himselfcould craft. This is the real deal.
Rating: 4 Stars (Outof 5)
Learn more about Paul McCartney at www.paulmccartney.com. Ocean’sKingdom drops on October 4, 2011. The album is available for pre-order from Amazon.com as a CD,on Vinylor as a Download. The New York City Ballet will perform Ocean's Kindgom again on September 29, 2011, and again for five dates in January of 2012. Ticket information is available here.