Moll Flanders (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

by Jason AnkenyMark Mancina's score for the 1996 film adaptation of Daniel Defoe's classic 1722 novel Moll Flanders boasts a subtle yet refined Celtic sensibility well matched to the narrative's 18th century milieu. With its acoustic guitars, fiddles, and woodwinds, the music boasts a natural lyricism that belies its synthesizer underpinnings -- Mancina writes original melodies with the ring of period authenticity, and his pacing and thematic development are dead-on. Polygram's official soundtrack also includes a lovely if slight performance by pop star Sarah McLachlan, "Full of Grace," as well as period compositions from the likes of Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel -- all in all, it's a beautifully serene listening experience.