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Release Date: October 15, 2009 Label: Lakeshore Records Grade: B

The Bright Star soundtrack’s opening track “Negative Capability” begins with the faint chirping of birds and the calming voice of Ben Whishaw (speaking as the romantic poet, John Keats). “A poem needs understanding through the senses. The point of diving in a lake is not immediately to swim to shore, but to swim in the lake. To luxuriate in the sensation of water. You do not work the lake out. It is an experience beyond thought. Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept mystery.”

It is a fitting introduction to a hybrid of a soundtrack that is both music and spoken word. Bright Star is composed by the virtually unknown Mark Bradshaw, who was impressively only twenty-three years old when first approached by director Jane Campion (who he had worked with before on the short films, "The Lady Bug" and "The Water Diary") to score the film. It is an impressive, though brief, body of work. The entire compilation, spanning 9 tracks and a little more than 20 minutes, very much embraces the same spirit of Bright Star in that less can most certainly be more. Only three of the tracks are exclusively music: “Human Orchestra,” a clear standout, is an arrangement by Bradshaw of “Serenade in Bb, K. 361” by Mozart. It serves as both an anchor to the rest of the soundtrack and his main inspiration for the score itself. It is a delightfully ethereal a cappella piece featuring the talents of Ben Whishaw, Samuel Barnett (Tony Award winner for The History Boys), Cameron Woodhouse, Danielle Johnston and Bradshaw himself. The other two instrumentals, “Return” and “Convulsion,” are more anxious pieces that feature strings and keys and last less than a minute each. They feel like little more than samples, fading in and out as if there should be more there.

The rest of the soundtrack features the actors Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw as Fanny Braun and John Keats. This is a soundtrack that succeeds in utilizing dialogue over music in a way that truly captures the spirit of the movie without being too Titanic - “My Heart Will Go On” (“I’ll never let go, Jack!”). Ben Whishaw recites some of Keats’ most famous poems (“La Belle Dame Sans Merci” and “Ode to a Nightingale”) without making it feel like you’re listening to an audio book. Abbie Cornish delivers a heart-wrenching version of the title poem “Bright Star” reciting the verses written for her character Fanny right after she has learned of Keats’ death. The playful and angst-y emotion of the two lovers is palpable in “Letters” as Keats and Braun’s love is played out through their devoted correspondence. The accompanying music is often understated, classical and simple much like the film itself. It showcases the letters and poetry that are so paramount to the film. It sticks to the background, not overshadowing but perfectly accompanying the verses.

Overall the soundtrack is a suitable companion piece to the film but might fall short as a standalone album. It isn’t exactly background music as the dialogue commands the listener’s attention, but it is a delightful break from instrumental-only film scores. Keats fans will enjoy the poetry readings by the very capable Ben Whishaw, and Mark Bradshaw is certainly a composer to watch. His youth and obvious mastery of classical music makes me excited to hear more.