Alexandre Desplat: Airlines in Bloomington, MN

Alexandre Desplat
is the composer of numerous film scores both in his native France and in Hollywood, where his score for
Wes Anderson
's
Isle of Dogs
is arguably the most charming. Yet he's not a household name like other film composers of his caliber.
Airlines
is perhaps an attempt to raise his profile with an album devoted to his music, and it may well succeed in this respect. The album includes extracts from
Desplat
's film scores, arranged to offer a prominent solo flute part; these include the well-known music for
The Shape of Water
as well as one selection from
The Grand Budapest Hotel
(the whimsical quality of
's orchestration seems to fit
Anderson
's aesthetic perfectly). There are also lesser-known
film items in a variety of moods and original concert works, including a three-movement
Pelleas et Melisande
, in much the same vein as his film music. The title track,
, is not the soaring orchestral work that might be imagined but an engaging and virtuosic solo flute work for
Emmanuel Pahud
.
himself conducts the
Orchestre National de France
and achieves an impressively homogeneous sound. Those who have enjoyed
's film scores will likely already be customers for this release. The thing is that it may attract those who are less aware of his talents. ~ James Manheim