The
Fly

So far 15 mutual film and TV projects, as well as one opera, stand for one of the most productive and artistically most significant director-composer pairings of our time. In the science fiction thriller »The Fly« (1986) scientist Seth Brundle suffers a slow physical, but equally testing mental, metamorphosis to an insect because of an unsuccessful teleportation experiment. In spite of inevitable shock effects, Cronenberg emphasises the deep human tragedy of the story. Shore follows his lead with an impressive, partly strong avant-garde orchestral score, with which he also sounds out the emotional nuances.

In the main theme a delicate motive, developed out of a descending cradle movement (wrapped into a floating sound perfume made of short high harp glissandi, dissonant string instrument harmonies and celesta spots), is being exchanged with massive melodic gestures of brass and string instruments, thereby predicting the tragic destiny of the main character.