Description

Rarely has a television theme tune been as indelibly associated with a particular character as Barrington Pheloung’s haunting threnody for Inspector Morse. The first chords conjure an instant image of John Thaw’s irascible detective with Sergeant Lewis trailing behind and no matter how many times you hear them, raise expectations of a gripping, solid two hours of satisfying drama. You might, of course, want to buy this collection to hear Janis Kelly’s “Mi Tradi Quell’ Alma Ingrata” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni or “Senza Mamma” from Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Dyed-in-the-wool fans will know that opera is Morse’s great extra-curricular passion. And there are some beautiful snatches of Debussy along the way. But these are really incidental to Pheloung’s swirling, moody musical landscapes which reflect brooding scenes of crime and Morse’s internal dilemmas. He is among the most prolific and versatile composers working in television today, but Sydney-born Pheloung may never produce a more appreciated piece of work than his “Inspector Morse Theme”. —Piers Ford