It’s a frosty Valentine’s Day in Erie, PA, the perfect excuse to pull
out the soundtrack to one of my favorite wintry romances: Don Bluth’s Anastasia.
My brother and I caught this underrated gem in the theater in high
school, and it may just take pride of place as my favorite Bluth movie,
though there are several others that I love as well. One of the big
reasons I’m such a fan of Anastasia is the music, with songs by
Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music) and a score by David
Newman. I liked it so much that I not only bought the soundtrack, I got
the sheet music too. It’s sweeping, melodious and adventurous, with just
a dash of romance. A great way to start off my Valentine’s Day.
A Rumor in St. Petersburg
- A lively opening number. This isn’t the first scene in the movie, but
it’s the one that firmly sets us in a time a decade after the initial
scene, during which villainous Rasputin launches an attack on the
Romanovs, Russia’s royal family, in which most of them are killed.
Princess Anastasia, a young girl, escapes but loses her memory. This
song brings us up to speed in delightful fashion, with a whole city full
of characters gossiping about the rumor that Anastasia might still be
out there somewhere. This song gets a lot of exposition out of the way
in a most entertaining manner, and it also introduces us to likable
conmen Dmitri and Vladimir, who plan to find a girl who looks like
Anastasia and go to Paris, where Anastasia’s grandmother has put out a
reward for her return, to pass her off as the princess. Jonathan
Dokuchitz voices slick young Dmitri instead of John Cusack, while Kelsey
Grammer is one of the few voice actors in the movie who takes on his
character’s singing role as well as speaking. I’m a big fan of Frasier
and of Grammer in general, but he’s so effectively disguised his voice
in a thick Russian accent here that I always half-forget it’s him. A
wonderfully chaotic beginning that reminds me of such Disney greats as Beauty and the Beast’s Belle and Aladdin’s One Jump Ahead.
“We’ll find a girl to play the part and teach her what to say, dress
her up and take her to Paris. Imagine the reward her dear old Grandmama
will pay! Who else could pull it off but you and me?”
Journey to the Past
- I love this song, and as is almost always the case with these
animated musicals that produce radio hits, I prefer the in-movie
version. There’s such an air of wonder and anticipation, as well as
trepidation, about it, and I can relate so well to that tug-of-war
between a longing for adventure and a fear of leaving the familiar. The
song reminds me a lot of I Have Confidence from The Sound of Music,
and it’s one of my two favorites in the movie. The piano and violins
evoke the snowflakes and wind that accompany her as she sets out. Liz
Callaway, singing in place of Meg Ryan, voices Anastasia with a
clear-throated exuberance and beauty that reminds me of Jodi Benson from
The Little Mermaid. This is the moment during which the audience
is meant to fall in love with the adult Anastasia, who goes by Anya and
does not yet realize who she is. All she knows is that she yearns to
belong to someone. An exhilarating track. “Heart, don’t fail me now.
Courage, don’t desert me. Don’t turn back now that we’re here. People
always say life is full of choices; no one ever mentions fear…”
Once Upon a December
- Callaway has this one to herself as well, and it’s a whispery,
awestruck waltz that is nothing short of haunting. Anastasia has
returned to her childhood home and is catching snatches of memories,
none of which make much sense to her. The song is an outgrowth of the
lullaby she and her grandmother used to sing together, the song that
played in the music box that she received on the night her life changed
forever. It’s an utterly beautiful song that captures the sense that all
of Anastasia’s childhood lies just beyond a veil, and dim glimpses are
all she can see. It carries with it the hope that one day those memories
might be recovered. Starts and ends quietly, with a crescendo in the
middle as everything comes into focus for one shining moment before
eluding her again. Gorgeous. “Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an
ember, things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember. And a
song someone sings once upon a December…”
In the Dark of the Night
- The big villain’s number. Jim Cummings, voice actor extraordinaire
perhaps best known for replacing Sterling Holloway as the voice of
Winnie the Pooh, is Christopher Lloyd’s singing counterpart as the evil,
putrescent Rasputin. This is an appropriately dark and creepy song
reminiscent of Gaston’s Kill the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and especially Scar’s Be Prepared from The Lion King.
He’s plotting the destruction of the one person who foiled his perfect
plan for the annihilation of the Romanovs. The sound is ominous, and
Cummings’ delivers the lyrics with sadistic relish. “I was once the most
mystical man in all Russia. When the royals betrayed me they made a
mistake. My curse made each of them pay, but one little girl got away.
Little Anya beware, Rasputin’s awake!”
Learn to Do It -
This is a fun number that covers several hours or days during which
Dmitri and Vladimir give Anastasia a crash course on how to be a
Romanov. There’s a banter type of feel to this song as Vlad, Dmitri and
Anya interrupt each other in their eagerness to instill and display
knowledge. Definitely one of the most fun tracks. “Count Sergei.” “Wore a
feathered hat.” “I hear he’s gotten very fat.” “And I recall his yellow
cat…” “I don’t believe we told her that…”
Learn to Do It (Waltz Reprise)
- The same basic melody as the last track returns in this gentle, much
shorter reprise. Where the last one was energetic and a bit zany, this
one is quiet, slow and romantic. It’s mostly instrumental as Dmitri
shows Anya how to dance to prepare her for the possibility of a formal
ball in Paris. As Vlad watches, it’s painfully obvious to him that this
tender moment was the only catalyst these spitfires needed to realize
that they have fallen in love – and that could wreak major havoc on
their perfect plan. A nice little showcase for Kelsey Grammer. “Vlad,
how could you do this? How will we get through this? I never should have
let them dance…”
Paris Holds the Key (to Your Heart) -
Another very lively song that gets the whole city involved, but in this
case we’re in France instead of Russia. It’s basically an exuberant
celebration of French culture led by Bernadette Peters as Vlad’s old
flame Sophie, with a moment at the end for some quiet reflection by
Dmitri, who has just realized that Anya actually is Anastasia and
suddenly doesn’t find the idea of a hefty cash reward all that
attractive. I don’t get that into the more raucous parts of the song,
but I really like Dmitri’s lines, which show how much he’s changed over
the course of this journey. “Paris holds the key to her past. Yes,
Princess, you’ve come home at last. No more pretend; you’ll be gone,
that’s the end.”
At the Beginning - This radio-ready end-credits song is performed by Donna Lewis and Richard Marx. It’s a nice follow-up to Journey to the Past
as it reflects Anastasia and Dmitri’s desire to embark on a new journey
together. I’m not a huge fan of Lewis’s voice, but I do like this song,
and I think it’s nice that one more song was written to give us a sort
of epilogue to the movie. Of course, it’s a great stand-alone too. “No
one told me I was going to find you. Unexpected what you did to my
heart. When I lost hope, you were there to remind me this Is the start.”
Journey to the Past (Aaliyah) - I considered this song
pretty superfluous at the time, but even though I prefer the movie
version, there’s something very poignant about listening to this song
now, since Aaliyah, the promising young singer who performed it, died in
a tragic accident a few short years later. She puts a funky vibe on it
and sings beautifully; this arrangement is a little repetitive, but it’s
still a nice track.
Once Upon a December (Deana Carter) -
This song scarcely changes from the movie version. It’s a little less
dynamic, and the most prominent instrument is a mandolin, played by
Jerry McPherson. I love his instrumental work here, and that’s the main
reason to listen to this, though Carter does a nice job with the vocals
too.
Prologue - This mostly-instrumental track captures
the sense of majesty in the Romanov court, along with the tenderness
between Anastasia and her grandmother. We get to hear Angela Lansbury,
who, unlike Kelsey Grammer, is immediately recognizable despite her
Russian accent, as well as Lacey Chabert as the young Anastasia, singing
a snippet of Once Upon a December together before the tone turns dire with the appearance of Rasputin.
Speaking of Sophie
- A bright, sunshiny instrumental track heavy on the woodwinds that
evokes the giddiness of Vlad’s recollections of his long-ago love. Just a
very cheerful, sweet track that puts me in mind of a picnic in the
park.
The Nightmare - The creepiest of the instrumental
tracks, it’s half blissful dream and half torturous nightmare. The
chorus of voices adds to the eeriness, and the full orchestral backing
captures the frightening flavor of a storm at sea.
Kidnap and Reunion
- Starts off a bit perilous but blossoms into one of the loveliest
tracks on the album, with a hope-filled melody peeking out hesitatingly
as Anastasia’s memory finally begins flooding back and her incredulous
grandmother begins to think that this might actually be the little girl
she lost so long ago. It concludes with a reprise of Once Upon a December, with Lansbury and Callaway this time. Probably my favorite instrumental track, along with Reminiscing with Grandma, which almost feels like a continuation. Lovely and stirring, it incorporates Journey to the Past and feels mysterious and familiar all at once. Finale
also feels mostly like an outgrowth of these two scenes as we get the
impression that her journey has come full circle and she is home at last
but has gained something valuable in the journey as well as the
destination. A joyous conclusion.
Viaje Tiempo Atras (Journey to the Past) - You know, this song would make more sense if it was in Russian, or even French. But a Spanish version of Journey to the Past
seems pretty random, not to mention superfluous, since it’s the third
version of this song on the soundtrack, not counting the song’s
appearances in the instrumental tracks. Thalia does a nice job with the
vocals here, it just seems like a rather odd choice.
But I
really do love this album, especially the first eight tracks. Another
plus is that the liner notes include stills from the movie, along with
the lyrics to the songs. It’s very attractively packaged. Anastasia
is a story of self-discovery and learning that sometimes it takes
another person to help you become yourself as fully as possible. A
touching tale and stirring music for Valentine’s Day or any day.
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