Renowned British violinist and pedagogue Simon Smith makes his Resonus debut with an extraordinary disc of intensely virtuosic works for unaccompanied violin by two Hungarian composers – the late Sonata for Solo Violin by Belá Bartók and Signs, Games & Messages by living composer György Kurtág, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
Jerry Goldsmith's most provocative feature film score, Basic Instinct brilliantly evokes the sex and suspense that together galvanize the onscreen narrative. Ominous piano, stiletto-sharp bursts of strings, and bubbling electronics combine to capture lust in all its myriad forms, from carnal desire to murderous rage, as well as delineate the subtle differences between each iteration. Goldsmith scores the film's notoriously graphic sex scenes with particular aplomb, achieving what can only be described as an orchestral orgasm as the music builds to its climax. For all its sophistication and invention, Basic Instinct is above all the work of a dirty old man, and it's fascinating.