Dudley Moore “30 IS A DANGEROUS AGE, CYNTHIA” (Soundtrack). Martine Avenue Productions

Dudley Moore was one of the most beloved and respected artists of our time. Actor, comedian, pianist, composer, conductor, and vocalist, Dudley was renowned for his work in all these areas. Best known to the public for his leading roles in smash hits such as Arthur, 10, Foul Play, and Unfaithfully Yours, he was internationally loved by his audiences. Dudley’s first love was music. A highly-trained classical musician, he studied violin and organ at the Guildhall School of Music in London and attended Magdalen College at Oxford University as a scholarship student.

In his teens, he was inspired by jazz pianists Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson, and spent many years performing internationally with his own jazz trio.

Dudley Moore’s musical score to 30 Is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia is original and eclectic. The music is very much a product of its time, and while written specifically for the film, stands brilliantly on its own in this CD, the first legitimate release since the original 1969 London Records LP. Martine Avenue Productions is proud to bring you this digitally-remastered version of Moore ’s amazing original score. He was the co-founder and President of Martine Avenue Productions, along with his musical and business partner, Rena Fruchter, the company’s CEO. Dudley Moore formed the company to bring his music to the public, and to donate proceeds from the company ’s activities to support two organizations close to his heart “Music For All Seasons and the Dudley Moore Research Fund for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

His musical score to the film 30 is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia,  reflects his strongly varied tastes in classical music, jazz, and popular styles, as well as the comedy inherent in the film, which he wrote with Joseph McGrath, who also directed the film. The music features Dudley’s brilliant soundtrack, including his piano performances and vocal renditions, along with orchestral and smaller ensemble presentations.

“30 IS A DANGEROUS AGE, CYNTHIA”

Rupert Street, a piano player and composer, decides to write a musical and marry before he reaches his thirtieth birthday. One minor problem: he’ll be 30 in six weeks…

In his first starring role minus his longtime partner Peter Cook, Dudley Moore plays a 29-year-old who goes through an identity crisis when approaching the “three-oh” mark. He wants to be a successful Broadway composer before reaching 30 and also wants to be happily married. Unfortunately, he’s so busy as a night-club musician that he hasn’t any time to realise his goals. Enter sexy SUZY KENDALL (Mrs. Moore at the time), who inspires Dudley to reinvigorate his quest for success and connubial bliss…

REVIEW

Thanks to Martine Avenue Productions it’s possible to savour digitally (the original soundtrack was on vinyl) the film score talents of Dudley Moore. I became a fan of Moore’s jazz/piano talents when he first released his vinyl recordings back in the late 60s. In fact it was Dudley Moore who introduced me to modern jazz and these early recordings still remain some of my favourite generic music. But I never realised that he also composed film music despite the fact that he appeared in many films and of course was a fine composer.

Frankly, I cannot imagine a more fitting introduction to his film music than this. It is a diverse collection of songs which no doubt closely match the mood and atmosphere of the moments in the film in which they are played. The opening ‘30 Is A Dangerous Age’ offers a light introduction and a clue to the film’s comedic characteristics. The opening spell of medium-paced modern piano jazz moves gradually into a more euphoric, dreamy stage with orchestra making its entrance along with swaying angelic vocals. Moore was always sympathetic to melody and this song is no exception. ‘Head First’ is reminiscent of much of the more romantic themes of the time and majors on big band sounds. ‘The Real Stuff’  contains the first Moore vocal where he changes from posh English accent to something out of the deep south blues. It’s hilarious and jazzy to the core.

‘Cynthia’ is a joyous brass dominated romp that bounces along with gusto. ‘Legend’ is the longest song here at 6:40 minutes. It travels at deathly pace and is dark as night. It reminds me of a song from Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD although it does offers snatches of whistful lightness. Eventually it opens up from a piano solo to a full-on orchestral extravaganza with alternating dark and light moods. It is a marvel of composition and arrangement which exemplifies Moore’s genius. It is beautiful.

‘Waltz For Suzy’ is another moving piano piece with those angelic wandering vocals making a return visit. There’s a sadness about the song perhaps indicating the lead player’s increasing desperation/lonliness. However, there’s also a small sign of hope in music that neves ceases to be the most expressive. ‘Morning Walk’ is a jaunty piece and you can imagine a swift walk through Central Park…’Rupert Street Concerto’ is a brief example of where Moore’s playing originated with its strong classical overtones.

‘Madrigal’ just reminds me of his hilarious Pete & Dudley TV show moments and is just another example of how wide-ranging Moore’s skills are. The soundtrack ends with arguably the finest and most expressive piece in ‘The Detective’which has 60s crime movie all over it. You can imagine Clint Eastwood travelling downtown in his cop car looking out for villians. It’s a magnificent piece of composition and big band music - a fitting end to a very fine soundtrack. Dudley Moore was no less than a musical genius and this is just another example of how good he was, and where his artistic love truly lay.

5/5

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