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These themes that I mentioned before are some of Horner's best. Most noticably dominant is Balto's heroic and uplifting theme. This theme pops up whenever Balto is faced with adversity, danger, and heroic situations. Not only is it well written, but it is also instantly memorable. The next theme is, shall I say, not so glorious. One must understand that the film centers around the small Alaskan town of Nome. A tragic epidemic of Diptheria breaks out and begins affecting many of the children, including little Rosy. This second, more serious theme encompasses the scenes where Rosy becomes bedridden and Balto and Jenna can do nothing but stare in helplessly through the window. The last, and most stirring theme, is that of the wolves. It is most noticable in the track, "Heritage of the Wolf." Dramatic and very satisfying.
In BALTO, it seems that the perfect instruments were used in all the right places. This is to be expected, seeing as how the London Symphony Orchestra performed it. The Horner/London Symphony Orchestra pairing is a hard one to beat. He has released some of his finest work when the L.S.O. is at the helm. BALTO is certainly no exception. As is with many of James Horner's recent scores, this is quite possibly one of the most overlooked of all the 1995 movie scores. The reason for this may be because the movie itself wasn't all that big of a release. The two vocal songs, ("Balto's Theme") are quite good; give them a try. Sadly, due to its original limited release, BALTO is quickly disappearing from store shelves. Get your copy of this impressive score while you still can. James Horner fans, or just movie score lovers in general will find nothing wrong with this excellent release.
