Jane Eyre: Suite

A few months later, Delbert Mann directed Jane Eyre (1970). American composer John Williams, who had previously collaborated with Mann (but was unavailable for David Copperfield), provided a score he described as “very English,” using melodies with a folk-like character. Adapted from Charlotte Brontë’s gothic novel, the film tells the story of a poor orphan who becomes governess to Edward Rochester, a man with a troubled past whom she falls in love with. The superb orchestral suite begins with the austere life at “Lowood,” an institution for poor girls where Jane grows up. The second movement, unused in the film, is a lively scherzo suggesting Jane’s excitement as she travels “to Thornfield,” Rochester’s manor. The third movement, illustrating the love between Jane and Rochester, is one of Williams’s finest works, showcasing his unmatched talent for developing long, memorable sequences in constantly renewed orchestrations.