The (9) selections on this Naxos release are without a doubt far more popular than any of the movies that they appeared in. I’ll grant you the Hitchcock/Selznick Spellbound still has a following and Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express was popular winning several awards but there are few if any reading this review that are familiar with Love Story (1945), Dangerous Moonlight, The Case of the Frightened Lady, The Glass Mountain, Hangover Square, While I Live, or Midnight on the Cliffs. Yet all of the films feature a piano concerto as an important part of the film except for Spellbound, which had the Oscar winning theme, but the piano concerto version came later. Does over 100 recordings and 3 million in sales for “The Warsaw Concerto” impress you just a little? These melodies appear in many “Beloved Melody” compilation albums from nameless orchestras, to the 101 Strings, to the Boston Pops. Many a summer evening I’m sure you’ve heard your pop’s orchestra perform some of these standard themes, ones that Max Steiner could easily have written the melody for except for the work from Herrmann. The style was like something that Rachmaninoff could have composed with a big bold sound, oozing with love chords from the grand piano.
While schmaltz is the word to describe many of the selections it can’t be used for the fascinating piano concerto Herrmann wrote for Hangover Square. The staccato like beginning on the piano sets the dark mood and it quickly segues into familiar dark Herrmann minor brass chords any listener of Bernard will quickly recognize. After a brief respite, where there is a short passage of soothing material, the music reverts to the staccato dissonant piano passages again. When the main character George Bone, played by Laird Cregar, sets fire to his place knowing the end has come, the final coda is played only by the piano. The music had a huge influence on Steven Sondheim as a 15 year old and one can hear the Herrmann influence in Sondheim’s musical thriller Sweeney Todd.
Richard Rodney Bennett hit the bull’s-eye dead center with his Oscar nominated Murder On The Orient Express. Beginning with a definite 30’s style sound it segues into a wonderful waltz tempo in an all too short suite. If this happens to be your introduction to Bennett enjoy, as you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.
While the preferred recording of the “Spellbound Concerto” is a 22-minute version with two pianos (Varese Sarabande #3020668102) this one does highlight the major themes of the Oscar winning score from Rozsa and is quite a pleasant listen. While it never appeared in the film as a piano concerto, a year after the film was released Miklos arranged this 12 minute work and it has been performed by many orchestras and pianists over the years.
“Midnight On The Cliffs,” performed and written by Leonard Pennario for the film Julie is his one and only attempt at the silver screen and is a typical showpiece romantic work. “Portrait of Isla,” from The Case of the Frightened Lady 1940, was the first official piano concerto written for a film and is somewhat melodramatic depicting the overall mood of the film.
This is a CD that affords you the opportunity to get snippets from films that are only available on this compilation. The Naxos value is just an additional bonus.
Naxos CD# 8.554323
Philip Fowke, Piano
RTE Concert Orchestra
Proinnsias O Duinn
Track Listing:
1. Richard Addinsell: Warsaw Concerto (09:07)
(Dangerous Moonlight, 1941)
2. Jack Beaver: Portrait Of Isla (04:42)
(The Case Of The Frightened Lady, 1940)
3. Miklós Rósza: Spellbound Concerto (11:58)
(Spellbound, 1945)
4. Nino Rota: The Legend Of The Glass Mountain (04:01)
(The Glass Mountain, 1948)
5. Richard Rodney Bennett: Theme And Waltz (05:46)
(Murder On The Orient Express, 1974)
6. Hubert Bath: Cornish Rhapsody (06:04)
(Love Story, 1945)
7. Bernard Herrmann: Concerto Macabre (12:00)
(Hangover Square, 1945)
8. Charles Williams: The Dream Of Olwen (05:01)
(While I Live, 1947)
9. Leonard Pennario: Midnight On The Cliffs (05:39)
(Midnight On The Cliffs, 1956)
Total Duration: 01:04:18
Definitive Horror Music Collection/Various
October 17, 2009
With a release date of October 13, 2009, just in time for Halloween this year, Silva has put together a 4 CD set covering a time period from 1922-2009. Including the very latest “Drag Me To Hell” (2009) from Christopher Young to the classic “Nosferatu” (1922) a silent film with music adapted by Hammer horror specialist James Bernard, 87 years are covered with over 276 minutes of material being offered. Can you call it The Definitive Horror Music Collection when it includes selections such as the love theme from “The Mummy,” “Zodiac” or the elegiac “Let The Right One In” to name just three? The 13+ minute “King Kong” (2005) suite is nicely performed by Fitzpatrick and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and a pleasant listening experience but except for a couple of very short sections is this really horror music? I don’t think so. On the other hand scary material such as “Horror of Dracula,” “The Omen,” and “The Devil Rides Out” are included. There is a nice selection from “The Bride of Frankenstein,” titles featuring John Carpenter films, “Saw,” and Young’s “Hellraiser” which do qualify as horror music. What do you do? If your looking at this as a must have horror collection I’d say pass. But if you look at the set as a very nice 4-½ hour compilation of soundtracks it is certainly worth a serious look. If you own previously released Silva material you should look carefully at what is offered and what you might have as some of the material has been previously released. If you’re relatively new to collecting this could be a very nice way to get highlights from films you’ve seen such as “King Kong” without having to invest in a CD of all the material. Of course you also have the option of downloading only the tracks you’re interested in.
While previously released many years ago, the real treat of this collection, in the opinion of this reviewer, is the James Bernard horror material. “Horror of Dracula” has some of the best suspense/horror music as well as one of the finer chase music ever written. When Van Helsing is being chased by Dracula this is definitely a case where the music makes the scene all that much better. In addition, there is also material from “The Devil Rides Out,” “Dracula, Prince of Darkness,” and some pretty good material in “Horrors of the Black Museum,” composed by Gerard Schurmann. If you’re into the synthesizer there are several selections of material performed by Gareth Williams, Mark Ayres, and Nick Watson. In conclusion, this is one that should be looked at carefully if you’re interested in compilation CD’s. You might want to purchase with some duplication or just download selected tracks. The overall value from Silva is a good one at less than $10.00 per CD. There are no liner notes.
Produced by James Fitzpatrick, David Wishart, and Rick Clark
Mastering by Gareth Williams and Rick Clark
Silva CD# is SILCD1288
Track Listing:
Disc 1
1. Drag Me to Hell – End Titles 7:16
2. Twilight – Edward At Her Bed / Bella’s Lullaby 3:33
3. Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) – Eli’s Theme 2:42
4. Cloverfield – Roar! 5:36
5. Sunshine – Adagio in D Minor 4:27
6. Zodiac – Graysmith’s Theme 2:56
7. Dexter 1:44
8. Pan’s Labyrinth – The Labyrinth 4:03
9. King Kong – Suite 13:47
10. War Of The Worlds – Suite 7:29
11. Saw – Hello Zep 3:01
12. 28 Days Later – In The House-In A Heartbeat 4:21
13. The Ring – This Is Going To Hurt 2:51
14. The Mummy Returns – Main Theme 5:25
15. Hannibal – Vide Cor Meum 3:03
Disc 2
1. The Mummy – The Sand Volcano / Love Theme 2:55
2. Sleepy Hollow – End Titles 3:13
3. The Haunting – The Carousel / End Titles 2:55
4. The Sixth Sense – Malcolm Is Dead 5:22
5. Buffy The Vampire Slayer 1:06
6. Village Of The Damned – March Of The Children 6:35
7. Bram Stoker’s Dracula – The Storm 4:24
8. Army Of Darkness – Prologue and Building The Deathcoaster 4:32
9. The Witches Of Eastwick – Dance Of The Witches 4:37
10. Predator (Edit) 3:59
11. Hellraiser Suite 5:55
12. Hellbound: Hellraiser II Suite 8:44
13. They Live 3:25
14. Aliens – Prelude / Ripley’s Rescue 5:55
15. Ghostbusters – Main Theme 3:14
Disc 3
1. Nightmare On Elm Street – Main Theme 4:16
2. Christine – Bad To The Bone 4:56
3. Poltergeist – Main Theme 4:21
4. The Thing 4:31
5. Halloween II – Main Theme 4:33
6. The Fog 4:00
7. Dressed To Kill – The Gallery 6:04
8. The Shining – Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta (excerpt) 7:02
9. Dracula – Main Titles & Storm 4:56
10. Phantasm Main Theme 4:00
11. Alien – The Nostromo / End Title 3:46
12. Halloween – Main Theme (Mix 1) 2:39
13. The Fury 2:55
14. Suspiria 6:05
15. Exorcist II: The Heretic – Regan’s Theme 2:40
Disc 4
1. The Omen – Suite For Choir And Orchestra 3:56
2. Young Frankenstein – Transylvanian Lullaby 4:09
3. The Exorcist – Tubular Bells 6:02
4. Duel – The Café / Truck Attack 5:09
5. Taste The Blood Of Dracula – The Young Lovers / Ride To The Ruined Church 6:27
6. Rosemary’s Baby – Lullaby 2:42
7. Twisted Nerve Suite 5:35
8. The Devil Rides Out – The Power Of Evil 2:04
9. Dracula, Prince Of Darkness – Suite 5:07
10. The Haunting – The History Of Hill House 4:36
11. Dracula – Main Title & Finale 7:30
12. Horrors of the Black Museum 3:34
13. The Thing From Another World – Main Theme 2:06
14. Bride Of Frankenstein – Creation Of The Female Monster 8:43
15. Nosferatu Overture 3:03
Total Time – 276:32
Exodus/Gold
October 8, 2009
Released on December 15th, 1960 the epic (200+ minutes) Otto Preminger film based on the Leon Uris novel starred Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Sir Ralph Richardson, and Sal Mineo who received an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Exodus was awarded the coveted Oscar for best score in 1961, winning the award over the films Elmer Gantry (Andre Previn), Spartacus (Alex North), The Alamo (Dimitri Tiomkin), The Magnificent Seven (Elmer Bernstein) and Psycho (Bernard Herrmann). In addition he also won two Grammy awards for best soundtrack and best song of the year. The theme from Exodus has gone on to become one of the more popular film melodies of all time, being on 100’s of different compilation albums. The Ferrante and Teicher version climbed all the way to #2 on the Billboard charts. In addition, at the time of this writing Soundtrack Collector has listed (25) recordings of the score material. Why then did Tadlow choose to reconstruct and record this material yet again? This reviewer can remember purchasing a new RCA LP #LOC1058 when it was first released and being somewhat disappointed in the overall audio quality of the recording and the omission of a great amount of material (34 minutes instead of 80). Even the RCA LP was a re-recording of the original score performed by the Sinfonia of London conducted by the composer. Thus the answer is a complete recording with far superior sound. There is a lot more to Exodus than just the famous melody. In fact if someone wanted to take the themes like Korngold did with some of his Hollywood scores and adapt it to a symphony/tone poem the result would be most satisfying.
Otto Preminger requested Gold be on location in Israel and Cypress and Ernest immediately went to work using first impressions and the extensive research he had done. “Prelude” gives us the majestic main theme of hope and inspiration followed by a militaristic theme giving us a preview of what will come as the story unfolds. Gold perfectly sets a proper mood in “Summer in Cyprus,” a lush, exotic, and tropical Mediterranean setting easily comes to mind. However, it suddenly changes into a Hebrew type theme which will be used as a motif throughout the film. “Escape/General offers some excellent action/tension underscore with some frantic moments. “The Tent” introduces the theme for Karen, one that sounds like someone sitting around a campfire playing an Americana tune on the harmonica. It is actually an accordion and it is given the string treatment before moving into further militaristic music. “Kitty” is a lovely romantic theme played by violin and piano and is also played in “Love Is Where You Find It” with a larger orchestra. The main theme is not overused but carefully placed in the remainder of the score. Also included on the CD is a choral version of Exodus “This Land Is Mine,” words by Pat Boone. The remaining 50+ minutes of the second CD include two waltzes from Gold from his films “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “Ship Of Fools.” “Judith,” a Sol Kaplan score, previously recorded material (Silva SILCD 1183) from the Goldsmith score of “QB VII,” (Queen’s Bench #7) “Schindler’s List,” “Cast A Giant Shadow,” and two Exodus theme arrangements, one by Gold for a Decca recording in the 60’s featuring the cello and a Fitzpatrick (executive producer) symphonic overture of the main and other themes from the score.
This reviewer can only marvel at the vast improvement of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. They have gone from high school like to a first class ensemble over the last few years. I’m confident in saying that Tadlow and Silva have had something to do with their development. Not only will soundtrack collectors want this for their collection but also just the casual listener will find this to be a satisfying experience. Highly recommended.
Tadlow CD# is TADLOW 007 (2 CD set)
Produced by James Fitzpatrick
Mastered by Gareth Williams
Track Listing:
Disc/Cassette 1
1. Prelude (02:42)
2. Summer in Cyprus (01:55)
3. Escape / The General (02:06)
4. Ari (03:49)
5. On the Beach* (02:06)
6. The Tent – Karen / Lorries / The Convoy* (04:13)
7. The Star of David* (00:40)
8. Odenheim’s Death / Karen’s Story* (04:02)
9. Approaching Haifa / The Oath* (03:03)
10. Kitty* (02:02)
11. Akiva’s Hideout (01:41)
12. Love is Where You Find It / The Valley of Jezreel* (06:08)
13. Yad El / He is Dead* (02:26)
14. Goodbye / Intermission Music – Fight for Survival (02:44)
15. Karen’s Father (In Jerusalem) (03:51)
16. Akiva’s Arrest* (03:21)
17. Execution Chamber / Don’t Let My Brother Die* (01:36)
18. Acre Prison / The Chess Game (Conspiracy)* (05:41)
19. D-Day / The Bombs (Prison Break)* (07:43)
Disc/Cassette 2
1. The Arsenal* (01:26)
2. The Operation* (01:47)
3. Children on the Hill* (02:04)
4. Dawn / Finale – The Fight for Peace (06:45)
5. Exit Music – Hatikvah (03:30)
6. EXODUS – This Land is Mine (02:20)
Lyrics by Pat Boone
* Contains previously unrecorded music
BONUS TRACKS
7. IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD – Exit Music (02:06)
8. SHIP OF FOOLS – Candlelight and Silver Waltz (05:11)
9. JUDITH – Main Title Music (04:09)
Sol Kaplan
QB VII – Jerry Goldsmith
10. Main Title (02:02)
11. The Holocaust (02:52)
12. Visit to the Sheikh (02:14)
13. The Wailing Wall (03:15)
14. Kaddish for the Six Million (03:20)
SCHINDLER’S LIST – John Williams
15. Schindler’s List (04:18)
16. Remembrances (05:55)
CAST A GIANT SHADOW – Elmer Bernstein
17. Prelude (03:00)
18. Land of Hope (03:21)
EXODUS
19. Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra (06:56)
20. Concert Overture (04:28)
Total Duration: 02:12:48
Track listing for RCA LP for comparing
1. Theme from Exodus (02:23)
2. Summer in Cyprus (02:15)
3. Escape (01:19)
4. Ari (03:00)
5. Karen (02:00)
6. Valley of Jezreel (04:22)
7. Fight for Survival (01:28)
8. In Jerusalem (03:30)
9. The Brothers (01:08)
10. Conspiracy (03:00)
11. Prison Break (03:20)
12. Dawn (03:57)
13. Fight for Peace (01:22)
Total Duration: 00:33:04
You Must Remember This Too/Nestor
July 17, 2009
You Must Remember This Too is a second installment of film music for classical guitar performed by Gregg Nestor and other musicians depending on the composition, although the primary instrument is acoustic guitar. Gregg released The Miklos Rozsa Collection (BSX 8842) in 2008, which definitely got my attention and wet my appetite for more material. He performed Rozsa in a way I’ve never quite imagined. Many of his choices couldn’t be put into the standard fare category for a compilation of film music material and yet all of the selections are most satisfying, especially given the target market that Gregg is looking for.Leading off this unusual program is the wild wacky Oscar nominated It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a composition which always brings a smile to my face and this arrangement for two guitars is no different. One of the themes I just couldn’t imagine being done on a guitar (no more), is the Oscar nominated score All About Eve. The dynamic duo seems to cover all the bases on this one. Another Oscar nominee, Wuthering Heights, is given a lush romantic treatment and is definitely a track to be played during those quiet moments after a long day at work. Suite In The Olden Style is a collection of Rozsa compositions for guitar, flute, oboe, and cello in a baroque style. Rozsa fans will recognize the themes from his films Madame Bovary, Moonfleet, V.I.P.S., Diane, and Young Bess. Liken this suite to another composer, Korngold, who also used his themes in his classical works.
I can assure you that you’ll never hear anything again quite like the performance of the Psycho suite for 2 guitars. I took the time to listen to the Salonen/L.A. Philharmonic version
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2006/09/26/herrmann-the-film-scores/
Great Movie Themes 2/Compilation of Film Composers
May 27, 2009
Naxos has just introduced “Great Movie Themes 2” as the second installment from Carl Davis conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He makes available movie themes in easy listening arrangements, appealing to a wider listening audience at an affordable price. In terms of audience appeal film music compilations, in some respects, are a no win situation for the record producer. Silva, who I’ve given the title of “King of the Compilations,” is always recycling material under different titles. The latest compilation offered Batman material, some of which had been released under a previous Tim Burton movie compilation. They try to save money. How many will say “Been there, done that already.” Some will question including choices such as “Deerhunter,” “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” or two selections from “Superman” and omitting x, y, and z. Why are there 6 selections of John Williams’s material in the first two volumes and nothing from Thomas Newman? I’m glad that I don’t have the tough decisions to make as to what to include. One thing for sure is that the choices and styles of music are varied.
The “Pink Panther” is one of the more recognizable themes and Brian Gascoigne arranged it a little more on easy swing side as opposed to the raucous version Mancini arranged for concert orchestra. I’ve heard the Boston Pops perform this classic many times and it is quite the vibrant piece. The suite from “Mission Impossible” is nice as the 5 minutes consist of the two main themes from the highly successful television series intermixed as they are performed. Again, the arrangement by Mike Townend is more on the conservative side. The three choices of John William’s material from “Jurassic Park” and “Superman” are some of the more memorable themes John has written. I’m partial to the “Can You Read My Mind?” selection as I used to play this for my daughter daily for at least a year. If you enjoy schmaltz, the arrangements of “Love Story”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “English Patient”, and “Godfather” will be to your liking. They are arranged and performed to bring a tear to the dry eye. “Pirates of the Caribbean” is really lacking in the vibrancy necessary to truly capture this Klaus Badelt composition which is a loud rocking chanty.
The highlight for this reviewer was in the wonderful Christopher Palmer arrangement of the Stanley Myers Intro and Cavatina from “The Deerhunter.” The lonely distant trumpet, minor chords from the lower register strings, and then the beginning of that beautiful theme from the flutes and horns result in one of the prettiest themes ever written for the silver screen. The other interesting track of merit is the fine composition from Carl Davis for “The French Lieutenant’s Woman.” It’s not a great melody but the overall track is conveying the yearning love in a recital style. Well done!
For the casual listener to film music this CD would be a perfect addition to your collection. Nice conservative arrangements of classic melodies for the silver screen. The hard core collector would have to decide if “The Deerhunter” and French Lieutenant’s Woman” would warrant an $8.00 investment. Those two cues are awfully good but the rest is as I stated earlier “Been there, done that.”
Naxos CD# is 8.572111
Producer and Editor: Andrew Walton
Track Listing:
1.… Batman Theme (Elfman) 2:18
2.… The Pink Panther (Mancini) 3:54
3.… Mission Impossible Suite (Schifrin) 4:55
4.… Theme from Love Story (Lai) 4:35
5.… Theme from Jurassic Park (Williams) 5:40
6.… Romeo and Juliet (Rota) 3:40
7.… March From Superman (Williams) 4:18
8.… The English Patient (Yared) 5:41
9.… The Godfather (Rota) 4:00
10.. Love Theme from Superman (Williams) 5:06
11.. Pirates of the Caribbean (Badelt) 5:32
12.. Introduction and Cavatina from The Deerhunter 6:56
13.. The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Davis) 4:28
14.. Shakespeare in Love (Warbeck) 6:44
Total Time is 68:44
The Music Of Batman/Compilation of Film Composers
April 17, 2009
Silva to many of us is known as the label offering compilation albums on a potpourri of subjects ranging from composers, topics, actors, and types of films just to name some of the scenarios they’ve tackled over the years. The Music Of Batman spans over 40 years of television, animation, and movies the fanatical fan base has demanded. From the chart breaking TV theme with a single word batman for the lyrics repeated over and over, to the latest blockbuster Dark Knight, 9 different productions are included with music by Elfman, Goldenthal, Walker, Howard, Zimmer, Drake, Riddle, and Hefti, an impressive lineup of composers who’ve contributed to the never ending stories of the comic book hero.Danny Elfman who created in my opinion the best of the Batman themes is featured on the first 6 tracks to the 1989 Tim Burton film starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. This is the theme that goes through my head when I think of Batman and keep in mind I watched the television series when they weren’t reruns! On the very first play I got the goose bumps as they played the classic dark Herrmann influenced main title filled with eeriness, mystery, and excitement. The second thing that I really liked about the Elfman score were the references he made to other works such as ‘Mars’ from Planets by Gustav Holst. Listen to the beginning of “The Final Confrontation” and you’ll hear just a few notes from it. To me this is a nice touch! Listen to the “Finale” track and you’ll hear a little from the crescendo from Also Sprach Zarathustra from Richard Strauss. “Up the Cathedral” reveals a bar or two from the Waxman score to Bride of Frankenstein, along with the echoing horns from Aliens used by James Horner effectively. These and others are perfectly blended into the score with his own original material. Also included on the CD is the Wagner parody “Batterdamerung” from Goldenthal in Batman Forever, “Eptesicus,” a melding of Zimmer and Howard from Batman Begins, an excellent well played track from Fitzpatrick and the City of Prague Philharmonic, an orchestra that has certainly made some great strides in the last few years. In fact give an ‘A’ to the Prague ensemble for the tracks that they performed on. This is not the case as far as the London Music Works ensemble that performed the retro Batman material by Riddle and Hefti. There is a way to play the big band style of both Riddle and Hefti and what I heard wasn’t even close. As a reviewer I had to cringe and it was difficult to get through the last two tracks. Perhaps with practice they will learn to get the feel of the material. Having said that do not let that deter you from your purchase of this album.
As with all compilation material one could easily complain about how it is performed, arranged etc. This is not for the Batman fanatic. This is not for the individual who collects OST material. This is for the person who would enjoy listening to 45 minutes of Batman material, which has already been compiled and arranged in a very nice fashion excepting the retro material. I can honestly say that I look forward to hearing material from the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra as they have improved over time that much. Recommended.
Maintitles rating is ***½
CD# is SILCD1276
Produced by Rick Clark and James Fitzpatrick
Orchestrations by Steve Bartek, Dominic Nunns, Adam Saunders, Evan Jolly, and Matt Hohensee
Nic Raine and James Fitzpatrick conducted the Prague with Evan Jolly conducting the London Music Works.
Track listing:
1. Batman (02:56)*
2. Batman – Flowers & Love Theme (02:33)*
3. Batman – The Joker’s Poem & Clown Attack (01:30)*
4. Batman – Up the Cathedral (02:42)*
5. Batman – Waltz to the Death (00:59)*
6. Batman – The Final Confrontation & Finale (02:00)*
7. Batman Returns – End Titles (04:49)*
8. Batman Forever – Batterdamerung / Mouth to Mouth Nocturne (03:08)
9. Batman and Robin – Main Titles & Fanfare (01:50)
10. Batman Begins – Eptesicus (04:51)
11. The Dark Knight – Aggressive Expansion (04:35)
12. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm – The Birth of Batman / Main Title / The Promise (03:59)
13. Batman: Gotham Knight – End Credits (03:20)
14. Batman: The Movie – Main Title Theme (02:37)
15. Batman – TV Theme (02:20)
* Previously released on SILCD 1261
Total Duration: 00:44:09
Vintage Cinema/Kunzel and Cincinnati Pops
September 30, 2008
With over 10 million CD’s sold and climbing as I type the thought crossed my mind that these compilation albums must be popular or they wouldn’t keep putting them out. The appeal reaches far beyond the somewhat limited soundtrack collector market. While this group will likely look at film selections and yawn the general public, especially the older generation, will recall memories of Brando, Holden, Peck, Flynn, and others. Listening for the first time brought memories back of all of the classic films represented in this compilation. The changes in film music from 1933-1963, the period of time this Vintage Cinema CD covers were dramatic. Just compare Max Steiner’s King Kong with its Wagner influences to the Americana of Copland in The Red Pony to the strong jazz in A Street Car Named Desire from Alex North and a basic orchestration with the simple childlike melody of To Kill A Mockingbird from Elmer Bernstein. These were big changes! Improvisation certainly wasn’t a technique that Korngold used in his wonderful rousing Adventures of Robin Hood but Waxman certainly weaved it into a saxophone part for his A Place In The Sun. This is a melody that has been performed in many styles even further by jazz, dance, and lounge performers all over the world. This reviewer has even heard it in an elevator setting. Bernstein certainly followed and expanded upon the ideas of North and Waxman in his only encounter with Hollywood for the picture On The Waterfront. Shostakovich could only smile when he could hear the scherzo sound of his 11th Symphony from Waxman in “The Ride of the Cossacks” from Taras Bulba. Rozsa is certainly not forgotten with his Spellbound Concerto and classic symphonic El Cid. And no CD is complete without one selection from Bernard Herrmann and the choice of North by Northwest is an excellent one.
The orchestration/arrangements weren’t credited but as best as this reviewer can guess some of them came from the Christopher Palmer arranging that he did on the Gerhardt/National Philharmonic recordings. Others came from the composer themselves who would write a suite containing the themes from the film. These arrangements are ones you might have heard at a summer pops concert by your local symphony orchestra.
It should be noted that this 53+ minute recording was done in only one day not the norm that you usually see in the liner notes if you pay attention to those kind of details. John Waxman, the son of Franz Waxman, spent a lot of time on the project making it a reality. Recorded with 10 mikes using the DSD process (response of 0 to 100,000 and dynamic range of 120db) results in no distortion from the recording. The only flaws are from your amp and speakers! For soundtrack collectors it is recorded in a concert style setting with no tight miking techniques used in film scores.
For anyone that is relatively new to the world of golden score film music it is a wonderful introduction to Waxman, Rozsa, Korngold, and others. If you hear something you like you can purchase a complete score to a particular film. If you’re in a rut with only the newer sound of Zimmer, Powell, and others it will likely not appeal to you albeit you should give it an opportunity. The Telarc Website will have music clips, downloading (MP3 at 320k), and SACD version on its release date of October 28th. It will also be available through many CD outlets. Recommended!
Golden Scores Rating is ***½
Engineered by Robert Friedrich
Produced by Robert Woods
Telarc # is CD 80708
Track Listing:
1… King Kong (3:05)
2… Robin Hood (3:58)
3… Spellbound (7:16)
4… Red Pony (3:39)
5… Sunset Boulevard (4:36)
6… Streetcar Named Desire (6:06)
7… A Place In The Sun (4:56)
8… On The Waterfront (4:57)
9… North by Northwest (2:39)
10. El Cid (3:24)
11. To Kill A Mockingbird (3:01)
12. Taras Bulba (4:59)
Total Time is 53:13
Film Music of Thomas Newman/City of Prague Philharmonic
September 25, 2008
Can one say that they have arrived when there is a greatest hits recording by a third party? The answer is a resounding yes in the case of Thomas Newman. Seven of his Oscar nominated scores as well as his Emmy award-winning theme Six Feet Under are represented on this Silva release performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and London Music Works. James Fitzpatrick and Rick Clark selected (14) tracks Newman did for films between 1994-2006, the two decades that have brought him to the top of the A list in composers. Son of Alfred Newman, a (9) time Oscar winner, brother of David, film composer, and cousin to Randy Newman another Oscar winner, the family just keeps on producing wonderful scores.
Don’t expect to hear a lot of the quirky material that has become his trademark although “Dead Already” from American Beauty and the “Theme” from Six Feet Under are included which spotlights percussion, pizzicato strings, unusual instruments, and just plain weird sounds! The difficulty in duplicating this for a concert hall setting is going to be who is going to play them and where are you going to get the instruments. Couple this with the mixing in of separate tracks to the OST material and you’re never going to be able to do it. The emphasis of this CD is placed on the sweeping melodies, lush arranging, and just plain old fashion playing to bring a lump to your throat and a tear to your eye. Shawshank Redemption, Meet Joe Black, The Green Mile, and Cinderella Man are good examples of his classic concert works. While both Road to Perdition, and Finding Nemo could have had the quirky nature depending on the cue chosen, the road of conservatism prevailed and these tracks are also softer moments, more of the easy listening style. One of his latest works The Good German, a return to the music style of his father is nicely captured in two cues. Having said that the trained ear could still get a whiff of the Thomas trademark in the strings and harmony. Little Women, always a favorite of this reviewer, is not only included but features a Thomas Newman arrangement
Think of this release as a pleasant one-hour concert written by a composer who truly knows how to write a melody, one that you would be humming to yourself or out loud as you leave the theater. But it is extremely important to keep in mind that this is performed concert style, a nice way to listen to your music. An individual could easily pick apart each and every track on this recording. Oh, this four bar motif in the brass wasn’t included or the E flat clarinet is missing in Finding Nemo. As a serious reviewer I took the time to put together (4) of the selections with the OST followed by this Silva recording and found that while different the performance, orchestration and arranging were more than acceptable. To many of the hard core soundtrack listeners your own personal compilation CD is in order and this CD is not recommended. If you want a nice one hour listening experience this CD will fill the bill. If you are somewhat new to the world of Thomas Newman this is an excellent introduction. If you like what you hear there are numerous recordings available to explore. Recommended!!!
CD Mastering: Gareth Williams
Produced by James Fitzpatrick & Rick Clark
Conducted by James Fitzpatrick, Nic Raine, and Ken Alwyn
Arranged by Dan Head, Dominic Nunns, Evan Jolly, Rick Clark, Adam Klemens, Adam Saunders, and Thomas Newman
Main Titles Rating is ***½
Track listing
1. The Good German: Unrecht Oder Recht (02:32)
2. The Good German: Jedem das Seine (03:16)
3. Road to Perdition: Main Theme (03:52)
4. American Beauty: Plastic Bag Theme (02:51)
5. American Beauty: Dead Already (03:18)
6. The Horse Whisperer: End Title (03:37)
7. The Green Mile (04:00)
8. Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events: The Letter That Never Came (04:00)
9. Little Women (04:10)
10. Cinderella Man (05:31)
11. Finding Nemo: Finding Nemo / Nemo Egg (02:34)
12. Meet Joe Black: Whisper of a Thrill (06:16)
13. Six Feet Under: Theme (02:11)
14. The Shawshank Redemption: End Titles (03:51)
Total Duration: 00:51:59
Film Music of Lambert/Berners
May 28, 2008
Lambert and Berners with your crumpet? Lambert and Berners with your toast? These were the thoughts of this reviewer when I first heard the title of the latest Chandos Movies release (CHAN 10459). Who are these people? Upon further examination I saw the names of films Champagne Charlie, The Merchant Seaman, and The Halfway House. But then Anna Karenina and Nicholas Nickleby caught my eye which definitely required further examination. Neither composer being a household word I wondered why these two together? As it turns out according to the liner notes, they were best of friends and Lambert did the conducting for Berners and both were very close to Sir William Walton, Berners being a patron.
Lambert had a small output of classical material and two film works The Merchant Seaman and Anna Karenina. His early death at the age of 45 from pneumonia, complicated by untreated diabetes and alcoholism likely contributed to his small number of works. While The Merchant Seaman (1940) was a documentary film produced by the Crown Film Unit and likely never to be seen again, Constant Lambert extracted material to form a 14+ minute 5 movement suite which is quite a pleasant listen. The opening “Fanfare” opens with a short air from the trumpets followed by the swirling ocean as one can imagine the ship leaving port and going out to sea for a voyage. “Convoy in Fog” starts without pause and is every bit as eerie as cues written by Korngold for Sea Wolf, Steiner for King Kong, and Sainton for Moby Dick. It seques immediately into a dissonant cue depicting war in “Attack” and then again without pause the sea is calm, the birds chirp, and life is peaceful and tranquil in “Safe Convoy.” “March”, the final cue, restates the original theme bringing it all together, and the suite ends on a happy and joyous note. A word of caution if one wants a single cue for a ipod. There are no real breaks between movements: in fact the piece could have easily been recorded as a single track with notations as to the different depicted scenes from the suite.
Anna Karenina
, the tragic Leo Tolstoy novel has been done several times as a film with the first appearing in 1918 and the last in 1997. This 1948 British Korda production was directed by Julien Duvivier and starred Vivian Leigh and Ralph Richardson. The 10 movement suite, arranged by Philip Lane, is to date the most musical material available with over 30+ minutes. Prior to this recording Herrmann had included about 10 minutes of the soundtrack on his Great British Film Music recording from the 1970’s. The material has a unique sound consisting of film music, with a British style and a subtle but quite distinct Russian pastiche mixed throughout. Again the suite is quite pleasant to listen to.
Lord Berners contributes material to Champagne Charlie, Nicholas Nickleby, and The Halfway House. Put his style of music in the salon/light broadway category, nothing deep or thought provoking at all. There is a slight raucous nature to the song “Come on Algernon”, sung by soprano Mary Carewe from Champagne Charlie, but the overall material is quite subdued.
The Merchant Seaman
suite is must have for anyone who has a fondness for British film music done by Walton, Vaughan Williams, and others (this reviewer does) closelyvxcz followed by the unique style of the Anna Karenina soundtrack. The Berners material is for individuals who appreciate the light fluffy stage sound. All of the Chandos releases over the years have introduced many of us to material quite unique and special, many premiere recordings, and this Constant and Berners is no exception.
Golden Scores Rating is ***1/2
Chandos # is CHAN 10459
Produced and Engineered by Ralph Couzens
Track Listing:
1-5 Suite from “Merchant Seaman” (14:35)
6-15 Suite from “Anna Karenina” (30:19)
16 Come on Algernon from “Champagne Charlie” (3:08)
17 Polka from “Champagne Charlie” (2:34)
18 Suite from “Nicholas Nickleby” (10:23)
19-24 Suite from “The Halfway House” (18:09)
Total Time is 79:35
The Film Music of Phillip Lambro/Lambro
May 11, 2008
Robin Esterhammer of Perseverance Records has released his third and last CD of compositions of Phillip Lambro, a compilation of documentary material and Git his very first soundtrack. Extremely talented in the percussion area, Crypt of the Living Dead http://www.goldenscores.com/?a=reviews&id=22 is a masterpiece in what you can do. Phillip however, will forever be remembered for the rejected unreleased score to Chinatown which may never become available in legal release but apparently in the underground world of film music there are ways to obtain it.
While one might think Mineral King could have something to do with prospecting (this reviewer did), it actually has to do with Mineral King Valley. The film deals with a failed attempt of the U.S. Forest Service/Walt Disney to build a ski resort which might have resulted in destroying precious virgin enviroment. The film, narrated by Burgess Meredith, had an influence in persuading Congress to make the valley part of Sequoia National Park. The suite is made up of (7) unique tracks with “Mineral King & Trumpet Voluntary” a reprise of the previous 6. The last track is an exercise in percussion with the only the bass drum. The first six tracks consist of a lonely mournful trumpet solo, piano and flute, string ensemble, banjo picking, string ensemble, and harmonica. One does get the feeling of sadness in the end of an era in nature.
, written for the Catholic Family Theater, is even more solemn and somber in nature save for a short Irish piece in “The Lean Years/Arrival in Scranton.” Considering the material it was written for one should not be surprised at the overall religious nature of the piece. Celebration is the shortest of the works included at only 6+ minutes and frankly offers little other than a romantic Italian accordion piece. Done for the United States Information Agency the narration by Ben Gazzara had to be the highlight of the documentary! Not much longer in length than Celebration, Git was certainly a soundtrack to a film that had an extremely low budget, written when synthesizers weren’t around. It features a nice melody on a solo guitar in “Main Theme: No Drums, No Trumpets” repeated in “No Drums, No Trumpets/Interlude with flute carrying the melody along with underscore from strings and a small brass section.
, is by far the most interesting work on this (1000 unit) limited edition release and definitely worth the price of the CD.. It tells a persuasive story without having to see the documentary, something which could be a nature in futility if one attempted to run down a copy. The reprise track will definitely go on my play list! The other three selections are as dull as the films they were written for but perhaps you’ll hear something in the material that escaped me, even though I listened to them at least 10 times. Consider the other three selections bonus material and enjoy Mineral King.
Golden Scores Rating is **1/2
Produced by Lambro and Esterhammer
Recording Engineer is Ivan Fisher
CD# is PRD 021
1. Trumpet Voluntary & Westward Expansion (01:58)
2. Vanishing Wilderness (02:07)
3. Fowler’s Rush (01:32)
4. The Old Country Road (01:40)
5. The Early Era (00:35)
6. Miner’s Tune (00:38)
7. Mineral King & Trumpet Voluntary (03:46)
8. The Wilderness Death Knell (01:36)
tracks 1-8 from “MINERAL KING”
9. Main Title (00:45)
10. Pray Today! (01:38)
11. The Lean Years / Arrival In Scranton (02:15)
12. TB, Cure And Commitment To God (03:51)
13. The Rosary Crusade (01:23)
14. The 2nd Vatican Council (01:30)
15. The Immaculate Purpose (00:48)
16. End Title (02:27)
tracks 9-16 from ”FATHER PAT”
17. Main Title (00:58)
18. Distant Land (01:04)
19. San Gennaro Italian Celebration, Bleeker Street New York (02:18)
20. Statement & End Title (02:22)
tracks 17-20 from ”CELEBRATION”
21. Main Theme: No Drums, No Trumpets (02:06)
22. Rock Kills Snake / Boy Meets Girl? Dog Training Session (01:34)
23. No Drums, No Trumpets / Interlude (02:13)
24. Sage & Rock Fight (01:07)
25. Love Theme (01:19)
tracks 21-25 from ”GIT!”
Total Duration: 00:43:30
