The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965 Film - 1997 Score Rerecording) [Soundtrack]

Alex North, Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 28, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 7, 1965
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B000009NSY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,237 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Agony and the Ecstasy (Main Title)

2. First Battle

3. Refuge and Genesis

4. The Sistine Chapel

5. Blind

6. Apostles Sketch

7. Painting

8. Festivity

9. To Battle

10. Defeat

11. Julius and End Title

12. The Agony and the Ecstasy (End Cast)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Acceptable Recording of Agony and the Ecstasy, March 1, 2002

By 

D. A Wend (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965 Film - 1997 Score Rerecording) (Audio CD)

I had the original soundtrack for The Agony and the Ecstasy on LP when it was first issued, and I loved the music very much. I had high hopes for Jerry Goldsmith's recording of the score, since I also regard him as among the best film composers. There is, however, something missing from the music: the fire and energy that Alex North, himself, brought to it. I am sorry to say that this recording did not come up to my expectations.

In particular, I found the orchestra balance is a bit off and sometimes the tempo seems slow. In "First Battle" the horns answer the calls of the trumpets and trombones weakly, as if they were moved off stage. I was accustomed to hearing a more full bloodied sound. Some of the tracks, notably "Blind" and "Painting", come off quite well.

Also, parts of the sound track were never recorded like the tavern scene where Michaelangelo comes to regard his initial work on the Sistine to be imperfect. Also, where is the overture? At barely over 40 minutes I think this disc could have given us more of the soundtrack and less empty space.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Big Shame That A Masterpiece Like This Is Ignored, December 27, 2000

By 

Robert Pollock (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965 Film - 1997 Score Rerecording) (Audio CD)

Alex North is probably the John Williams of his time besides Bernard Hermann. All of his works were great and his effort put into them was enormous. The Agony And The Ecstasy is one of his great scores besides that of Spartacus and Cleopatra and was nominated for best score. What sets it apart is the style. The style was based on the music of the movie's setting and the instruments used were very medieval and religious-sounding, obviously requiring Alex to do much research. The main title for the film sounds majestic and as beautiful as the painting on Sistine Chapel. The pope's theme is majestic and the music describing the chapel is epic and religious in quality. The battle scenes actually sound like what they would in their time, a unique treat to listen to. The only thing missing was the beautiful choral pieces in the film but they were done by someone else so I don't blame Varese. The liner notes were extremely helpful and the performance made me forget about the difference between the original and the rerecording. I very, very strongly recommend it. It is very unique, ambitious, and one of the best things I've ever heard since Star Wars A New Hope.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MUSIC LANDMARK OF 2004!!, May 24, 2009

By 

mike3255 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965 Film - 1997 Score Rerecording) (Audio CD)

A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

"...This is one of the landmark film music releases of 2004, arguably the finest. The score has been released on CD twice before - the original album on Cloud Nine Records, and a re-recording of some 40 minutes of North's score conducted by Goldsmith on Varese. This is undoubtedly the recording of choice however, combining Goldsmith and North's works for the first time, and adding some additional tracks as well. It's one of North's finest scores (and therefore one of the finest scores), demonstrating once more (as if such demonstration were needed) that his music has a timeless quality quite unlike any of his Golden Age peers. Sound quality of this album is acceptable rather than exceptional, but that doesn't detract from the sheer genius of the music. Simply magnificent..."

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