Customer Reviews

Alfred Hitchcock: Family Plot / Strangers On A Train / Suspicion / Notorious (Film Score Re-recordings)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although less complete than other compilations this anthology's marit is to remind the general public that Hitch worked with many great composers (Hugo Friedhofer, Miklos Rozsa, Dimitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman and John Williams) through his carrer, a fact usually overlooked because of his remarkable partnership with Bernard Herrmann ("The Trouble with Harry", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "The Wrong Man", "Vertigo", "North by Northwest", "Psycho", "The Birds" and "Marnie"). What really makes this CD special, however, is the only available recording of "Family Plot"s main title, composed by John Williams, making it a "de rigueur" acquisition for Hitchcock and Williams fans.

I had already a selection of Hitchcock movs main themes when I bought this cd. Yet, I wasn't satisfied cause it didn't contain a lot of music of Suspicion, Strangers On A Train and nothing from Notorius. So I had to buy this one cause I loved the music in that films.
This cd contains a lot of mysterious music for Bruno and romantic tones for Guy in Strangers On A Train.. Suspicion also contains a lot of music for Lina and Johny scenes. I specially like the "Too Fast" part. Notorius has a bit less music, yet it contains some fine variations of the main theme.
Of course the cd has its faults, for instance there's only the end credits theme for Family Plot and, as somebody said, there's a great deal of John Williams music in the film.
Yet, as whole the cd deserves a definitive 5 stars rating, cause of its rare music that will please any Hitch film music nuts, like me.

Fans of "Sir Alfred" fondly recall his collaborations with Bernard Herrmann on several of his biggest financial and critical successes. But, there were many other instances where films directed by "Hitch" benefited by scores from other equally masterful musicians as Herrmann. This album presents four "snippets" from other masterpieces from the master of suspense.

The true jewel is the shortest selection presented here: music from "Family Plot" by John Williams. This is a wonderfully playful score that deserves the full treatment. Hopefully, Varese will take note and do a job on this one like they did for Goldsmith's "Omen" trilogy.

That's "Before Herrmann" and "After Herrmann", of course.

To film scores aficionados today, Hitchcock's name is inextricably linked to that of the great Bernard Herrmann, as well it should be.

It is now known the great director had much admired Herrmann's work from his earliest years in Hollywood, actually attempting, unsuccessfully, to hire him early on. But, admire Herrmann though he did, it would be nearly 15 years and an amazing 17 films before Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann would collaborate for the first time.

Three of the scores hear are from that period, the 40s and early 50s, a glorious age, by anyone's measure, in Hitchcock's career.

Hitchcock always understood the importance of music in his films and sought out the best composers available. As demonstrated here, he often got them. The scores for "Notorious", "Stranger on a Train" and "Suspicion" are classics of the genre.

The final score represented here, oddly placed first on the disc, is the too-brief "End Credits" music from "Family Plot", Hitchcock's last film, by John Williams.

More of all these scores would be in order, and I have to believe the original tracks from "Family Plot" must be stored away somewhere at Universal. Why they have never been released is beyond me, except to say that, of course, we're talking about Universal. If they can't make a ride out of it for one of there theme parks, well, forget it.

Find this CD if you can. It's beautifully played, conducted and recorded.

And it was obviously lovingly produced by the late George Korngold, who, besides being a successful record producer, was, of course, the son of yet another legendary composer. Hmmmm. If only he had worked with Hitch.........!

There doesn't need to be music from Bernard Herrmann all the time there's a cd that has music from Hitchcock films. This cd was made to show that Hitchcock had worked with some of the world's finest composers. I think that on track 1 and 4 that there should've have been more music. Family Plot had lots of good music that should've been performed. Well it doesn't make any difference. This cd is one of the best adaptions of Hitchcock film scores.

Although this is an older CD (released in 1985), it still is a marvelous collection of Hitchcock film themes. The CD contains collaborations with composers Hitchcock used after his break-up with Bernard Herrmann. The music is elegant and highly polished. It is a full digital recording and a must for Hitchcock fans.