Customer Reviews

The Battle of the Bulge [Original Score]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The original score to the 1965 movie THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE is very difficult to find. The current release is about as close as you are currently going to get to the original film music. This version was recorded by the Queensland Symphony in Australia in the late 1990's and mastered as a CD in Germany. The original soundtrack was first released as a double album and later pared down to a single album. Until the mid 1980's, the original soundtrack was available only as a Warner Brothers Japanese import. The problem was that it was missing half of the movie music. The current CD solves this and includes all of the tracks in their entirety in chronological order of the movie. The music was produced to sound very close to the arrangement on the movie soundtrack, though a avid fan of the film will be able to detect subtle differences. Liberties were taken with the arrangement of PANZERLEID to make it sound more like an Oktoberfest song, but overall it is similar to the movie original.

Likewise some of the arrangements do sound as if someone attempted to improve upon the original, but overall the recordings are almost identical. Even the CD cover bears a lobbycard image from the movie. The quality of the recording is superb. Until the original movie soundtrack surfaces again, this CD is a fitting replacement.

Frankel's music for The Battle of the Bulge has always impressed me, even when I was much younger (back in the 1970s I even paid the then-outrageous price of $20 to get a copy of the original soundtrack on LP--the only film music for which I would have attempted such financial lunacy).

There is no doubt that the rousing Panzerlied is, as one reviewed called it, the "guilty pleasure" of the movie (and the one melody not written by Frankel), but the music goes much deeper and wider. In particular, the Prelude, with its setting of Panzerlied leading to the Victory Theme is a striking work; the Prelude is recapitulated in part by the final movement, "The Panzermen abandon their tanks: Victory and Postlude." Those familar with Shostokovich's Fifth Symphony can hear the direct influence of the closing of that symphony on the Victory Theme, but that in no way diminishes the emotive power of Frankel's work. I have often imagined that the final movement, in the hands of a gifted arranger, could be expanded a little and turned into a most fitting tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the Second World War, so compelling are its musical ideas (the all-too-brief transition from the panzerlied theme to the Victory Theme is especially moving).

The Queensland Symphony plays this music with verve, though there are a few points at which the music is so "busy," it seems the snare drum is following one beat and the members of the orchestra another. Still, the Orchestra is to be commended for a fine performance, made all the more remarkable given the inherent contradictions: Australia was not a part of the Battle of the Bulge, and the tropical heat of Brisbane is a long way from the Ardennes during what was the coldest winter of the century.

Some film music--some very fine film music--falls apart when removed from the movie for which it was written. Frankel's work absolutely informs the film (take, for instance, the scene where Colonel Hessler inspects his new tanks, or when we first see the Allied headquarters in Ambleve), but also stands on its own two feet. Elegiac, marshal, emotionally touching and...dare I say it...even rising at moments to greatness, this music deserves a wider audience. Perhaps someone will arrange a suite drawing on this music so that it may be incoporated more broadly into the orchestral canon, where it could then be enjoyed (and it WOULD be enjoyed) by audiences far and wide.

Many folks interested in buying this will want to hear the panzer troopers sing the Panzerleid song. They will be disappointed. That portion of the Score isn't here. Instead, the composer re-recorded another version- one apparently (according to notes) designed to mock this song. It is fast, lighthearted and doesn't sound a bit like the one in the Film.

A Score really should be accurate, true to the film (Soundtracks, otoh aren't always so accurate). However, the rest of the titles are accurate and in many cases rousing good music. So, as long as you know that the panzer song is going to be different, and you're fine with that- then this is a good choice.

LATER OF MANY YEARS, WE CAN FIND THIS RARE SOUNDTRACK OF THE MOVIE "THE BATTLE OF BULGE", ABOUT THE LAST GERMAN COUNTRE-OFFENSIVE IN THE WEST SIDE. WE CAN LISTEN THE FAMOUS AND EXITING "PANZER-LIED", TANK'S UNIT MARCH.

Benjamin Frankel's score to Battle of the Bulge is well represented here. The audio quality is excellent and stands very well on its own. Frankel's liberal use of Panzerlied as the German theme was very appropriate and sounds great. The singing version of Panzerlied also sounds great too. The best part of this soundtrack is that encompasses the majority of the film's music. In fact Track 11 is actually improperly titled for it is NOT the Armament Train but in fact the music played during Intermission of the movie. So if you enjoyed the movie you will definitely enjoy this fine soundtrack produced by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Werner Andreas Albert.

I am heartened to see several of my all-time favorite movie scores recieving the treatment of re-recording and enhancing as has been done here with Battle of the Bulge. Several of these classic scores are from "classic", often "Epic", productions from the days of Roadshow engagements like this Cinerama example of the 1960's. Their original two-hour plus length prevented more than the primary themes and selections being represented on the typical 45 minute LP vinyl pressing, certainly far from a complete "soundtrack" despite the overuse of that term by marketers.

The version presented here allows for a truly complete representation of all the music included in the film, and as the liner notes point out, many are truly audible for the first time, even including their use in the film itself. These include low-register background themes that were largely obscured by dialog, battle noises, or simply recording at a too-low volume. Of course, nothing's "perfect", and the comments here about "Panzerlied" are true, but this is a VERY minor and greatly exaggerated problem. It amounts to the difference between the foot-stamping in the original recording being replaced with a slightly less hostile and menacing hand-clapping in this version. My real complaint with the use of the song lies with the decision ( in BOTH versions ) to inanely repeat the same verse three times rather than use any of the rest of this stirring lieder.

Battle of the Bulge is another welcome addition to the other "classic" scores that have recieved similar treatment, including Last of the Mohicans The Last of the Mohicans (1992 Film) [Motion Picture Score] and very recently ( 2010 ) Dimitri Tiomkin's full score for John Wayne's The Alamo. The Alamo: World Premiere Recording of the Complete Film Score These "enhanced" re-recordings allow the listener to revisit moments of their past and the truly classic films and scores we remember so fondly in their complete and original versions.

This soundtrack is exactly what you expect it to be. The quality of the music, the instrumental quality, and technical reproduction is excellent. The music is of course very subjective and depends on your personal tastes, but no one will question the absolutely excellent sound quality of this DVD. It is a great addition to my collection of movie soundtracks.

Benjamin Frankel's score for THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE was one of the best things about that movie. This CD sounds great. The cover artwork is fantastic. So glad it was issued.

I purchased this for my Mother, who is a big fan of the movie of the same name. From what I understand, this CD only came about recently and was previously only available on vinyl. It has all of the memorable music from the movie and an informative booklet which tells at what point in the movie each track is from.

If you're a fan of "Battle of the Bulge" or WWII movies, this would be a worthwhile addition to your collection.