Bernard Herrmann: Great Film Music

Bernard Herrmann (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 14, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000004265
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,142 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: Mountain Top And Sunrise

2. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: Prelude

3. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: The Grotto

4. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: Salt Slides

5. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: Atlantis

6. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: The Giant Chameleon And The Fight

7. Journey To The Center Of The Earth: The Shaft And Finale

8. The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad: Overture

9. The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad: The Duel With The Skeleton

10. The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad: Baghdad

11. The Day The Earth Stood Still: Outer Space

12. The Day The Earth Stood Still: Radar

13. The Day The Earth Stood Still: Gort

14. The Day The Earth Stood Still: The Robot

15. The Day The Earth Stood Still: Space Control

16. The Day The Earth Stood Still: Terror

17. The Day The Earth Stood Still: Farewell And Finale

18. Fahrenheit 451: Prelude

19. Fahrenheit 451: Fire Engine

20. Fahrenheit 451: The Bedroom

See all 35 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The other essential Herrmann CD, August 24, 2004

By 

Larry VanDeSande - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bernard Herrmann: Great Film Music (Audio CD)

I like to think of this CD as being the "Forbidden Planet" of film scores CDs -- technically marvelous, consistently enthralling on an emotional and mental level, and way ahead of its time.

Unfortunately it is not available as I write this. Last time I visited this Amazon site, there was one CD for sale for almost $60. You'll have to make up your own mind if this music is worth that much to you. I made my choice long ago to own this and keep it in my library, conceivably forever.

With five film scores, 35 tracks and 72 minutes of the most high grade science fiction music, this CD should be considered the definitive source for Bernard Herrmann's non-Hitchcock film scores. Not only did he conduct the National Philharmonic Orchestra in these recordings, the composer approved of the Phase 4 recording and mixing. It is, as the notes say, a unique listening experience.

I have found this CD to be a constant source of imagination, vision and scope in film music that still has no peer 30 years after its production. The opening sequence to "Journey To The Center of the Earth" is better than it ever was in the theater, where the music was a hackneyed backdrop to an incredilbe film. In this CD, the music dwarfs the film action.

My favorite sequence in this issue is Herrmann's work for the Ray Bradbury novella "Fahrenheit 451", which was recast in some minds recently when "Fahrenheit 911" appeared in theaters throughout the country.

Every bit of the miracle of that little film is projected through this eerily wonderful music, which seems to comprise a world of its own. The sections help recall Sontag's first trip on the fire engine, the bedroom fire and the finale.

The lengthiest tract on this disk is the near 27 minute set from the film "Gulliver's Travels". I've never seen the movie but will attest that the music is out of this world in a very British way. This section seems closer to following the musical rules for a suite than any other on this disk.

Decca had the good sense to return the Bernard Herrmann-conducted Hitchcock scores to circulation, so maybe they will do the same with this miraculous disk. Again, the notes are nothing to write home about, but even with that considered no lover of film music or the music of Bernard Herrmann can consider their library complete without this disk.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE absolute best EVER, June 29, 2008

By 

Stuart Paine (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bernard Herrmann: Great Film Music (Audio CD)

This Phase 4 Stereo recording is an expanded version of the 1974 LP, THE FANTASY FILM WORLD OF BERNARD HERRMANN. That LP had Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Fahrenheit 451. Gulliver's Travels (26 min.) had originally shared another LP with suites from Mysterious Island and Jason and the Argonauts.

I have owned this recording since 1974 and have listened to it dozens of times. I know of no other orchestral recording which sounds as good as this one does, combining an absolutely perfect recording technique with music of unparalleled brilliance and variety of color. When you hear the crescendo with the pipe organs in the Finale of Journey to the Center of the Earth, or the "dueling" percussion of Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, or the sweeping harps in "Flowers of Fire" and poignant strings in "The Road and Finale" of Fahrenheit 451, you'll agree. Herrman's several other LPs in the Phase 4 series were great, too, and I recommend those as well.

The Phase 4 sound is to my ears the absolute gold standard. That this stunning program was performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra can only recommend it, too. This is the very ensemble which also in the 1970s, led by Charles Gerhardt, recorded for RCA the next best sounding series of film music recordings ever done. This group knew how to project and display maximum color! If you ever see this CD, BERNARD HERRMANN GREAT FILM MUSIC, available, get it. (That goes for the LP, also, for those of you with a turntable.) You will never regret it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have for Hermann Fans, January 6, 2008

By 

Big Jake "Big Jake" (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bernard Herrmann: Great Film Music (Audio CD)

This collection of Bernard Hermann's sci-fi / fantasy film scores is simply a must - own for any fan of his music. All pieces conducted by Hermann himself. If you liked the movies, you'll love the scores. Missing from this disc, however, are selections from Mysterious Island. Hermann was a genius, and his genius was nowhere better displayed than in his decision to use an obsolete instrument, the serpent, to accompany the giant chameleon in Journey to the Center of the Earth.