Customer Reviews

Cinema Choral Classics

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This review refers to the "Cinema Choral Classic" CD.....

There is some music you like to listen to while working or driving, some for romantic dinners, some for the fun of it or to get your blood pumping. "Cinema Choral Classics" you just want to listen to, enjoy for the pleasure of it and let it just wash over you. It's dramtic, mesmerizing, and just beautiful.

The Crouch End Festival Chorus conducted by David Temple and the City of Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Nic Raine will take you through decades of wonderful cinematic moments and transcend the ages in this terrific compilation of choral classics written for the screen. It is not neccessary though to be a film buff or to have seen all these films to fully appreciate this CD.

Opening with a bang is the very dramatic "O Fortuna"(Carl Orff) from "Carmina Burana" and "Excalibur",and you will immediatley be caught up. At times you will feel like you are in some sacred place and a band of angels is singing to you, "Prelude & Birth of Christ" (Maurice Jarre) from "Jesus of Nazareth" and "Agnus Dei" based on Adiago for Strings(Samuel Baraber) from the "Scarlett Letter". You can feel the heat of battle in such songs as "Never Surrender"(Jerry Goldsmith) from "First Knight".The wonderful theme music from "The Abyss"(Alan Silvestri) will evoke goose-bumps and you'll feel the flavor of the various regions and time eras the various stories took place.

The tracks range in time from just under 3 minutes to a very beautiful 11:53 of "Suite from THE OMEN"(Jerry Goldsmith). You'll also be treated to "Ave Maria:Guarini" from "The Mission"(Ennio Morricone) and "Suite from THE LION IN WINTER"(John Barry). There are 14 tracks in all for a total time of 71:33. Well over an hour of pure listening pleasure.(see buying info for a complete list of tracks, where you can also listen to some sample).

The CD is an excellent value. The Dolby Surround sound is outstanding.The orchestration, every intstument, every voice, crystal clear. You will not be able to get enough of this moving music(and luckily there is a "Cinema Choral Classics 2")

I highly recommend this to lovers of choral classics and classic cinema moments.....enjoy...Laurie

If someone had to release "CINEMA CHORAL CLASSICS"...why not the CROUCH END FESTIVAL CHORUS and their leader DAVID TEMPLE(Choir Master), now that's just the icing on the cake...for additional listening pleasure THE CITY OF PRAGUE PHILHARMONIC with the classical favorite "CARMINA BURANA"(1981-Carl Orff), the dark tale of Camelot...now that's just for openers.

Silva Screen Records takes us on a journey of adventure "CONAN:THE BARBARIAN"(1981-Basil Poledouris), with Arnold Schwarzenegger and resounding singers with brilliant orchestration...then we have two selections from "THE MISSION"(1986-Enno Morricone), beautiful choir blends emotion, enhanced by haunting themes and counter melodies..."THE LION IN WINTER"(1988-John Barry), a favorite among Barry fans, this arrangement and rendition has it all...next we travel with helmet in hand(with horns included) "THE VIKINGS"(1959-Mario Nascimbene), if it's action you crave, then this Kirk Douglas epic is a real winner, but Nascimbene's score adds color and breaths life into this tale of the Viking God "Odin"...another remake leaps to the screen with "HENRY V"(1989-Patrick Doyle), one can only marvel at Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare film, but the music from a solo to full choir gives you goose bumps, gotta love it.

Hats off to Kenneth Alwyn, Paul Bateman and Nic Raine conducting the world renown CITY OF PRAGUE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA...plus James Fitzpatrick(album producer)...Reynold da silva(executive producer)...and a special thanks to David Temple(Choir Master) and our favorite-dynamic choir that made all this possible ~ CROUCH END FESTIVAL CHORUS!

Total Time: 71:33 on 14 Tracks ~ Silva Screen Records SILKD-6015 ~ (1997)

This is an excellent CD for anyone enjoying powerful cinema themes and music. The Prague orchestra is excellent and the choral backup adds majesty and power to the overall outcome. A great buy for those who enjoy excellent cinema music.

...to LOVE this album. I think I bought it for the Excalibur theme, but I ended up loving the whole thing. I will buy more albums like this now. In fact I lost my copy of this and I have to replace it, so I may as well get another, too. I'm so glad Amazon has such a wide and deep range of music to offer.

This Cd had huge potential, but the Prague slaughtered it. This Cd is good for people who have not heard the original pieces. If you want true music, and power, listen to the original pieces, not re-recorded so so's. For instance, on Riders Of Doom, different lyrics, not as powerful notes, musicians played wrong instruments, at the wrong time, to loud when other ones should have been louder to enhance the power effect. An O.k. CD, but not original pieces. If they would have put the original Pieces on here, then we are talking a ten star cd here, but they didn't, so it is a three.

Others are coming down on this album because theindividual tracks aren't as good as they have been. Don't worry about that. Take the album as a whole. It is a very powerful and insightful album. I suggest this album to anyone interested in broadening their classical interests as there is more than one composer on this disc so one gets a taste of a few. It's in my changer right now.