Customer Reviews

Film Scores of Miklos Rozsa

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

 

 

This CD is the real deal, the authentic music from Rozsa's movie scores delivered by an unnamed orchestra with the composer at the helm. The first half is recorded in stereo and recorded in Los Angeles in 1962. The back half is in excellent mono and recorded in Europe in 1952.

While many listeners have heard the Roman marches from "Ben Hur" and "Quo Vadis" as well as the music from "Spellbound" by watching the films themselves, I would draw your attention to the outstanding music herein from "El Cid" and "The Red House", two movies I have never seen.

The three selections from "El Cid" -- Overture, Love Theme and the outstanding El Cid March -- comprise an organic entity boiling over in Spanish flavor. The four selections from "The Red House" -- Prelude, Screams In The Night, The Oxhead Woods and the very disturbing Retribution -- do even more to create an atmospheric thriller in good mono right there on your home or car stereo! The addition of a wobbly female voice in "Screams of the Night" section adds suspense and aura to this already highly effective thriller coming from your equipment.

I'd say this music has to be heard in its entirety to be believed. It eschews the common failings of film music and in effect creates a suite from each movie that rivals, even betters, well known classical music suites. These are impassioned, thrilling, highly fulfilling performances that must be considered authoritative given the leadership of the composer.

The one small drawback to this issue are the scanty two page notes about Rozsa and his role in Hollywood. Still, it is the music you want to hear and the music on this CD is glorious beyond glory. On the evidence of this issue, there is no question Rozsa ranks up there with Bernard Herrmann as the best writers for film in the 20th century.

When film lovers talk about classic film scores, they normally speak of Hermann, Waxman, Steiner, and a few others. It's too bad Rozsa's name is not mentioned more, because he was truly one of the greatest composers of film music. Rozsa was a master of creating excitement and tension in his scores, even if excitement and tension were lacking in the films themselves! I have never seen 'The Red House,' but I'd see it in a minute after hearing the soundtrack represented here. A nice look at a forgotten film great and his music.

The scores on this CD are beautiful and grand, matching the expanse of the movies they were ment to score. Written in the Golden Age of Film Scores which helped inspire modern film score composers such as John Williams.

If you've ever watched a movie with Charlton Heston in it, you've heard this music! Lovely stuff - they don't write scores like this anymore.

What lovely music Rozsa wrote. This CD could have been something special; however the performances are truly horrible. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.