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5.0 out of 5 stars
Four Rare Film Score Treasures, July 13, 2010
This review is from: Love From A Stranger (Audio CD)
This is a wonderful collection. Suites from four major film scores by four major British composers.
Because of her relatively small discography, pride of place must go to Elisabeth Lutyens' dramatic and dissonant score for the movie THE SKULL.This makes a very strong impression even deprived of the visual images to which it was originally attached. Her own brand of atonality mixes wonderfully with somewhat Bartokian sounds. Having seen the film, based on an absurd story by Robert Bloch about the fate over the years of people who have owned the skull of the Marquis De Sade, I can say that the music is highly effective and helps overcome many weaknesses in the film itself. If ever there was a score that suited a film, this is it. (Lutyens apparently was rather proud of this particular score.)
The Gerhard score for THIS SPORTING LIFE, its sophisticated atonality rather less suited to the gritty film to which it is attached, is still a fine piece of music.
The Britten and Bennett pieces, a bit less imaginative, are nonetheless attractive listening.
The performances and sound recording are superb.
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