Customer Reviews

Miklos Rozsa: Three Choral Suites [Hybrid SACD]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There seems to be some polarity among these reviews. I'd like to take a different point of view. Telarc started out life as an audiophile label just before the CD era. As such they were committed to top sound during a time when LPs had become shoddy. The Atlanta Firebird was used at conventions and in audio salons to show off how big a bass drum could be, for example.

In that context this recording is almost strange. To record the Tabernacle Choir separately from the Orchestra is just plain wrong. Listening to the SuperAudioCD version, the two organizations are obviously in different acoustical settings.

It is true that the Saint Saens Organ Symphony has been recorded with the organ separate from the orchestra. BUT the organ part in that work is compartively simple, chordal, and doesn't move around much -- synchronization isn't a big deal.

I know of no other recording that tries to put two very large organizations together miles and months apart. As noted it comes off pretty well (from a synchronization standpoint), but the choir is lost in an acoustic which swallows enuciation.

There aren't many "words" in these works. There's a lot of "Ah Ah" vocalizing (sometimes referred to as 'vapor singing'). The hebrew in Quo Vadis comes across nicely but it is acappella.

Bottom line: they should have either recorded it in Cincinnati with the May Festival Chorus or in Salt Lake with the Utah Symphony. Either town has acoustical settings equal to the project.

This could have been a wonderful recording. But the fact that Telarc has gotten away from its audiophile-quality roots is the culprit in this recording being less than it might have been.

What a wonderful tribute to such a great composer as Rozsa. I have listened to this compilation several times now and the sound sequencing and voicing is spectacular. What a wonderful team of having The Cinncinatti Pops and the 360 voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir together. There music and their performance is inspiring. If you like big movie music this is surly the one you want. This was the golden age of Hollywood.

I'm a film music nut, and Miklos Rozsa is by far my favorite composer. He's proven quite popular on CD, with many re-releases and re-recordings of both his film scores and his purely concert works. A release like Three Choral Suites can get lost among Rozsa recordings because most of this music has been recorded many times. However, this CD has much to offer the Rozsa fan or the casual listener.

This recording features the Mormon Tabernacle Choir united with the Cincinnati Pops and Mr. Kunzel. The choir adds a welcome dimension and breathes new life into such classics as King of Kings, where the original soundtrack recording suffered from distortion. In this reworking of Rozsa's music, one gets to hear the sheer power and beauty of the King of Kings score, and one can admire the craft that went into these influential film scores.

Speaking of craft, special kudos must be given to Mr. Kunzel for actually seeming to interpret these works, rather than perfomring a perfunctory or rushed reading as I have so often heard on Silva releases. Silva has released many re-recordings of rare film music, but I always get the feeling when listeining to them that the orchestra is almost sight reading the material and there doesn't seem to be a budget for retakes as often times mistakes are heard. Kunzel on the other hand, seems to have taken his time and has brought some fresh interpretations to this material. Sometimes this may fall flat, as in the rushed Rowing of the Galley Slaves from Ben-Hur (those slaves would have been dead from exhaustion long before the piece is over), but most times the fresh perspective works.

As a Rozsa fan, I really love the Quo Vadissuite. In fact Marcus and Lygia is for me the standout piece on the CD, bringing forth music that hasn't been heard apart from the film before, and which was buried way down in the mix of the film; a trait common to MGM. The piece has absolutely beautiful phrasing, and foreshadows Rozsa's techniques for his Ivanhoe score, which he would compose two years later. The Fertility Dance and Finale from Quo Vadis are also standouts.

Even Rozsa's most recorded score, Ben-Hur, has beautiful perfomances, and one gets the feeling that the choir and orchestra are performing with real passion.

The recroding itself is very clean, but a little subdued, with a small lack of presence. I feel as though I'm sitting too far back in a huge concert hall.

Aside from the couple of quibbles above, this is one of the best releases of Rozsa film music in a long time. If you are a Roza fan or someone who wants an introduction to his music, you can't go wrong with this CD.

Miklos Rozsa is one of Hollywood's best known composers. His training was in the classical repertoire, which is evident in his scores for films. While his heart was in the symphonic and choral worlds, most of his better known music was for film. Perhaps this is why his music fits so well to some of Hollywood's greatest epic films, and why arrangements of his music seem to be at home in large symphonic halls performed by the world's greatest orchestras.

Erich Kunzel, conducting the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform three musical suites of Rozsa's music in arrangements started by the composer. The three film scores that have been arranged in suite form are the three of MGM's greatest large scale works: BEN-HUR, QUO VADIS, and KING OF KINGS. Overall, Kunzel and the Pops do a magnificent job in this recording and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir does the job listeners have come to expect from this ensemble over the years. Kunzel, who was one of the collaborators that completed the arrangements begun by Rozsa, conveys his love and appreciation in his conducting. The arrangements also keep the spirit of the three films, and listening to these arrangements brings back scenes from these films which are examples of Hollywood at what may be its best, if not its grandest.

This recording of film music by Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops is different from his earlier recordings of Hollywood classics. The suites are arranged by composer and not the orchestra's arrangers. In this recording the music is very similar to what is heard in the films, and are not themes of the music in pop arrangements as is the case of the HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST HITS collections or the Disney collections which gives this collection more of a classical orientation rather than a pop style.

This collection of choral and nonchoral bleeding chunks from Miklos Rozsa film scores is tastefully performed with sensitivity from Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, which is the Cincinnati Symphony with some other players.

The performances comprise extended suites of music from the three films represented -- "Ben Hur", "Quo Vadis" and "King of Kings". The orchestra plays well throuhout and the spoken, sung and wordless choirs add aura to the music. There are no texts included, however, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir elocution is not always so superb that you know what they are singing...or in what language they are singing.

Where this recording is not distinguished is in its sound and in its comparison to the composer's own recorded scores. The sound on this CD, which is a hybrid Super Audio CD, is nothing special in traditional stereo. The sound picture is good with a wide spectrum but not especially brilliant or highly punctuated. It seemed homogenous to me in comparison to the composer's own recording of these scores.

In that recording, Rozsa and an unnamed orchestra outperform Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops in the pieces they both recorded, which include all the Roman marches such as the "Parade of the charioteers" from "Ben Hur". Rozsa's performances are more full throated with greater thrust and vigor than those led by Kunzel, who seems to take a more legato view of the goings on.

In summary, this recording presents a nice review of music from the three films but does not fare well against the composer's recordings, which may or may not be available but were still listed in the BMG inventory when I last looked (September 2005). So even though Kunzel and his group do nicely, I'd advise you listen to the composer's recording to get a better overall idea of the way this music should be performed.

This must be heard from a properly set up system in the multi-channel SACD format. Will knock you socks off with the dynamic sweep of this great film score music. The Mormon Tabernacle choir was recorded elsewhere and combinded with the orchestra later, but you will not notice it. From whisper soft passages to full thoated chorale engagement, this music is a must and a wonderful demo of how SACD will kill off flat CD recordings!

I love good film music. I admire Rozsa... In fact, I find the idea of this release a great one. What I find unacceptable is the sound. That TELARC, who used to record Kunzel (and film music) with blokcbuster sound, can fall into such dullness, is almost incredible. So, in spite of all the logos, microphones, speakers and cables listed, the sound is a muddle, blended, narrow and without punch. The consonants, by the Choir, are almost uninteligible.
If you want real blockbuster sound (as scores such as these deserve) try those original Deccas, or Silva America, Varese-Sarabande, NAXOS... or old Telarc! They still know better.

Miklos Rozsa is one of Hollywood's best known composers. His training was in the classical repertoire, which is evident in his scores for films. While his heart was in the symphonic and choral worlds, most of his better known music was for film. Perhaps this is why his music fits so well to some of Hollywood's greatest epic films, and why arrangements of his music seem to be at home in large symphonic halls performed by the world's greatest orchestras.

Erich Kunzel, conducting the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform three musical suites of Rozsa's music in arrangements started by the composer. The three film scores that have been arranged in suite form are the three of MGM's greatest large scale works: BEN-HUR, QUO VADIS, and KING OF KINGS. Overall, Kunzel and the Pops do a magnificent job in this recording and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir does the job listeners have come to expect from this ensemble over the years. Kunzel, who was one of the collaborators that completed the arrangements begun by Rozsa, conveys his love and appreciation in his conducting. The arrangements also keep the spirit of the three films, and listening to these arrangements brings back scenes from these films which are examples of Hollywood at what may be its best, if not its grandest.

This recording of film music by Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops is different from his earlier recordings of Hollywood classics. The suites are arranged by composer and not the orchestra's arrangers. In this recording the music is very similar to what is heard in the films, and are not themes of the music in pop arrangements as is the case of the HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST HITS collections or the Disney collections which gives this collection more of a classical orientation rather than a pop style.

A Rozsa fan when younger, I recently sought out his music and found this recording by Eric Kunzel and the Pops. I can't say I am unhappy with it, but something about it did not match my memories from childhood. More recently, I searched Amazon for the actual recording I listened to as a kid. I found "Miklos Rosza Conducts His Epic Film Scores." This was the real deal. The Rozsa recording covers roughly the same range of scores covered by this Kunzel recording, but the performances are quite different. Eric Kunzel and the Pops have produced a smoother performance, but one that lacks the raw excitement of the original. I am surprised by just how much more exciting the music sounds under Rozsa's baton. I encourage any interested in this recording to check out the Rosza recording first. Amazon provides samples for both. You may be surprised at how different it sounds. For some, the Rozsa may sound too raw. But if you like music that raises the hair on your arms, the Rosza recording may be for you.

Good job Mr. Kunzel!!! Finally a wonderful cd with two of my favorite movies of all times, Ben Hur and Quo Vadis. I have a suggestion Mr. Kunzel. You should record all the music of Quo Vadis in one cd. Congratulations!!!!