Customer Reviews

The Sea Hawk: The Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold

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All Gerhardt's film music recordings are worth finding. Once you've heard them, you'll treasure them and only wish he were alive and recording NOW when so many scores are being "reconstructed" and recorded complete.

It's just amazing how wonderful this particular recording of Korngold's music sounds today, 36 years after it's original release on LP. All the CD transfers of Gerhardt's film music recordings still hold up against anything recorded today, but only "The Sea Hawk" was actually re-mastered--and extended with music that had been recorded but left off the LP because of space/time constraints. (See my review of the William Stromberg "Sea Hawk" on Marco Polo/Naxos for a full explanation.) And only THIS edition of "The Sea Hawk" CD (RCA Victor 7890-2-RG) was NOT issued on CD using Dolby Surround! (NOTE: ONE of the two issues of "Sunset Boulevard: The Classic Film Scores of Franz Waxman" was also issued without Dolby Surround. It's RCD1-7017. It too was expanded to include music not on the LP.) The others in the series WERE issued that way, but even that mistake doesn't destroy the vitality, searing lyricism, exquisite orchestral playing and overall superiority of the Gerhardt series.

He was the first to give film music the respect and reverence it deserves; the first to bring this music front and center with that splendid series on RCA.

And he's still non pareil.

Errol Flynn and his English semi piratical buddies flay the Spanish from stem to stern and capture a ladies heart along the way! Great black and white classically photographed film of epic proportions, its gorgeous screen stuff not made anymore! Flynn was a handsome devil..and devil he is to the Spanish of 1588. Gotta love the fighting, the clipped english accents the blood and gore , God its just great. This musical treat and the movie are both fabulous to spend an evening with!

Those of you who are Flynn/Korngold fans should be aware that the earlier version of this outstanding CD contained the "Main Theme" of the first great Flynn/Korngold classic, Captain Blood. For some inexplicable reason, it has been left off this version and constitutes, in my opinion, a great loss for Flynn/Korngold fans. As the first Korngold work for a Flynn swashbuckler, it holds a special place for me and many other fans of the genre and its music. If you are like me and want the complete original work by Gharles Gerhardt and George Korngold (son of Erich), look further than this incomplete version!!

andre previn tried to top this (i think for dg) but his interpretation fell flat. gerhardt's super vitality suits korngold's inspiration perfectly. and remember-- korngold was a genius--hailed by gustav mahler as the greatest musical prodigy since mozart.

this is the best of his film music. i think the "robin hood" tracks on a companion disc are almost as good, but "the sea hawk' is the greatest film music ever written in hollywood and this is its greatest performance. it appears that a remastered version is about to be released (oct. 2010) and if so, that may be the one to get.

sure, max steiner's "gone with the wind" is the most famous theme from hollywood's golden age. but korngold's music easily takes the crown for wonderful melody and flowing emotion. late in their careers, max steiner and korngold were lunching at the warner bros commissary. steiner said to korngold, "korngold, lately your music is getting worse and mine better." korngold replied, "yes, steiner. that's because i am stealing from you and you are stealing from me."