The Thorn Birds [Original Television Soundtrack] [Soundtrack]

Henry Mancini (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B0001Z53K6
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,639 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Main Title - Henry Mancini

2. Go! - Henry Mancini

3. Drogheda

4. Young Meggie

5. Ralph, Meggie and Mary

6. Stuie Grows Up

7. Paddy and Fiona

8. Passion Play

9. The Story of the Thorn Birds

10. Meggie Grows Up

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Meggie Leaves Drogheda

2. Arrival at Queensland

3. Beginning of the End

4. Welcome to Himmelhock

5. New Kid In Town

6. Matlock Island

7. Beach Walk

8. Forbidden Love

9. Ralph and Meggie

10. Paradise Lost

See all 42 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The 10th anniversary of American film and television scoring titan Henry Mancini's passing was marked by the US Postal Service issuing a commemorative stamp in conjunction with a gala tribute concert hosted by Julie Andrews and astronaut-senator John Glenn. But for Mancini buffs, this previously unreleased double-disc soundtrack for the massively successful 1983 ABC-TV miniseries (second in viewership only to Roots) will seem a more gratifying tribute to the American pop music icon's enduring legacy. Novelist Colleen McCullough's grand soap opera about a priest caught up in a forbidden Australian outback-rooted romance eventually sprawls over five decades and half the globe, but Mancini skillfully keeps its emotional core focused via some of the most subtly romantic and elegantly understated writing of his career. His sublime melodic gifts yield the memorable Drogheda and Maggie themes, the former's portrayal of the vast Australian wilderness ingeniously carried at first by but a lone dulcimer, while the latter perfectly underpins the story's budding romance with tinges of bittersweet melancholy. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Soundtrack... with missing music instruments, October 19, 2004

By 

Remi-bertin Theriault "Ykarus" (New-Brunswick, CANADA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thorn Birds [Original Television Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

FINALLY, a soundtrack is released!!!! How extraordinary!

YES YES YES YES, I agree with most of the critics written here, the quality of this soundtrack is exceptionnal. They did a fantastic job remastering the music score, and the stereo effect is astonishing (you must listen to the soundtrack with your headphones at least once, it's worth it, you will really get the dept of the sound).

And... after having discussed with a few people, I came to the conclusion that back in 1983, Mancini decided to record the soundtrack not with an orchestra, all at once, as usual. Nope, for the Thorn Birds, it seems he recorded the instrument groups individually, on different tracks, and he mixed them afterwards. Maybe he wanted to get the best out of every musicians? Personnaly, that's perfection. You may have noticed there is no orchestra mentionned on the CD...

The sad thing is that it seems the people who remastered the original soundtrack for the CD ommited (or lost?) some instruments during the final mix. The dulcimer that was suppose to play the main title theme of the very first track is indeed missing (yes yes it IS missing, i compared it to the opening credits from the DVDs), and the guitar seemed to have been filtered through something, it's not as clear as the original (as if they "cleaned" it too much!). Also, they ommited the dulcimer in the track "Drogheda" (track 3), where it was supposed to start the score, for the first 15 seconds (on the CD you only get the background music, guitar and harp). And... I've also noticed on the track 'Vacation's End', compared to the original score on the miniserie, there was suppose to be an electronic harpischord taking over the violins at 1 min 52 sec for a line or two. It's missing...

It's too bad... but hey... what can we do. Besides these little mistakes, I believe this music is still one of the greatest score I ever heard.

Besides, I would have like to get a few more scores : the piano when Ralph sees Meggy for the first time at the train station, or when he sees Meggy slowly coming down the stairs at Mary's birthday party... a few scores are missing from the CD... maybe they could give us a 'bonus' CD with new scores and the ones that were not mix proprely on this soundtrack CD set? That would be fantastic. Just a thought...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE DULCIMER !!!!!, March 13, 2007

By 

I. de O. Castro "yourgift" (Brasília - Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thorn Birds [Original Television Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

PEOPLE:

The DULCIMER is not here but it is on other cd which is accompanying a book. You can buy here on AMAZON. The book with the 16-track cd calls:

"CASE HISTORY OF A FILM SCORE - BY HENRY MANCINI - EDITED BY ROY PHILLIPPE.
WARNER"
IT SAYS: "the book and cd are specially rewarding for Thorn Birds fans who spent $25 on Varese Sarabande's 2-CD soundtrack only to discover that the dulcimer- the central instrument of the score - was inexplicably missing from the main-title track and that the extensive liner notes barely discuss the score (and don't include a single quote from the composer about his music, despite the fact that a little resarch would have turned up three extensive interviews that Mancini gave about the music of The thorn birds). Both of these omissions are rectified by the book and accompanying CD. The main title is intact, complete with dulcimer overlay, and Mancini's discussion of the project is so thorough that all of our questions about this remarkable score are answered at last."

Plus the Dulcimer the book "Case History of a film score" has more: the piano when Ralph sees Meggy slowly coming down the stairs at Mary's birthday party... . This music is missing from the Varese cd, but it is here on this extra cd - Case History. It's wonderful!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not complete but still great, March 25, 2006

By 

L. Kleinfeldt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thorn Birds [Original Television Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

It's clear something is 'wierd' about Track 1 on Disc 1. It almost sounds like part of the track is playng in the background when the volume should be turned up! But still, I'm thrilled that this is finally available. Totally thrilled. It's such a beautiful score. In life and especially in music I find we rarely get 100% when trying to find what we hear on a tv show (try being an x-files Mark Snow music fan) or a movie. But I'm sooooo glad to have whatever I can get. Plain and simple. It's a shame that something is 'off' about certain tracks but again, I'll take it. Beautiful stuff.