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I love the music on this album; many of the selections are not easy to find in the original or near original soundtrack arrangements. For movie classic music buffs, this is a great buy.
SPECTACULAR WORLD OF CLASSIC FILM SCORES is made up mostly of snippets from earlier Gerhardt RCA releases devoted to the works of Korngold, Steiner, Williams et al so it lacks the sense of character and purpose inherent in those recordings, but it's saved from being merely a recap advertisement for them by the inclusion of some fabulous additions near the end of its playlist. Of these (tracks 16-20), my favorite is the generous (10:35) and genuinely chilling suite from Tiomkin's THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD which this orchestra plays with such finesse, sensitivity and ferocity that I actually prefer it to the 27 minute original score recording released in 2005 by Film Score Monthly. I also particularly like the (at-the-time recently reconfigured) Overture to Rozsa's JULIUS CAESAR. Other reviewers have already mentioned the final track, the unusual Amfitheatrof "Dance of the Seven Veils" from SALOME.
The first five tracks are studio fanfares (TT - 1:20).
Tracks 6-15 are the selections borrowed from ten earlier albums in the Gerhardt series:
6. Star Wars Main Title from CLOSE ENCOUNTERS & STAR WARS (Williams) 7. Captain Blood Overture from THE SEA HAWK (music of Korngold - 1st album) 8. Love Scene and Finale from NOW, VOYAGER (music of Steiner) 9. Polka from GONE WITH THE WIND (Steiner) 10. Elizabeth's Theme from ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (music of Korngold - 2nd album) 11. The Caine Mutiny March (Steiner) from CASABLANCA, Classic Film Scores for Humphrey Bogart 12. Salammbo's Aria from CITIZEN KANE (music of Herrmann) 13. Scherzo (Knights of the Round Table) from SPELLBOUND (music of Rozsa) 14. Parachute Drop (Objective, Burma! - Waxman) from CAPTAIN BLOOD, Classic Film Scores for Errol Flynn 15. Prelude (The Guns of Navarone) from LOST HORIZON (music of Tiomkin)
There are no selections from the Newman album, CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE, or the Raksin album and other than Newman's Fox Fanfare, there is no music by either of those composers on this disc. Track 17, the Original Main Title from Peyton Place, although left off the original CD release of the Waxman album, SUNSET BOULEVARD, has been included on a re-release.
As the earlier reviewer stated, the sound quality on this disc is not of highest caliber; however, for anyone that is interested in music from Hollywood's "Golden Age", then this is the one. Legendary film composers Waxman, Newman, Korngold, Rozsa, Tiomkin, and "Johnny-come-lately" John Williams are well represented here with some of their most memorable movie accompaniments. Featuring the familiar opening fanfares of five of the major studios of the period, the disc offers music from most filmed genres, with the exception of the western and a comedy. Two exceptional "finds" for movie fans come at the end of the album. They are the 10:33 suite from "The Thing (from Another World") and "The Dance of the Seven Veils"(5:02) from "Salome". Both are rarely heard, outside of the occasional television viewings and a treat for the ears. Both illustrate the diversity of scoring from the fifties, the decade of the respective films' releases.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2007
100% grand, this is my description of this cd. I enjoyed every selection. The studio fanfares are outstanding. Selznick International's theme has a light air of sophistication. MGM's theme makes you stand tall with pride. I have heard this particular version on many of the older MGM movies. Universal's theme makes you think that a champion of some sort is on the way. Warner Brothers is like a forceful tide that mellows down with calmness. Twentieth Century Fox strikes up the band. Those composers of days gone by were brilliant men. The tunes on this cd are most certainly in the same category as classical music. Alfred Newman, Max Steiner,and all of the studio conductors were major parts of the Hollywood movie production scence. The Caine Mutiny is an all star movie. The theme song is one of favorite. I am happy to have this cd. I love classical music. Most of the selections in this collection can be considered classical music.
sometimes a collection doesn't do right by its parts. and even though this collection is made up of selections from the arguably finest cd collection of classic film music, this doesn't whet the appetite or heighten curiosity.
it does feature a couple of selctions that are difficult to find, such as 'dance of the seven veils' from 'salome'. but other than that, a real afficionado might be better off collecting each of the discs this wonderful music comes from and giving this as a stocking stuffer.
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