Film Music: A Neglected Art Review Thread

The old Silva compilation?

A new batch of recordings arrived today from Naxos. I'm listening to Great Movie Themes 2. Carl Davis conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. A fairly typical Pops concert. However, they do perform one work from the conductor The French Lieutenant's Woman.
Thomas

Perhaps, that is the case.
Thomas

Very much so Martijn.

Nope! What 'theme toons' is on it Tom?

Thanks Alan. Except for Davis own 'Champions', Spiderman and Forest Gump, it's the usual grab-bag of movie themes.

Home stretch now on the Naxos movie music.
Thomas

Some will what? Some won't what?

I'd say that a majority of film music fans welcome compilations... especially if they offer superior performances and sound, unheard arrangements, and maybe include a few previously unreleased cues.

-Erik-

Very true.

Yay! You quoted. Good man.

Yeah, compis bore me usually, except if they're GOOD RE-RECORDINGS by different orchestras / maestros / ensembles.

Sorry Erik for the poor formulation!

My knowledge of sound engineering is weak to say the least, so my post must seem inconsiderate to those who are knowledgable about, and appreciative of those aspects of performance. But, I think compilations are generally performed by mediocre orchestras who are unable to compete with the elite classical institutions, hence they turn to other, less competitive areas in search of fame and success. Thats my impression anyway. The Prague Philharmonic and Cincinnatti Pops do hold a certain quality, but what I've heard is not nearly good enough to compete with any OST recordings.

First of all, I want to address the mediocre orchestra comment. Orchestras from mediocre to the finest have all re-recorded music... Orlando Pops to the London Symphony. One of the finest orchestras ever assembled (The National Philharmonic Orchestra) tackled the classic Gerhardt recordings and there are many, MANY performances on those albums that compete or completely obliterate the original soundtrack recording. And the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is still one fine orchestras that too can compete with the finest orchestras in the world and perform up to the standards of the seemingly untouchable Hollywood Studio Symphony and improve on the original tracks. "Escape From Venice" from Last Crusade and the "Suite" from Star Trek II come to mind.

I think I need to re-introduce you to my Top 10 re-recordings of all time post I made at the old scorereviews.com. This list includes complete scores and compilations. You might want to check them out. Also check out THIS THREAD AT FSM for more suggestions.

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- YO-YO MA PERFORMS THE MUSIC OF ENNIO MORRICONE (Ennio Morricone / Sony Classical / Ennio Morricone cond.) An absolutely brilliant album! Take the most popular cello player out there, re-arrange and re-orchestrate your music for solo cello performance and hear your music the way it has never been performed before. Familiar yet totally different! One of my favorite albums of all time!

- VERTIGO (Bernard Herrmann / Varese / Joel McNeely cond.) IMHO, the best re-recording of all time.

- IVANHOE (Miklos Rozsa / Intrada / Bruce Broughton cond.) This recording catapulted my interest of Rozsa into the stratosphere. Great sound, brilliant conducting and a wonderful performance.

- STAR WARS/CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (John Williams / RCA / Charles Gerhardt cond.) This album contains the best performance of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The 20 minute suite would be my all time favorite re-recording if it weren't for the Vertigo recording.

- THE STAR WARS TRILOGY (John Williams / Varese / Varujan Kojian cond.) The Star Wars trilogy concert versions have never sounded better and for a while two Return of the Jedi cues were recorded that weren't available anywhere else.

- MIKLOS ROZSA CONDUCTS HIS GREAT FILM MUSIC (Miklos Rozsa / Deutsche Gramophone / Miklos Rozsa cond.) Easily the best Rozsa compilation album! He conducts his own music including brilliant performances of Diane, The Thief of Baghdad and Tess... just to name a few. Too bad this is only available on LP but the sound quality is still stellar.

- THE GREAT FANTASY ADVENTURE ALBUM (Various Artists / Telarc / Erich Kunzel cond.) Another compilation but I don't think you'll find a better re-recorded film music compilation out there. This covers everything from the Golden Age; The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad to modern day scores; Jurassic Park and stuff you thought could never be re-recorded; The Terminator. Outstanding sound quality that tests the limits of your sound system, brilliant performances and dead on conducting.

- THE SEA HAWK (Erich Wolfgang Korngold / Marco Polo / William Stromberg cond.) This is the best recording from the Marco Polo/Morgan and Stromberg collaboration. We get the complete score, in brilliant stereo sound; performed by the fantastic Moscow Symphony Orchestra... what else could you possibly want?

- THE FILM SCORES (Bernard Herrmann / Sony Classical / Esa-Pekka Salonan cond.) A wonderful collection of Bernard Herrmann's best scores conducted by the master Esa-Pekka Salonan. There are two highlights - the suite from Psycho and the suite from The Taxi Driver. Wonderfully performed by the LA Philharmonic with fabulous sound quality.

- FRONTIERS (Jerry Goldsmith / Varese / Jerry Goldsmith cond.) A great compilation of Goldsmith's Sci-Fi music performed by The Royal Scottish National Orchestra. But the main reason I point out this album is for the brilliant performance of "The Enterprise" from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Rarely does a re-recording out do the original but in this instance Goldsmith has done this. The pacing, the performance, the sound quality... it all betters the original soundtrack recording. That splash of cymbals at the point when the Enterprise appears on screen has never sounded better or more powerful.

HONORABLE MENTION

THREE CHORAL SUITES (Miklos Rozsa / Telarc / Erich Kunzel) A labour of love for Erich Kunzel. Take three of the best choral film scores of all time, re-record highlights from each with The Cincinnati Pops and Mormon Tabernacle Choir, have it conducted by one of the best in the biz and what do you get... sheer bliss.

-Erik-