Charles Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic Orchestra

CHARLES GERHARDT’S ACCLAIMED CLASSIC FILM SCORES SERIES

REISSUED BY SONY MASTERWORKS

Seven Concluding Titles Available March 1, 2011

SONY MASTERWORKS proudly announces the reissue of Charles Gerhardt’s
acclaimed Classic Film Score series. In the 1970s, the Classic Film Scores
series introduced a new generation to the sumptuous sound of music in
Hollywood’s “Golden Age.” The following releases will be available March 1,
2011 on CD and through major digital service providers: Citizen Kane, Sunset
Boulevard, Elizabeth and Essex, Spellbound, Now, Voyager, Classic Film
Scores for Bette Davis and The Film Scores of David Raksin; the first six
titles were released in October 2010.

It is widely accepted that together with the 1977 film release of Star Wars,
Charles Gerhardt’s Classic Film Score series re-introduced moviegoers to
orchestral scores and helped usher the modern era of film music. Using the
original orchestrations, heard in rich stereo sound, Gerhardt and the
National Philharmonic Orchestra recreated the great moments from the
legendary scores of Hollywood’s most memorable films. Re-mastered for the
first time using the original analog masters and including the original LP
liner notes, the Classic Film Scores are once again available for both
collectors and a new generation of listeners.

In 1972 Gerhardt conducted the National Philharmonic Orchestra in the
recording of RCA’s first LP in the Classic Film Score series: The Sea Hawk,
featuring the music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The album, produced by
Erich’s son George Korngold, became an unexpected hit for the label,
receiving favorable reviews and even landed on the Billboard charts. Other
albums followed -- some highlighting an individual composer (Max Steiner,
Miklós Rózsa, Franz Waxman, Alfred Newman, Dimitri Tiomkin, Bernard
Herrmann), some focusing on a particular actor (Errol Flynn, Bette Davis,
Humphrey Bogart).

The late Charles Gerhardt began his career at RCA Records, transferring
78-rpm recordings to tape so they could be pressed as LPs. By the early
1960s he relocated to London to oversee RCA’s productions in England and to
produce records for Reader’s Digest. Because of the need for a large
orchestra to record these albums, Gerhardt and Sidney Sax formed a group
comprised of London’s top musicians in 1964. In 1970, the group
incorporated and became the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sony MASTERWORKS USA comprises the MASTERWORKS Broadway, MASTERWORKS,
MASTERWORKS Jazz, RCA Red Seal and Sony Classical imprints. For email
updates and information please visit www.SonyMasterworks.com
<http://www.sonymasterworks.com/>

Martijn wrote
I have yet to hear it confirmed that the remastered sound quality is indeed better.
Everybody is raving about how it *should* be (which would contribute to me (re)purchasing them, as these are VERY fine rerecordings), but precious few -if any!- actually seem to have heard them.

Martijn wrote
I have yet to hear it confirmed that the remastered sound quality is indeed better.
Everybody is raving about how it *should* be (which would contribute to me (re)purchasing them, as these are VERY fine rerecordings), but precious few -if any!- actually seem to have heard them.

sdtom wrote
There was a lot of complaining about this release on FSM.

Steven wrote
You haven't got long considering the date...

Unless that what you meant Erik.