THE GENIUS OF FILM MUSIC
London Philharmonic / John Mauceri
LPO 0086 (2 CDs) / ****1/2
This
is a live recording of a 2013 concert held at London's Royal Festival Hall of
concert arrangements by American conductor John Mauceri of film scores under
the banner “Hollywood Blockbusters 1960s to 1980s”.
There cannot be a more
familiar prelude than Alfred Newman's 24 second-long 20th Century
Fox Fanfare that opens the concert. Alex North's score for the
epic starring Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra, is turned into a 2-movement
symphony lasting some 26 minutes. Just as atmospheric is the Symphonic Portrait
of The Godfather from Nino Rota's iconic music, with the popular
melody Speak Softly Love skilfully stitched within a
Verdi-like backdrop of Sicilian nostalgia and shady New York underworld
dealings.
What
can be more recognisable than the slashing strings of Bernard Hermann's score
for Psycho, and the mounting tension faced by the anxious Janet Leigh in
the movie's opening? Mauceri's Narrative for string orchestra on the
Alfred Hitchcock movie encompasses it all. Particularly nostalgic for trekkies
will be Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek – The New
Enterprise with its iconic celestial strains.
Two short “encores” close
each disc, Franz Waxman's irrepressible Ride Of The Cossacks
from Taras Bulba and Maurice Jarre's heroic Lawrence Of
Arabia theme. The London Philharmonic performs with requisite passion.
Movies are never the same without the music, and that is where the genius
lies.
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