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Posted: |
Feb 14, 2013 - 6:15 PM
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By: |
Merkel
(Member)
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Can't agree about the "dances" -- by which term I think you mean all the incidental source music. These pieces (some never heard before) form a fascinating cornucopia of antiquarian exotica that I could not do without. If I were making a condensed version, I think I would trim some instances of the Lygia theme. It's one of Rozsa's most beautiful melodies, which is saying a lot. And the theme is subject to interesting variation over the course of the whole. But there's just too much of it for one listening session. I feel the same way about the Tadlow EL CID and the love theme of that score. This is not a criticism of the modern recordings; they were designed to document the entire scores. Nor is it a criticism of MR's originals. In the films there are large swaths of dialogue and action between recurrences of these themes. But in some listening contexts, less may be more.
My thoughts exactly (gee, we don't often agree, John). When I made up my vase display (see above), the Lygia theme is one of those cuttings that got trimmed. It IS a great melody, but as with Rozsa's other epic scores I feel these themes become more interesting the further we get into the film, when he begins to expand and develop them. Their first statement is usually rather plain and simple, which is appropriate but doesn't always hold interest for home listening.
For the rest, I've found the dances amongst the more interesting parts of the score. But my favourite track is 7 on Disc 2. I love that march.
100% agree about that Ave Caesar March on track 7 in Disc 2. How I wish Rozsa had developed it further. It deserves a concert suite of its own
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Posted: |
Feb 28, 2013 - 6:44 PM
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By: |
pp312
(Member)
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Just finishing a first listen. God, this is glorious. While 'Ben-Hur' remains my favourite film score of all time, this is mighty close. That 'Prelude to Second Part' is stunning. So many wondrous tracks. Thanks James and Prometheus - again.
I was listening to this again just the other evening. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.
Then tonight I am just coming to the end of Tadlow's El Cid. Another fantastic score by Rozsa and re-recording.
Actually it's easier to pick faults with El Cid, which departs from the original quite significantly at several points, and is perhaps not quite as well played as QV (the Prague players just seem to get better with each recording). I'm not as familiar with the QV score, but I have the sense that it's note-for-note with the source--maybe someone will correct me there.
As for the quality of the music, the thing that strikes me about Rozsa's epic scores is their diversity, even when the subject matter is identical. Not only does he not often use the same themes, he gets a different sound and feel to each score. One would expect El Cid to sound different to Roman empire scores, but that King of Kings has such a different texture and timbre to Ben-Hur is as much testament to Rozsa's talent as the quality of the scores themselves. A good composer can write two or three themes, a very good composer can write a half dozen or more, but only a great composer can develop his themes within the story arc in such a way as to tell the story better and still manage to achieve a different sound score-to-score within the same genre.
I know some will take issue with this. We've all read comments about all Rozsa scores sounding the same. Certainly his style is very distinctive and instantly recognisable, but that's a different thing; he can't suddenly change styles mid-career, though there was certainly an evolutionary element involved. But really--does anyone else agree?--he didn't just churn out the same kind of score for the same kind of film. He clearly thought about his approach to each individual film and tailored the score to fit its look and feel. So Ben-Hur is kind of sombre browns--Autumn colours--much of the time; King of Kings is bright sunlight and Hallelujahs, while El Cid is of course burnished brass and castanets. I'm being a bit flippant, but you get the idea. Quo Vadis being an earlier effort doesn't have quite the distinctive personality of the others, so fewer metaphors come to mind; but in its way it's no less brilliant, and for such a generally uninspired film the committment of some of the music is astonishing (it's hard to listen to one or two tracks without a tear in the eye).
I'm rambling really. Just wanted to provoke some reaction, as I think this thread should be kept alive.
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This is a hell of a re-recording, blessing a true masterpiece. Everyone should check this one.
I rather enjoyed recording it .... and look forward to next Rozsa recording in March....
Quo Vadis is my favorite Tadlow recording. It is magnificent. Thank you very much in making this music available. Can't wait for the next Rozsa recording...
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This one paired up with EL CID is probably a superior one-two punch to the CONAN THE BARBARIAN and CONAN THE DESTROYER tandem. But don't get me wrong, they're all superior.
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In case there is anyone else like me here, my story:
I waited until last year to buy this, because I already felt stuffed to the gills with Rozsa and had the 70's recording. And I waited another year (until today in fact) to finally listen to this, because I just hadn't been in the Rozsa mood.
Good lord, what a fool I was. This is just an extraordinary recording of a work I thought I knew but I guess barely did.
Quo Vadis is a favorite film of mine from the early 50's. But I thought the music didn't compare to later costumers (Ivanhoe is my touchstone more than the biblical epics). Boy was I wrong.
I've just ordered Sodom and Gomorrah, and am already waiting impatiently for The Thief of Bagdad, a score about as far from my favorite Rozsa as it is possible to get. Until now, that is, knowing that Tadlow will record it anew.
If you've been sitting on the fence because you think you already know this score well enough or don't think you'll care for it that much - get off the fence and buy the darn thing.
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I just posted the message above, but somehow that did not bring it to the top of the thread list, so I'm bumping.
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ditto.
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