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Having lived with the Varese single disc for years, I actually picked this edition up a few weeks back in the SAE sale.
I haven't sat down and given it a proper listen yet, but I was reminded how truly stunning and gorgeous the Love Theme* is.
This looks like the 'must have' edition to own. I look forward to getting to know it better.
*when I say Love theme, I mean the Slave Market (Diana) theme, introduced in track 3.
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1953 seems to be the breakthrough year. The Robe was a rerecording because Newman wanted to edit and rework some of the cuts to fit more music on one album. The conract was to include the Robe but NOT credit the Fox orchestra - both albums claims it is the Hollywood Symphony orch and chorus but no its Fox. Mercury records had siphoned off a single from its Captain from Castille set with the catana theme on one side and the march on the flip side that had sold reasonablly well. To that end Decca wanted the same thing from the Egyptian with the merit theme on one side and the horemhebs march rewritten to sound liek the Castille march.
Interesting to read this, because, on the original Decca lp of THE EGYPTIAN, the "Merit" and "Pharaoh's March" do not sound the same as their counterpart cues on the actual music tracks. The "Merit" cue on the Decca recording is longer, and the "March" cue is played by orchestra on the lp, but by only brass on the tracks. Consequently, it appears that at least these 2 cues were re-recorded for the lp album release.
It would be interesting for some soundtrack company to re-release both these lp's as a double feature on CD... hopefully, with some updated remastering, if possible.
Also, a factor no one has mentioned here so far is the involvement of master orchestrator Edward Powell, whose work is intrinsic for the 20th Century Fox "string sound." Powell's style can be heard on many Fox scores, including those not credited to Newman, and, consequently, it's also noticeable when Powell did not orchestrate scores by these people. Powell contributed a unique sound to these scores, and I'd be interested to hear more about him and his work.
(To be honest, at one point, because I thought so much of his music sounded Newman, I actually thought that Cyril Mockridge was a fictional person! I also thought that Newman's influence on other composers of the period, that what was credited to them was actually written by Newman. I'm reminded particularly of David Buttolph's credited score for THE FOXES OF HARROW, which is just about the only one of Buttolph's scores that I really love. Interesting...)
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It would be interesting for some soundtrack company to re-release both these lp's as a double feature on CD... hopefully, with some updated remastering, if possible.
I would buy that in a second!
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It's certainly not a very critically acclaimed movie. I think it's respected more for its technical accomplishments than anything else.
Well to me it's kind of schlocky (and I'm a Christian). Burton's acting when the robe is thrown on him is in hindsight kind of comical (apparently Burton and Shrimpton were both extremely facetious during the filming, and to me that was obvious even before I found that out). Not quite as goofy as Newman in Silver Chalice, but probably even more cynically performed.
I think Ben Hur really trumped that movie, though score wise they're both so high in quality. I do like the Robe better than Greatest Story, King of Kings, and certainly the aforementioned Chalice.
I hope there are still copies of the LLL hanging around some stores for those who didn't pick it up. This is one of my favourite scores of all time, and the La-La set is simply gorgeous. It's so spine-tinglingly awesome - as in it creates a real sense of awe - that it's almost frightening. "The Crucifixion" is gruelling and totally compelling, in fact I always manage to get through the 2 CDs no problem. I actually WANT to keep hearing it to the end each time. A lot of soundtracks wear out their welcome within a few tracks, but this just transfixes me throughout. And I always come out of it feeling like I'm a better person, temporarily at least.
It's a truly astonishing masterpiece.
I'm still on the fence about the La La Land (which might seem weird, given Alfred is my favorite film composer). I have and very much love the Varese, as well as the first CD release.
So, the Varese is Alfred's rerecording, right? The LLL isn't? Forgive my ignorance.
I have a chance to get the LLL for a not so bummer price, which is why I'm asking.
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If you ever get a chance to look at an actual newman score, do so.
It is so clear and easy to read and he puts little sign posts in the score as to what goes where.
Envious, would LOVE to see them!
Do you own both the Varese and LLL release? If so...if I already own the Varese would I still find merit in the LLL? It's one of my favorite scores, period.
That said, I owned both the Rykodisc and Varese Greatest Story Ever Told (my second favorite score ever) and didn't feel the need for both.
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It's certainly not a very critically acclaimed movie. I think it's respected more for its technical accomplishments than anything else.
Well to me it's kind of schlocky (and I'm a Christian). Burton's acting when the robe is thrown on him is in hindsight kind of comical (apparently Burton and Shrimpton were both extremely facetious during the filming, and to me that was obvious even before I found that out). Not quite as goofy as Newman in Silver Chalice, but probably even more cynically performed.
I think Ben Hur really trumped that movie, though score wise they're both so high in quality. I do like the Robe better than Greatest Story, King of Kings, and certainly the aforementioned Chalice.
I hope there are still copies of the LLL hanging around some stores for those who didn't pick it up. This is one of my favourite scores of all time, and the La-La set is simply gorgeous. It's so spine-tinglingly awesome - as in it creates a real sense of awe - that it's almost frightening. "The Crucifixion" is gruelling and totally compelling, in fact I always manage to get through the 2 CDs no problem. I actually WANT to keep hearing it to the end each time. A lot of soundtracks wear out their welcome within a few tracks, but this just transfixes me throughout. And I always come out of it feeling like I'm a better person, temporarily at least.
It's a truly astonishing masterpiece.
I'm still on the fence about the La La Land (which might seem weird, given Alfred is my favorite film composer). I have and very much love the Varese, as well as the first CD release.
So, the Varese is Alfred's rerecording, right? The LLL isn't? Forgive my ignorance.
I have a chance to get the LLL for a not so bummer price, which is why I'm asking.
Who on Earth is Shrimpton? I don't recall anyone in the movie going by that name (the closest to that name I can find is leading lady Jean Simmons). As for the LLL release, while I don't have the Varese release, I'm pretty sure the edition Varese released back in 2003 was the original recording (though Varese did put out Newman's re-recording quite a few years prior), though the LLL has improved sound quality and a little bit more music.
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