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Why is MIDWAY 24.95 from SAE when it is 19.98 from the VS site?
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Why is MIDWAY 24.95 from SAE when it is 19.98 from the VS site?
Because while many of the labels work with each other at wholesale rates, Varèse does not (at least for their VCL offerings). They charge SAE (and other retailers) just as much as they charge their customers. In order to profit, the other retailers need to charge more. So it's a little more than you'd pay from Varèse now, but a lot less than you'd pay on eBay once Varèse is sold out.
Thanks for the information.
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Posted: |
Apr 6, 2012 - 8:39 AM
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By: |
Grecchus
(Member)
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What a gem from the disaster laden 70s. First off, the last two tracks - brilliant tribute pieces by the maestro. I hadn't heard The Men Of The Yorktown before, in spite of seeing the film. The 'by jove, we did it' tipped hat to Walton is so acute in the opening it's as regal (and briefly British) as it gets. Then the Williams style takes the helm. His airforce experience and undoubted knowledge of the historic events imbue the music with warm and heartfelt sentiment. Also, the Midway March I've heard as a concert piece from the compilation disc (and probably live) before, but that fabulously upbeat virtuoso trumpet flourish at 1:58 is new to me. Puts a smile on my face every time.
There's been some talk of the overuse of stock footage, both here and in the liner notes - which make clear as having something to do with director John Guillermin departing the project. It seems he was not in favour of their incorporation. Yet, from my recollection the pivotal moment of the battle, track 14 - Burning Carriers - begins with heightened musical and emotive tumult as the cinematic image takes in the vista (miniature shot) of the japanese carriers ablaze in the distance - with lone american witness George Gay bobbing about in his liferaft (matted into the shot?). That is a moment from the film etched in memory both visually, musically and otherwise.
What a shame about the stereo action pieces. There seems to have been a slight edit problem because the start of track 17, Matt Takes Off . . . cues in fractionally after the music actually begins. To my ears, it is ever so briefly truncated. I really like the orchestral tonal blending from 00:18 to 00:46 of that track. It captures the nautical sense of moving from the deck at sea level to danger-infested altitude, suggesting the solitude of the naval aviator carrying out his mission. The film may have faded out via a dissolve from the takeoff scene and faded in to Matt established at cruising altitude. That could account for the 'bridge' in the musical tone. Dissolves were so common once upon a time. They were usually employed to switch between scenes over 24 frames (a duration of one second in time.) If this is what happens in the film then Williams does indeed follow the old and long established rule of flipping from one side of the coin to the other using a form of musical fusion. The reason I elaborate here is because I haven't seen the film for a long time, however, my impression is that Williams scored it as I've just described and in doing so, uses a traditional method in film presentation to noteworthy effect. If only this music had been 'caught' in stereo.
It took it's time getting here. As Mike points out, the time from the historic battle to the cinematic release is about a year shorter than the period between the cinematic release and this CD. Thankyou, Varese Sarabande.
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Posted: |
Oct 24, 2013 - 11:05 AM
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By: |
koolman
(Member)
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I ordered and listened to this 2011 version of Midway from the original 1976 Williams-conducted scoring session tapes and I'm delighted! The opening credits/Doolittle raid music alone makes it worth the price! It's an exhilerating piece that gives me chills when the violins kick in once Doolittle's bombers are in mid-air flying low over the Pacific.
The only minor annoyance I have with this release is some of the tracks are out-of-sequence compared to the order they appeared in the film, and track 17 even has 3 of its 4 combined cues, "Matt Takes Off", "Matt's Crash" and "Red Parks Fighters", cut short!
To counteract this...
I was feeling ambitious, and also own the 1998 Rick Wentworth re-conducted version, which IS the complete score, albeit a re-conducted version, so I ripped all the tracks from both versions' CDs to my computer's hard drive. Then, using my sound editing and mixing software and using the film itself for reference to proper track order, I added the missing notes from the Wentworth-conducted version to the end of the cut-short Williams'-conducted version tracks, exporting the revised complete versions as new tracks, then burned myself a new, complete, in-sequence version of the Midway score on CD-R, for my own consumption, not for distribution.
I had to provide necessary EQ and level boost on the Wentworth-conducted notes in some instances, to make the sound quality of the missing Wentworth-conducted notes match the sound quality of the original Williams-conducted notes.
I'm telling you all this so you can do the same if you wish, have the tools, the talent and the time (it took me about 2 hours).
Great score!
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I'm kicking myself in the nut for not getting this when I had the chance. >
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"Listening to MIDWAY is like looking through an old photo album - each cue sparks memories. The strident opening titles evoke THE TOWERING INFERNO. The dramatic, elegiac cues evoke of JAWS, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. The militaristic cues evoke 1941. Bits and pieces evoke STAR WARS. It's a transitional score - both his past and future can be heard in it.
It's amazing to think that when Williams recorded MIDWAY he was teetering on the brink of an unparalleled career. In rapid succession came STAR WARS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, SUPERMAN, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, E.T..."
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I still play this CD quite often.
I know it's not one of Williams' more championed efforts (but does still have its fans).
I had the best 37 minutes replaying it again today, on the way into work, and was gonna wax lyrical again about it, but then I re-read what Sarge said about it previously...and don't really need to now.
I smiled during each little nod and call out to previous Williams efforts...lots of EARTHQUAKE & TOWERING INFERNO.
I love having both versions on CD, but the Williams original version is the one to have (the tempo and energy is amazing) if you're a TRUE John Williams fan.
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My first visit to London (from Reno) was in 1976, specifically to attend a "Filmharmonic" concert at Royal Albert Hall, with guest conductor John Williams. At the conclusion he presented an encore of his latest work-- the March from "Midway"!!
I was there also. The Cowboys, Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, The Disaster Movie Suite all live-great concert
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I'm curious which Midway march they performed. When I saw it in the theater, the "Men of the Yorktown" march played over the end credits, as it did in early television showings. Then later it was replaced by what we now think of as the Midway March.
The "Midway March" is only quoted in the score for a couple of seconds, almost like a throwaway, while the "Yorktown March" is all over it. It's almost as if Williams went back, pulled out that little fragment, developed it into a full march, then asked Universal to replace Yorktown with it over the end credits.
Anyone have the real story here?
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