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This is a wonderful sublime score from a composer who didn't do many film scores. A beautiful score indeed, Any comments?
This was once the most expensive soundtrack LP - a friend of mine exchanged it for a few other rare LPs at the time, when it cost UKP 1,000 (that's a 1987's UKP 1,000!).
We were disappointed when we listened to it, it seemed unexceptional and a bit bland. My friend sent the LP back to where it came from for UKP 1,000 store credit.
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It also came out a long time ago on an "import" cd--lot more music...pretty good sound.
Well, that one had the choral mediaeval source music added from some source (Leppard was very much a Monteverdi champion) but the title music (which was not on the LP) was nicked from a laserdisc or VHS and sounded very muddy. The album tracks were fine though.
The LP on the other hand did have one track left off the CD for some unexplained reason, 'First Quarrel' which used crumhorns.
A beautifully crafted post-VW English score. Some bits are exquisite, like the pastorale music where Alf rides through the cornfields at haymaking time.
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ALFRED THE GREAT, I understand, was originally meant to be a roadshow, which never happened.
In fact, it was sort of dumped in its original U.S. release. I actually saw it in a theatre around then, 1969, and thought it was OK. It was a star vehicle for David Hemmings, after the big splash he'd made as a shallow photographer in Antonioni's smash hit, BLOW-UP (1966).
Unfortunately, by 1969, people were more interested in anti-war and flower children, more like the attitude of Zefferelli's smash hit ROMEO AND JULIET, in 1968. Medieval war heroes, like Alfred, were not prime box-office draws.
I have a CD of the score, which I enjoyed, though I've never considered it a great score.
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yes i remember when this was a highly sought after and seriously rare LP.
For some reason there were a lot of western collectors back then -late 70s and into early 80s - , but there also a group that seemed to collect epic scores of every style, from ben hur to the vikings to barabbas to zulu to last valley to stuff like alfred.
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dp again
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This is a wonderful sublime score from a composer who didn't do many film scores. A beautiful score indeed, Any comments?
Raymond Leppard passed away October 22, 2019. He was 92.
Never having any of his music in my collection, I nonetheless offer condolences to family & friends.
[He was primarily known for his conducting of Baroque music]
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Posted: |
Jan 12, 2022 - 4:36 PM
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By: |
jslasher
(Member)
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This is a wonderful sublime score from a composer who didn't do many film scores. A beautiful score indeed, Any comments?
I fully agree. I would like to suggest to those members who stated that this score was 'bland' and/or 'unexceptional' to book a hearing test with their physician. When I spoke on the telephone with Maestro Leppard, who was at the time the conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, he mentioned that Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, many of whose concert works Leppard had conducted in the UK, was first approached to compose the score. He passed and in doing so recommended Leppard. The MGM Records LP, scheduled for release in the USA, was cancelled at the eleventh-hour following the negative reviews the film received in NYC. However, MGM Records UK released a recording, beautifully engineered by an uncredited Eric Tomlinson. Oddly enough, in order to popularise the composer, Leppard's given name was shortened to "Ray" [if we can shorten Ronald Goodwin to "Ron", someone argued, why not "Ray"?]. I purchased a near-mint lp on Discogs the other day. It set me back some USD 260.00. Worth every cent in my opinion. Lastly, as to the Kritzerland CD, I wonder if the release was licensed through the proper copyright holders? Intrada attempted to release this, according to Doug Fake, but their inquiries went unanswered. Cheers from Oz, where a couple of Kangaroos are visiting my property on a very hot day [roughly 104 Fahrenheit].
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Any new word on when the Kritzerland CD will ship?
Not sure yet - at the mercy of the pressing plant, but hopefully by the official ship date.
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