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Funny. At the time these came out, the Herrmann collection probably would have saved the series.
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I thought the North disc was a travesty - the Spartacus alone made me want to vomit on the ground. But maybe that's what happens when the conductor is a Broadway guy.
The Takemitsu disc was fine, the Delerue was okay, and the Rosenman, as I recall, was okay, too. But the North - buh bye.
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I only bought the Delerue and Takemitsu discs, which I found disappointing. Despite the "newly recorded" PR, several tracks on the Takemitsu CD were original soundtrack recordings with less-than-stellar sound, and the cues from Woman in the Dunes were ripped straight off the film (complete with sound effects).
I also found the performance on the Delerue disc very apathetic. I'd far-sooner listen to the old mono (but energetic) soundtrack recording of Day For Night's "Grande Choral" than the anemic performance on the Nonesuch.
I was glad to see Nonesuch taking a risk with a series of film music releases but I thought they botched it.
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(Unfortunately) The Rosenman is still an essential purchase. I wonder if we'll ever see the original recordings released
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I've had for many years the Rosenman disc only (got it when was first released) and always enjoyed it. Recently got the North one and was quite taken by it... but then again I'm on the minority that welcomes a new reading of the same work. Particularly in the case of film music, to have it performed without the necessity to obey to the demands of whatever is going on in the screen, allowing for a lot more of freedom in tempi and dynamics.
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Posted: |
Mar 12, 2012 - 10:40 AM
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By: |
alexp
(Member)
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I enjoyed both the Rosenman and the North albums.
From the North album, one of my favorite suites was Spartacus . Yes the London Symphony Orchestra’s reading is different from the soundtrack recording, but it was a good performance, practically, the “Vesuvius Camp” cue—it was very vibrant, a little better than the soundtrack recording. If you listen carefully, there is a harpsichord in that cue that wasn’t in the soundtrack recording. My two complaints in the Spartacus suite were that there wasn’t more material on the album and that some of the pieces were arranged into the MCA album edits, like the main title and “Draba Fight.” I am gratful that Nonesuch re-recorded any portions of Spartacus since Varese droped the ball on doing a re-recording back in the 1990s.
I also liked the suite from the Bad Seed, particularly the opening where we hear a kindergarten-like piano theme and it turns into a macabre by orchestra. In my opinion, the all the good material is in that suite. Now I’m reluctant to hear the entire score.
North fans should get this one.
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I have all four albums; I got them when they originally appeared. I greatly cherish all of them, and thought the composers were well chosen and the pieces well selected. The most essential of these is the Rosenman recording conducted by John Adams, but I like all the others too. Great series, I loved that it focused on the composers and the music, not so much on the films. Too bad it folded after just four albums. Nonesuch's choice of repertoire and composers showed they were willing to veer off the safe and often trodden path.
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