Search - Bernard Herrmann, Paul Bateman, Nic Raine :: Bernard Herrmann: The Essential Film Music Collection

Second-rate performances of first-rate music

Ken Gruberman | 09/26/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Mr. Lovin's gushingly enthusiastic review never mentioned the actual PERFORMANCES on this album; he only discussed the beauty, complexity and grandeur of the compositions themselves. Of course Herrmann's film music has no equal, and has often been imitated, but they deserve better than what is delivered here. As usual with Silva releases, these are re-recordings with the City of Prague Philharmonic. And there simply is no way this orchestra can match what is required of them.



As is almost always the case with this ensemble, the strings are fine and solid, but it's the brass -- especially the low brass -- where it falls apart. Bad intonation, shaky tone and sloppy playing are the hallmarks of most orchestras found in this region, and these guys are classic examples. Compared to the original scores, or even more recent re-recordings with the LSO or the LA Philharmonic (Salonen's excellent compendium on Sony is worthwhile) are much better than what is heard here; even cover versions by Kunzel and the Cinncinnatti Pops beat these renditions.



The only thing you're really getting with this collection is convenience: a great selection of the Master's works in one place. If you've never heard this music before, by all means start here -- but for goodness' sake don't END here! If you're a die-hard fan like me, and you've already got most (if not all) of these pieces on other albums or CDs... feel free to save your money for something more worthwhile."

Excellent!

tjguitar | 04/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As usual with Silva Screen compilations, the first thing you want to know is the origin of these recordings. Many of these recordings are from 1993-95, when the orchestra was not at it's greatest form, so it's no surprise that some reviewers here are disappoined



A few are from 1993's "A History of Hitchcock Vol. One". They are:

"Vertigo-Scene D'Amour", "North By Northwest Main Title", "Psycho Suite: Prelude/The City/Rainstorm Murder/Finale", "Marnie Prelude". Likewise, a number are from 1995's "A History of Hitchcock Vol. Two". They are:



"Vertigo (Prelude)", "The Trouble With Harry (A Portrait of Hitch)", "North By Northwest (Conversation Piece)"





The bulk of these tracks are from 1995's "Torn Curtain: The Classic Film Music of Bernard Herrmann". They are:

-Cape Fear (Prelude/The School/Panic/Finale)

-Citizen kane (Overture)

-Obession (Valse Lente)

-Snows of Kilmanjaro (Memory Waltz)

-Taxi Driver

-Ghost & Mrs Muir (Main Title/Finale)

-The Man Who Knew Too Much (Prelude)

-Veritigo (Nightmare)

-Torn Curtain (Main Title/Gromek/The Killing)

-3 Worlds of Gulliver (Overture)

-Jason and the Argonauts (Prelude)

-Mysterious Island (Prelude/The Balloon)

-Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (

-On Dangerous Ground (Prelude/Blindess/The Silence/The Hunt/Finale)





The excellent Day The Earth Stood Still suite is from the equally excellent 1998 set "Alien Invasion: Space and Beyond Volume Two". The other cues from Mysterious Island are from 1998's "Monster Movie Music Album"



"The Naked and the Dead" and "The Twilight Zone" were first released on the 1999 versions of the Essential Herrmann.



So, for new recordings we have:

*On Dangerous Ground (Death Hunt)

*Fahrenheit 451 (The Road/The Search)

*The Ghost and Mrs Muir (Nocturne)

*The Snows Of Kilmanjaro (Romance)

*Twisted Nerve (Theme & Variations)



The orchestra has improved in the last fourteen years, so it's no surprise that some of the latter-released tracks sound better. The On Dangerouns Ground suite is very good, despite it's age. Though it is kind of annoying that Silva decided to track in the new cue from On Dangerous Ground into the old suite, meaning you have cues recorded a decade apart in the same track."