Search - Charles Gerhardt, National Philharmonic Orchestra :: Hollywood Screen Classics

Interesting Gerhardt

Stuart M. Paine | Arlington, VA USA | 07/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All but one of these tracks were recorded prior to the release of THE SEA HAWK in 1972 (the first album in what would become Gerhardt's monumental RCA film music series):



1. R. Strauss: 2001: A Space Odyssey (2:05) 1971

2. Korngold: Adventures of Robin Hood (4:00) 1971

3. Rosenman: East of Eden (3:02) 1968

4. Styne-Cahn: Three Coins in the Fountain (5:02) 1968

5. Raksin: Laura (2:44) 1968

6. Korngold: Kings Row (suite) (7:22) 1968

7. Young: Shane (2:22) 1968

8. North: Cleopatra (2:20) 1968

9. Barry: Born Free (3:02) 1971

10. Mancini: Charade (3:03) 1968

11. Hayasaka: Rashomon (3:05) 1971

12. Rozsa: El Cid (2:41) 1968

13. Hadjidakis: Topkapi (2:41) 1974

14. Steiner: Gone with the Wind (suite) (23:26) 1968



This 1968 GONE WITH THE WIND Suite includes ten segments: Tara's Theme - Plantation Dance 1 - Melanie's Theme - Bonnie Blue Flag - Civil War - Scarlet O'Hara - Bonnie's Theme - Plantation Dance 2 - Ashley and Melanie - Return to Tara. It combines parts of both of Muir Mathesson's suites and is different yet from what Gerhardt would later release on his 1974 RCA album.

also:

* Amazon identifies tracks 2 (Korngold) and 7 (Victor Young) by cue rather than film titles.

* The CD insert incorrectly states the meter of the BORN FREE theme. It is NOT simultaneous 6/8 and 3/4, nor is it even close to being that. What it IS is alternating 4/8 and 3/8. While I don't normally care so much for the melody, the unusual meter really brings it to life.



and finally:

* While some of these tracks (esp. Rosenman and Rozsa) sound more "pop" than I'd have expected from Gerhardt, "Three Coins in the Fountain" is beautiful, the Barry, Mancini and Hayasaka are very very cool and the ample Korngold KINGS ROW Suite in itself is well worth the price if you don't already own one of the KINGS ROW discs on Varese Sarabande or FSM.

"