The Essential Film Music Collection [Soundtrack]

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.

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.

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performs and Silva Screen Records presents "BERNARD HERRMANN: ESSENTIAL FILM MUSIC COLLECTION", the gems by composer Bernard Herrmann ...conducted by Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick and Nic Raine, this latest release, has all the rhythmically dynamic and poetic scores ever conceived --- Herrmann's music remains in your mind with haunting and forbidding themes that will stay with you the rest of your days --- many sought after Herrmann career selections carefully selected themes from 48 film scores --- a rare find for all the comprehensive collectors in us.

Disc One...Herrmann has the ability to capture the moment from each cue within his scores, examples are in alphabetical order:

1 CITIZEN KANE/OVERTURE (1941) (2:46)

2 THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR/PRELUDE/FINALE (1947) (4:57)

3 THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR/NOCTURNE (1947) (3:34)

4 ON DANGEROUS GROUND/SITE (1951) (14:17)

5 THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL/SITE (1951) (5:37)

6 THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO/ROMANCE (1952) (8:17)

7 THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO/MEMORY WALTZ (1952) (4:23)

8 THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY/A PORTRAIT OF HITCH (1955) (8:49)

9 THE MAN WHO KEW TOO MUCH/PRELUDE (196) (2:17)

10 THE NAKED AND THE DEAD/PRELUDE (1958) (2:15)

11 VERTIGO/PRELUDE/NIGHTMARE (1958) (4:59)

12 VERTIGO/SCENE D'AMOUR (1958) (5:08)

13 THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD/MAIN TITLE (1958) (1:59)

Disc Two...music flows in the air and the tapestry is fine and the weave is just right...in alphabetical order:

1 NORTH BY NORTHWEST/PRELUDE (1959) (3:05)

2 NORTH BY NORTHWEST/CONVERSATION PIECE (1959) (4:40)

3 THE THREE WORLDS OF GULLIVER/OVERTURE 1959) (2:00)

4 THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1964) (2:49)

5 PSYCHO/SUITE (1960) (7:19)

6 MYSTERIOUS ISLAND/PRELUDE/THE BALLOON (1961) (4:13)

7 MYSTERIOUS ISLAND/GIANT BEES/THE GIANT CRAB (1961) (4:55)

8 CAPE FEAR/SUITE (1962) (5:40)

9 JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS/PRELUDE (1963) (1:58)

10 MARNIE/PRELUDE & FAREWELL (1964) (5:13)

11 TORN CURTAIN/SUITE (1966) (6:01)

12 FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) (7:03)

13 TWISTED NERVE (1971) (5:34)

14 OBSESSION (1976) (1:47)

15 TAXI DRIVER/NIGHT PIECE FOR SAXOPHONE & ORCHESTRA (1976) (8:02)

Listen and recall the scores which have crossed our path...one has only to close their eyes and visualize the characters that came to life on the big screen...the music of Bernard Herrmann was a very large part of the cinema...sit back and soak up each passage and cue that prevails.

Herrmann completely mesmerizes us with his themes, blending variations with eloquent and subtle cues ... depicting each character in the film, and fine tuned to the story-line --- he was a genius and knew his craft well ... relies heavily on strings, usually with lyrical solos for the winds ... absolute in capturing the essence of each scene, musically letting the audience in through his score ... which clearly states why music is an additional character to any film, without it the film would be incomplete...during the silent film era, the piano player kept the audience tuned into what was happening, whether it was a love scene or danger lurking around every corner. the result is colors come shining through with wonderful arrangements...many of the classic film scores have become cult favorites among "film-score-buffs" like me and collectors alike.

Each film score is superb and very strong ... the balance of the instruments and experimental touches of Bernard Herrmann are all just brilliant --- working with directors like Welles, Dieterle, Hitchcock, Truffaut and Scorsese all were very conscious of classic film music and and Herrmann's cues really came through ... each outing was nothing less than a bravo performance ... those who ignored Herrmann during his career, really missed out --- cause all the diehard collectors of film music knew he was a WINNER! --- Bernard Herrmann.

Silva Screen Records and James Fitzpatrick (producer), Reynold da Silva (executive producer) --- please stand up and take a bow for the well deserved rare gems you've given us --- a tribute compilation dedicated to the memory of Bernard Herrmann (1911 to 1975)...this can only be one of the most sought after collections for any "film-score-buff" ... speaking for myself and some of my movie music collector comrades ... this is a keeper!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1208 ~ (9/05/2006)