City of Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Bateman
Label: Silva America
Cat.#: SSD 1037
Country: United States
Format: CD
Release Date: 1994
UPN: None
Label: Silva Screen
Cat.#: FILMCD 153
Country: Great Britain
Format: CD
Release Date: 1994
UPN: 5-014929-015323
Notes:
TRUE GRIT contains music from the classic westerns "Stagecoach," "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon," "The Searchers," "The Quiet Man," "In Harm's Way," "The Cowboys," "True Grit," "The High And The Mighty," "The Alamo," and "How The West Was Won."
This CD by the City of Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Bateman, fills in some gaping holes in the film music catalog. Hooked around John Wayne's films, the range of composers and styles -- and subjects, from Westerns to the World War II navy -- is sufficiently diverse to make it a very rich and rewarding experience. The music from the John Ford movies featured, all Westerns, is largely folk-based, in keeping with the director's taste and wishes. The disc opens with "Stagecoach: Narrative for Orchestra," a six-and-a-half minute suite adapted from the Oscar-winning score for the 1939 Ford film which was, itself, largely based on folk themes. The orchestra plays with just the right level of vigor to capture something of the excitement and sense of adventure of the film itself, and the Copland-like score is a delight to hear in state-of- the-art sound (although the makers could've left out the finale music). "Leaving the Fort" from She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, based on the tune referred to in the film's title, is astonishingly rousing, and played with the kind of care that one hasn't seen in this kind of re-recorded movie score since the days when Charles Gerhardt was conducting for RCA-Victor, nearly 30 years ago. The Max Steiner music from Stagecoach is also present, in a beautifully realized seven-and-a-half minute suite which, with its ravishing melodies, overall dark sonorities, and light-hearted moments of lyricism, belongs in a concert hall rather than up on a movie screen, and may be the best work of Steiner's late career. For some reason, the producers have elected to feature a pair of overtures, Dimitri Tiomkin's to The Alamo and Alfred Newman's for How The West Was Won, that are widely available in other venues. The performances of both are quite good; indeed, Tiomkin's Alamo overture gets the kind of idealized treatment that makes the official recording seem pale in comparison. The Longest Day march, authored by Paul Anka, comes off as trivial in this company. Much more important is Jerry Goldsmith's score for In Harm's Way, a soundtrack (on RCA) that has never been reissued -- "The Rock, " depicting the maneuverings of the forces under Wayne's command, actually took on a life of its own on public television for many years, as the opening theme of the public affairs show Agronsky & Company; "Intermezzo: The Rock and His Lady" is a lovely piece of music, a slowly building, gently lyrical romantic idyll; and "Finale: First Victory," an amazingly modernist piece of music, almost atonal in its content, makes its first appearance on CD. Elmer Bernstein's rousing yet gently nostalgic score to True Grit is represented by its overture, and John Williams' epic (and very Copland-esque) overture from The Cowboys, nine minutes of glowing Western-theme material, closes the CD. ~ Bruce Eder
Track Listing:
1. Stagecoach (1939) - Narrative for Orchestra (06:36)
Monument Valley Theme/The Stagecoach (Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie)/Ringo Joins The Stagecoach/Mrs. Mallory (I Dream Of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair)/Turning Cold/Sandstorm/Indians/Attack on the Stagecoach/Cavalry to the Rescue/End Titles - Richard Hageman
2. She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949) - Leaving The Fort (02:51)
Richard Hageman (based on traditional tunes)
3. The Quiet Man (1952) - The Donnybrook (Danaher's House) (02:46)
Suite - Victor Young (based on traditional Irish tunes)
4. The Quiet Man (1952) - Sean and Kate (Our Mother) (02:58)
Suite - Victor Young (based on traditional Irish tunes)
5. The Quiet Man (1952) - St. Patrick's Day/Prelude to the Big Fight (03:49)
Suite - Victor Young (based on traditional Irish tunes)
6. The High And The Mighty (1954) - Prelude (02:01)
Dimitri Tiomkin
7. The Searchers (1956) - Opening/Ethan Comes Home/Martin/Texas Rangers/Warparty/Indian Idyll (07:24)
Max Steiner
8. The Alamo (1960) - Overture (03:26)
Dimitri Tiomkin
9. How The West Was Won (1962) - Prelude (03:25)
Alfred Newman
10. The Longest Day (1962) - March (04:44)
Paul Anka
11. In Harm's Way (1965) - Prelude: The Rock (01:43)
Suite - Jerry Goldsmith
12. In Harm's Way (1965) - Intermezzo: The Rock and his Lady/Love Theme (04:48)
Suite - Jerry Goldsmith
13. In Harm's Way (1965) - Finale: First Victory (03:05)
Suite - Jerry Goldsmith
14. True Grit (1969) - Rooster and Le Boeuf/Runaway/Warm Wrap-Up (04:39)
Elmer Bernstein
15. The Cowboys (1972) - Overture (09:44)
John Williams
Total Duration: 01:03:59
City of Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Bateman
Re-Issue
Label: Silva Screen
Cat.#: FILMCD 725
Country: Great Britain
Format: CD
Release Date: 2000
UPN: 7-3857-20725-2-0
Notes:
The differences between the original release and the current re-release, are slight. The current re-release shaves a few seconds of silence at the beginning and end of “The Quiet Man – The Fight” (Titled: “The Donnybrook” on the original), and “How The West Was Won – Prelude”. The current re-release also combines two of the “In Harm’s Way” pieces (The Rock & First Victory) into one piece. The only significant differences are the inclusion of three additional tracks not found on the original release of this CD, those being: “Baby Elephant Walk” (from Hatari), “The Green Leaves of Summer” (from The Alamo), and the Main Theme from The Sons of Katie Elder.
Track Listing:
1. Stagecoach - Suite (06:36)
Richard Hageman
2. The Quiet Man - The Fight (02:26)
Victor Young
3. The Quiet Man - Sean And Kate (Our Mother) (02:58)
Victor Young
4. The Quiet Man - St. Patrick's Day/Prelude To The Big Fight (03:49)
Victor Young
5. The High and The Mighty - Prelude (02:01)
Dimitri Tiomkin
6. How The West Was Won - Prelude (03:18)
Alfred Newman
7. The Longest Day - March (04:44)
Paul Anka
8. The Searchers - Suite (07:24)
Max Steiner
9. Hatari - Baby Elephant Walk (02:26)
Henry Mancini
10. The Alamo - Overture (03:26)
Dimitri Tiomkin
11. The Alamo - The Green Leaves Of Summer (03:03)
Dimitri Tiomkin
12. The Sons of Katie Elder - Main Theme (02:12)
Elmer Bernstein
13. In Harm’s Way - Intermezzo: The Rock And His Lady/Love Theme (04:48)
Jerry Goldsmith
14. In Harm’s Way - The Rock/Final Victory (04:44)
Jerry Goldsmith
15. She Wore A Yellow Ribbon - Leaving The Fort (02:51)
Richard Hageman
16. True Grit - Rooster & LeBoeuf/Runaway/Warm Wrap-Up (04:39)
Elmer Bernstein
17. The Cowboys - Overture (09:44)
John Williams
Total Duration: 01:11:09