Charles Gerhardt Conducts

For reference, the following is a detailed listing of this Box's contents:CD1 The Sea Hawk: The Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang KorngoldKorngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title - Reunion - Finale (from The Sea Hawk)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Nora's Theme (from Of Human Bondage)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang March of the Merry Men (from The Adventures of Robin Hood)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Love Theme (from Juarez)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title (from Kings Row)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Tomorrow (from The Constant Nymph)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Overture (from Captain Blood)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang No Father, No Mother, No Name (from Anthony Adverse)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title - Mother and Son (from Between Two Worlds)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title (from Deception)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Death of Emily Bronte, The (from Devotion)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title - Venice - March - Love Scene - Finale (from Escape Me Never)CD2 Lost Horizon: The Classic Film Scores of Dimitri TiomkinTiomkin, Dimitri Prelude - Foreward Card - Riot in Baskul - Mob Scene at the Refueling Station - After the Plane Crash - Arrival of the Caravan - The Journey over the Mountains - Entrance into Shangri-La - Nocturne - Riding Sequence - The Waterfall - Chinese Children's Scherzo - Bell Sequence - Funeral Cortege of the High Lama - Escape from Shangri-La - Return to Shangri-La (from Lost Horizon)Tiomkin, Dimitri Prelude (from The Guns of Navarone)Tiomkin, Dimitri Prelude - The Forest at Night (Nocturne) - The Wide Missouri (Epilogue) (from The Big Sky)Tiomkin, Dimitri Overture (from The Four Poster)Tiomkin, Dimitri Love Scene in the Barn (from Friendly Persuasion)Tiomkin, Dimitri Choral Finale (from Search for Paradise)CD3 Captain Blood: Classic Film Scores for Errol FlynnSteiner, Max The King- Main Title: Don Juan - The Brocade - Don Juan's Serenade - Parade into London - Don Juan and the Queen - Final Scene (from Adventures of Don Juan)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang The Albatross - The Throne Room of Elizabeth I - Entrance of the Sea Hawks - The Orchid - Panama March - The Duel - Strike for the Shores of Dover (from The Sea Hawk)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Ship in the Night (from Captain Blood)Steiner, Max Morning - The Farewell Before the Battle - Preparation and March - The 7th Calvary - Garry Owen - The Sioux - The Battle of Little Big Horn - Custer's Last Stand (from They Died with Their Boots On)Steiner, Max Warner Bros. Fanfare and Main Title - The Open Prairie - The Iron Horse - Surrett - The Comrades - The Covered Wagon - Grazioso - Abbie and the Children - Wade and Abbie: The Blarney - Abbie's Theme (from Dodge City)Waxman, Franz Parachute Drop (from Objective, Burma)Friedhofer, Hugo Prologue (Solennelle) - The Lights of Paris (from The Sun Also Rises)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang The Archery Tournament - Escape from the Gallows - Robin and Lady Marian - Coronation Procession (from The Adventures of Robin Hood)CD4 Gone with the Wind: Max Steiner's Classic Film ScoreSteiner, Max Main Title: Dixie - Mammy - Tara - Rhett (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Opening Sequence: The Twins - Katie Bell - Ashley - Mammy (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Driving Home - Gerald O'Hara - Scarlett - Tara (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Dance Montage: Charleston Hell and Toe Polka - Southern Belle Waltz - Can Can (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Grazioso - Mammy - Ashley - Ashley and Scarlett - Scarlett, Ashley and Melanie Love Theme (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Civil War - Fall of the South - Scarlett Walks among the Wounded (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max True Love - Ashley Returns to Tara from the War - Tara in Ruins (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Belle Watling (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Reconstruction - The Nightmare - Tara Rebuilt - Bonnie - The Accident (from Gone with the Wind)Steiner, Max Mammy and Melanie on the Staircase - Rhett's SorrowSteiner, Max Apotheosis: Melanie's Death - Scarlett and Rhett - Tara (from Gone with the Wind)CD5 Castile: The Classic Film Scores of Alfred NewmanNewman, Alfred 20th Century Fanfare with the CinemaScope Extension and Street Scene (from How to Marry a Millionaire)Newman, Alfred Pedro and Catana - Conquest (from Captain from Castille)Newman, Alfred Cathy's Theme (from Wuthering Heights)Newman, Alfred Homepipe (from Down to the Sea in Ships)Newman, Alfred Prelude - The Vision (from The Song of Bernadette)Newman, Alfred Main Title (The Hunters) (from The Bravados)Newman, Alfred Main Title (from Anastasia)Newman, Alfred London Calling (from The Best of Everything)Newman, Alfred Main Title (from Airport)Newman, Alfred Main Title - Elegy - Caligula's March - The Map of Jerusalem (from The Robe)CD6 Casablanca: Classic Film Scores for Humphrey BogartSteiner, Max Main Title - The Immigrants - Morrocco - "Sam, I thought I told you never to play…" - As Time Goes By - Flashback: Rick Remembers Paris - Love Scene - The Airport - Major Strasser's Death - "…the beginning of a beautiful friendship" (from Casablanca)Steiner, Max Rescue at Sea (from Passage to Marseille)Steiner, Max Main Title - The Trek to the Gold - Fool's Gold - The Letter - Finale: The Gold Scatters in the Wind (from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)Steiner, Max Love Themes (from The Big Sleep)Steiner, Max March (from The Caine Mutiny)Waxman, Franz Main title: Martinique (from To Have and Have Not)Waxman, Franz Main Title - The Embrace - The Storm - The Poisoned Milk - The Window - Geoffrey's Madness - Finale (from The Two Mrs. Carrolls)Hollander, Frederick Main Title - The Larrabee Estate (from Sabrina)Young, Victor Love Theme (from The Left Hand of God)Rozsa, Miklos Main Title (from Sahara)Steiner, Max Stagecoach - Love Scene (from Virginia City)Steiner, Max Main Title - The Bridge - McCloud and Mr. Temple - Reminiscence - Morning - Finale (from Key Largo)CD7 Citizen Kane: The Classic Film Scores of Bernard HerrmannHerrmann, Bernard The Death Hunt (from On Dangerous Ground)Herrmann, Bernard Prelude: Xandu - Snow Picture (from Citizen Kane)Herrmann, Bernard Theme and Variations (Breakfast Montage) (from Citizen Kane)Herrmann, Bernard Aria from Salammbo (from Citizen Kane)Herrmann, Bernard Rosebud and Finale (from Citizen Kane)Herrmann, Bernard The Sea - The Lagoon (from Beneath the 12-Mile Reef)Herrmann, Bernard Descending (from Beneath the 12-Mile Reef)Herrmann, Bernard The Octopus - Homecoming (from Beneath the 12-Mile Reef)Herrmann, Bernard Concerto Macabre for Piano and Orchestra (from Hanover Square)Herrmann, Bernard Talking Drums - Prelude: The Riverboat - Petticoat Dance - The Safari (from White Witch Doctor)Herrmann, Bernard Tarantula - The Lion (from White Witch Doctor)Herrmann, Bernard Nocturne (from White Witch Dotor)Herrmann, Bernard Abduction of the Bakuba Boy - The Skulls (from White Witch Doctor)Herrmann, Bernard Lonni Bound by Ropes - Departure (from White Witch Doctor)CD8 Sunset Boulevard: The Classic Film Scores of Franz WaxmanWaxman, Franz Prelude - King Aguar's Escape - The Fens - The First Chase - The Tournament - Sir Brack's Death and Finale (from Prince Valiant)Waxman, Franz Prelude - Angela - Loon Lake - Farewell and Frenzy - The Farewell (from A Place in the Sun)Waxman, Franz The Creation of the Female Monster (from The Bride of Frankenstein)Waxman, Franz Main Title - Norma Desmond - The Studio Stroll - The Comeback - Norma as Salome (from Sunset Boulevard)Waxman, Franz Elegy for Strings (from Old Acquaintance)Waxman, Franz Prelude - After the Ball - Mrs. Danvers - Confession Scene - Manderley in Flames (from Rebecca)Waxman, Franz Metro Goldwyn Mayer Fanfare - Main Title - The True Love (from The Philadelphia Story)Waxman, Franz The Ride to Dubno (from Taras Bulba)CD9 Elizabeth and Essex: The Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang KorngoldKorngold, Erich Wolfgang Overture (from The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main title - The Boys Go to Play - Epilogue (from The Prince and the Pauper)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang In the Forest (from Anthony Adverse)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title - Escape in the Fog - Love Scene - Finale (from The Sea Wolf)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Concerto fo Cello and Orchestra in C Major (from Deception)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Night Scene (from Another Dawn)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Main Title - Christmas - Sally - Lullaby - Finale (from Of Human Bondge)CD10 Spellbound: The Classic Film Scores of Miklos RozsaRozsa, Miklos Prelude (from The Red House)Rozsa, Miklos The Morgan Farm - The New Hired Hand - Swimming Scene (fom The Red House)Rozsa, Miklos Meg Finds the Red House (from The Red House)Rozsa, Miklos Teller Shoots at Meg (from The Red House)Rozsa, Miklos Pete's Death and Finale (from The Red House)Rozsa, Miklos The Love of the Princess (from The Thief of Bagdad)Rozsa, Miklos The Bottle - First Meeting (from The Lost Weekend)Rozsa, Miklos The Mouse and the Bat - Nightmare (from The Lost Weekend)Rozsa, Miklos Love Scene and Finale (from The Lost Weekend)Rozsa, Miklos Sunstroke - River Journey (from The Four Feathers)Rozsa, Miklos Mrs. Dietrichson - The Conspiracy (from Double Indemnity)Rozsa, Miklos Scherzo - Hawks in Flight (from Knights of the Round Table)Rozsa, Miklos Song of the Jungle (from The Jungle Book)Rozsa, Miklos The Dream Sequence - The Mountain Lodge (from Spellbound)Rozsa, Miklos Overture (from Ivnhoe)CD11 Now, Voyager: The Classic Film Scores of Max SteinerSteiner, Max Warner Bros. Fanfare and Main Title - Love Scene and Finale (from Now, Voyager)Steiner, Max The Forgotten Island - Natives - Sacrificial Dance - The Gate of Kong - Kong in New York (from King Kong)Steiner, Max As Long as I Live (from Saratoga Trunk)Steiner, Max Forward the Light Brigade (from The Charge of the Light Brigade)Steiner, Max Symphonie Moderne (from Four Wives)Steiner, Max Main Title - Marlowe - Bookshop - Murder - Chase - Love Theme and Finale (from The Big Sleep)Steiner, Max Suite (from Johnny Belinda)Steiner, Max Main Title (from Since You Went Away)Steiner, Max Main Title - Love Scene - Sancta Maria (from The Informer)Steiner, Max Main Title (Roark's Theme) - Dominique's Theme - The Quarry - Construction: Enright's House - Finale: The Wynand Building (from The Fountainhead)CD12 Classic Film Scores of Bette DavisSteiner, Max Warner Bros. Fanfare - "It Can't Be Wrong" (from Now, Voyager)Steiner, Max Blindness (Judith's Theme) - Winter - Resignation (from Dark Victory)Steiner, Max Main Title (from A Stolen Life)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Elizabeth (from The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex)Waxman, Franz Forsaken (from Mr. Skeffington)Steiner, Max Main Title - Stanley and Roy - Finale (from In This Our Life)Newman, Alfred Main Title (from All About Eve)Steiner, Max Waltz (from Jezebel)Steiner, Max Main Title - Rosa Moline - The Train - Rosa's Death (from Byond the Forest)Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Carlotta (from Juarez)Steiner, Max Main Title (from The Letter)Steiner, Max Main Title - Henriette and the Children - Love Scene - Finale - End Cast (from All This, and Heaven Too)

You don't have to be a nostalgia buff to enjoy this 12-disc set of postromantic music from the Golden Age of Hollywood, but these splendid performances may sweep you away anyway. Korngold, Steiner, Newman, Herrmann, Waxman, Rozsa--these composers, most of them trained in the Viennese tradition, dominated the pantheon of Hollywood composers for over 30 years, providing evocative backgrounds for the movies we may love more than any others. The conductor, Charles Gerhardt, drew these admirable performances from the National Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble of musicians representing carefully-chosen members of London symphonies. As you immerse yourself in these performances, magic things may happen: Bogie and Bergman will bid their foggy farewell; Bette Davis will spit out has classic "What a dump!"; the faded-star-gone-mad, Gloria Swanson, will enact her final, tragic "take,"; and that hissing sound you'll hear is Elsa Lanchester, astounding electric hairdo and all, shuffling away to meet her piecemeal mate. Grab this collection and you'll have it all--the European flavor, the nobility, the tenderness, and yes, sometimes even the beguiling schmaltz that surrounded us in the darkness of those cavernous old theaters, most of them sadly gone since our once-sensible world turned itself upside-down.

This is the third time I've purchased this set, which is a set of wonderful but incomplete recordings from Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic during their stint with RCA. The original project consisted of 15 releases; 14 by Gerhardt and one by David Raksin with the New Philharmonia Orchestra in marvelous recording of excerpts and suites of his Laura, Forever Amber and the Bad and the Beautiful. The other two Gerhardts consisted of one album featuring John Williams' Star Wars: A New Hope with a suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The Star Wars Main Title was released on an additional filler album, Spectacular World of Classic Film Scores (RCA 2792-2-RG) and included in that album are: Miklós Rózsa's Julius Cæsar Overture, Franz Waxman's Peyton Place Main Title, Dimitri Tiomkin's Suite from The Thing from Another World, Bernard Herrmann's Attack on the Mountain Stronghold from King of the Khyber Rifles, and Daniele Amfitheatrof's Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome. Too bad they didn't add these: there's plenty of room on the cds.

The Sony/BMG compilation sets the standard for a presentation of large scale film scoring, pre-John Williams. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone not familiar with previous releases of the same performances. Having said that, I have to temper my enthusiasm with some reservations. Firstly, the lack of anything resembling the original liner notes (or an abridgement thereof) does not allow initiates the full context of just how significant this series was when they first appeared. Secondly, to my ears at least, there appears to be no attempt to remaster the very fine sound quality to something resembling contemporary audio standards, more than 40 years later. Thirdly, Sony has no excuse for not including the additional recordings that Charles Gerhardt made for the original sessions, as well as, related items included in Reader's Digest box sets. However, none of this should deter new listeners from acquiring this splendid (and inexpensive) collection.

Old farts like me will recall these recordings with fondness. Many of the soundtracks had never been available. Korngold. Herrmann. Bernstein. North. Waxman. Except for Tiomkin, these recordings are reasonably faithful to the originals. Well worth the money.

The Charles Gerhardt-conducted series of RCA film classics is well regarded in film music circles. This is your chance to purchase them all in a handy space saving box at a great price. This is what 'proper' film music sounds like and which filtered right through the latter half of the 20th century and into the early 21st. Not the dubious diaphanous dirges Hans Zimmer and his cronies produce and neither the 'afraid' to make a mark' composers who are not part of the Zimmer stable. Maybe this reissue will make directors and producers take notice, as they did when released in the 1970s - these recordings had a direct influence on both Spielberg and Lucas wanting more orchestral and symphonic scores in their films .

I had some of these recordings on LP in the 1970's and amazed how well they sound on this set of CDs. Well worth the purchase.

Had the original records in the 1970's. Superb recordings by the National Philharmonic.

Grabaciones de los años 70 de sonido esplendoroso, brillante y espectacular, es decir ¡de cine!Korngold, Steiner, Waxman, Rósza, Newman, Herrmann, Tiomkin y compañía eran compositores de origen o formación europea que vieron en el incipiente Hollywood sonoro la posibilidad de desarrollar su creatividad a la par que aplicaban la épica wagneriana, la sonoridad de Richard Strauss, la grandiosidad orquestal de Rimski Korsakov o el color de Debussy y Ravel.Para el comprador de España traduzco los títulos en castellano con los que se conocen en nuestro país:CD 1 Partituras de KorngoldEl halcón del mar, Cautivo del deseo, Robin de los bosques, Juárez, Abismo de pasión, La ninfa Constanza, Capitán Blood, Anthony Adverse, Entre dos mundos, Engaño, No me abandonesCD 2 Partituras de TomkinHorizontes perdidos, Los cañones de Navarone, Río de sangre, La gran prueba,CD 3 Películas de Errol FlynnLas aventuras de don Juan, El halcón del mar, Capitán Blood, Murieron con las botas puestas, Dodge City, Objetivo Birmania, ¡Fiesta!, Robin de los bosquesCD 4Lo que el viento se llevóCD 5Partituras de Alfred NewmanComo casarse con un millonario, El capitán de Castilla, Cumbres borrascosas, El demonio de las aguas turbias, La canción de Bernadette, El vengador sin piedad, Anastasia, Mujeres frente al amor, Aeropuerto, La túnica sagradaCD 6 Películas de Humphrey BogartCasablanca, Pasaje a Marsella, El tesoro de Sierra Madre, El sueño eterno, El motín del Caine, Tener y no tener, Sabrina, La mano izquierda de Dios, Virginia City, Cayo LargoCD 7 Partituras de Bernard HerrmannLa casa en la sombra, Ciudadano Kane, Duelo en el fondo del mar, La bruja blancaCD 8 Partituras de Franz WaxmanEl príncipe valiente, Un lugar en el sol, La novia de Frankenstein, El crepúsculo de los dioses, Vieja amistad, Rebecca, Historias de Philadelphia, Taras Vulva.CD 9 Partituras clásicas de KorngoldLa vida privada de Elizabeth y Essex, El príncipe y el mendigo, El lobo de mar, Engaño, Cautivo del deseoCD 10 Partituras de Miklos RószaLa casa roja, El ladrón de Bagdad, Días sin huella, Las cuatro plumas, Perdición, Los caballeros de la mesa redonda, El libro de la selva, Recuerda, Ivanhoe.CD 11 Partituras de Max SteinerLa extraña pasajera, King Kong, La exótica, La carga de la brigada ligera, Cuatro esposas, El sueño eterno, Belinda, Desde que te fuiste, El delator, El manantialCD 12 Películas de Bette DaviesLa extraña pasajera, Amarga victoria, La vida privada de Elizabeth y Essex, Eva al desnudo, Jezebel, Juárez, La carta, El cielo y túAunque hay películas que aparecen en discos distintos, la música jamás se repite porque se eligen distintos temas.Si usted está leyendo esta reseña es porque le interesa y se le interesa no debería dudar en adquirir esta antología ni por un segundo.

Viele der hier eingespielten Filmmusiken gehören zur edelsten,inspiriertesten Orchestermusik,die im 20.Jahrhundert geschaffen wurde.Soviel Originalität,nie endenwollende Erfindung,reizvolle Orchestereffekte-in dieser Filmmusik hat sich die klassische Moderne am überzeugendsten entfaltet,nicht in der öden Tristesse der "Neuen Musik"-Sehr guter Klang,kongeniales Dirigat,brilliantes Orchester!