Film Music Classics - Steiner: Music For The Films
Naxos

Film Music Classics - Steiner: Music For The Films

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Details

Composer
STEINER, MAX
Artist
William Stromberg
Format
CD
Discs
1
Label
Naxos
Released
Sep 25, 2007
Catalog #
8570184
UPC
747313018475

About

Standards strongly maintained– giving a budget price injection to a notably well curated series.

This is another emigrant from Marco Polo [8.570184] and joins the Naxos Film Music Classics series, a burgeoning one that reflects well on the company’s steady devotion to the art on disc. The music is by Max Steiner and was written for two Bette Davis vehicles, All This, and Heaven Too and the post-War A Stolen Life.

One thing that distinguishes the series, apart from the purely musical values embodied by the Moscow Symphony’s performance under the experienced John Morgan, is the nature and quality of the supporting notes; you won’t necessarily want to plough through the purely theatrical-dramatic ramifications, nor – if you’re not much of a cineaste – will you much be exercised by what Bette Davis thought, or didn’t think about her roles in these films; but it’s good to know that these details are here.

All This, and Heaven Too has a hundred minutes of music, which is here condensed to under half that length by means of eliminating repetition and such like. The orchestration is by Hugo Friedhofer, whom Steiner held in the highest professional esteem for his work – and no wonder. The result is a kind of through-composed Wagnerian approach, rich, vibrant, exciting and fully up to the expected Steiner Standard.

There are twelve cuts and some run scenes together. The Carriage Ride scene, for instance, lasts a mere 1:32 whilst track eight holds All Hallows Eve, the Lotis Song, Springtime and the Carousel and consequently lasts 5:42. The Duke’s Dying and finale lasts an even longer 7:28. In other words there is plenty of variety both musical and in terms of cutting.

That Carriage Ride is written in Steiner’s best light and airy style whereas A Night To Remember for Louise is full of rich, verdant and gorgeous lyricism. A feature of the writing is the opposition between the open-hearted lyricism of the love music and the more eerie, malevolent writing; for such things Steiner reserves percussion and here we find him using two pianos and celesta and more besides. Romance and portent hover over the final scene before the End Cast – always a good feature of the series in presenting an "authentic" listening experience.

The companion work is a more sparsely and simply orchestrated affair lasting twenty-six minutes in this reconstruction. Best to pass over the note’s reference to a "sea chanty" and better to concentrate on the precision of the writing and its effective realisation. A Stolen Life has a central storm scene which is the opposite of grandiose in its orchestration – instead the clever use of the piano effectively evokes the hubbub without undue exaggeration. There are some splendid little dance moments and some cod Nauticalia that amuses.

Standards are strongly maintained in this release – giving a budget price injection to a notably well curated series.

-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International

Tracklist 19 tracks

  1. 1 Main Title 01:40
    Track
    1
    Title
    Main Title
    Duration
    01:40
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  2. 2 To France - The Caretaker - The Duke 02:39
    Track
    2
    Title
    To France - The Caretaker - The Duke
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  3. 3 Carriage Ride 01:32
    Track
    3
    Title
    Carriage Ride
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  4. 4 Henriette - Gluck: Armida: Overture 02:16
    Track
    4
    Title
    Henriette - Gluck: Armida: Overture
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  5. 5 A Night to Remember for Louise 03:46
    Track
    5
    Title
    A Night to Remember for Louise
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  6. 6 Mysteries of Life 03:34
    Track
    6
    Title
    Mysteries of Life
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  7. 7 The Smiles of Hypocrisy 03:14
    Track
    7
    Title
    The Smiles of Hypocrisy
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  8. 8 All Hallows Eve - Lotis Song - Springtime - The Carousel 05:42
    Track
    8
    Title
    All Hallows Eve - Lotis Song - Springtime - The Carousel
    Duration
    05:42
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Symphony Chorus, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  9. 9 Reunion and Understanding - Springtime Again - Henriette 07:16
    Track
    9
    Title
    Reunion and Understanding - Springtime Again - Henriette
    Duration
    07:16
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  10. 10 Jailed 03:22
    Track
    10
    Title
    Jailed
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  11. 11 Rushing to a Dying Duke - The Duke - Final Farewell 07:28
    Track
    11
    Title
    Rushing to a Dying Duke - The Duke - Final Farewell
    Duration
    07:28
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Symphony Chorus, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  12. 12 Finale - End Cast 02:25
    Track
    12
    Title
    Finale - End Cast
    Duration
    02:25
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  13. 13 Main Title - Sailor's Hornpipe 03:56
    Track
    13
    Title
    Main Title - Sailor's Hornpipe
    Duration
    03:56
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  14. 14 A Stolen Life - Twins 06:43
    Track
    14
    Title
    A Stolen Life - Twins
    Duration
    06:43
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  15. 15 Karnock - Shopping Tour 02:56
    Track
    15
    Title
    Karnock - Shopping Tour
    Duration
    02:56
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  16. 16 Storm - Aftermath 04:26
    Track
    16
    Title
    Storm - Aftermath
    Duration
    04:26
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  17. 17 Interlude 01:50
    Track
    17
    Title
    Interlude
    Duration
    01:50
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  18. 18 Talbot and Confrontation 02:25
    Track
    18
    Title
    Talbot and Confrontation
    Duration
    02:25
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg
  19. 19 Finale 03:56
    Track
    19
    Title
    Finale
    Duration
    03:56
    Composer
    Max Steiner
    Ensemble
    Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Stromberg