HERRMAN/NEWMAN: The Egyptian

Moscow Symphony Orchestra;
Stromberg, William

8.557702

John Morgan has done a characteristically superb job in reconstructing the music from the forgotten 1955 epic, The Egyptian, presenting the best of the 100-minute score for a 71-minute CD. The score was a collaborative effort between Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Newman, who wrote 11 of the 30 tracks on this CD. Beginning with an ‘exotic’ prelude by Newman, with wordless chorus, the score is full of imagination, with Herrmann providing the more adventurous writing next to Newman’s more typically romantic-film approach. Striking numbers include Herrmann’s The Chariot Ride and Dance Macabre, while Newman’s Valley of the Kings is suitably atmospheric. Both composers were of course masters of film music, and it says much that their respective styles work so well with each other. Both composers plainly pulled out all the stops for this project, though that clearly wasn’t enough to save the film. The music is, of course, well worth saving. Excellent performances and sound. • Penguin Guide, January 2009

CD

Muzyka klasyczna

Naxos

22-02-2005

747313270224