City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

The Incredible Film Music Box

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AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann

Silva Screen Records devotes itself to making new recordings of old film music, usually employing the (presumably non-unionized) City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The label has been at this task for some time, and thus has built up quite a library of recordings, which allows it to recycle its material in compilations like this one. Spanning four discs, with a running time approaching four-and-a-half hours, The Incredible Film Music Box seems intended as a kind of omnibus collection to be popped into a multi-CD player and provide an evening's worth of often quite familiar movie music. Unfortunately, whoever designed the cover added a legend that reads, "Celebrating music from the "Greatest Box Office Hits' of the last 60 years," which is not true. To begin with, the first three of the 56 selections (sequenced in chronological order of the films' releases), the overtures from Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane, and an instrumental treatment of the song "As Time Goes By," heard in Casablanca, date from more than 60 years before this album's 2005 release. Then, too, the emphasis on "box office hits" is problematic. That is a quantifiable (if disputable) measure for inclusion, and the collection simply does not live up to it. According to www.filmsite.org, for example, only 11 of the 56 biggest box office hits of the past 60 years have music included here: Titanic, Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Jaws, The Incredibles, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, and Saving Private Ryan. (That is considering the list of top money makers as of 2005 without regard to inflation; the adjusted list would also include Gone with the Wind, Doctor Zhivago, Ben-Hur, and The Godfather, but back out some of the more recent titles, such that a mere ten of the 56 highest grossers would be featured.) Nor are these the most celebrated scores; only 12 were Academy Award winners. But what the collection does have going for it is familiarity. "The Harry Lime Theme" from The Third Man, "Colonel Bogey March" from The Bridge on the River Kwai, the main theme from The Magnificent Seven, the overture from Lawrence of Arabia, the main title music from The Great Escape, the main theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, "Also Sprach Zarathustra," interpolated into 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Wendy Carlos synthesizer arrangement of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" from A Clockwork Orange -- these are all musical works that have entered the public consciousness, and they do come from successful films, if not actually "the greatest box office hits of the last 60 years." The orchestra (heard on all but six tracks) handles them adequately for the most part, though the pieces that have become closely associated with particular recordings, such as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky suffer in obviously inferior treatments that ape the hit versions. The Incredible Film Music Box doesn't justify its billing, but it does fulfill its main function, to present a big collection of well-known film music in a single package.

Track Listing - Disc 1

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Gone With the Wind, film score
1	Overture Max Steiner	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	06:26	Amazon
Citizen Kane, film score
2	Overture Bernard Herrmann	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	02:46
3	As Time Goes By, song Herman Hupfeld	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:07
It's A Wonderful Life, film score
4	It's a Wonderful Life Dimitri Tiomkin	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	02:35
5	The Third Man Theme (Harry Lime Theme) Anton Karas	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Gertrud Huber	02:23
The Searchers, film score
6	Suite Max Steiner	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	07:21
7	Colonel Bogey March, for band (or orchestra) Kenneth J. Alford	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:06
Vertigo, film score
8	Prelude Bernard Herrmann	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:00
Touch of Evil, film score
9	Main Title Henry Mancini	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: National Youth Jazz Orchestra	05:57
10	Parade of the Charioteers (from Ben-Hur) Miklós Rózsa	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:39
North by Northwest, film score
11	Prelude Bernard Herrmann	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:21
Psycho, film score
12	Suite Bernard Herrmann	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	07:24
The Magnificent Seven, film score
13	Themes Elmer Bernstein	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:52
Lawrence of Arabia, film score
14	Suite Maurice Jarre	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:39

Track Listing - Disc 2

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
To Kill a Mockingbird, film score
1	Suite Elmer Bernstein	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	08:23
The Great Escape, film score
2	Main Title Elmer Bernstein	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	02:18
Doctor Zhivago, film score
3	Main Title & Lara's Theme Maurice Jarre	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	05:28
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo), film score
4	Themes Ennio Morricone	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	02:53
Once Upon a Time in the West, film score
5	Jill's Theme Ennio Morricone	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	06:09
Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zoroaster), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 30 (TrV 176)
6	Introduction Richard Strauss	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	01:52
Midnight Cowboy, film score
7	Theme John Barry	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:59
Get Carter, film score (1971)
8	Main Title Roy Budd	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Gareth Williams	05:15
A Clockwork Orange, film score
9	Ode to Joy (Beethoven) Wendy Carlos	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Mark Ayres	05:35
The Godfather, film score
10	Waltz & Love Theme Nino Rota	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	06:27
Jaws, film score
11	Themes John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	02:16
Rocky, film score
12	Gonna Fly Now Bill Conti	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	04:42
13	Night Piece, suite from "Taxi Driver," for saxophone & orchestra (arr. by Christopher Palmer) Bernard Herrmann	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	08:03
Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope, film score
14	A New Hope John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	05:27

Track Listing - Disc 3

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
Superman, film score
1	Main Theme John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	04:11
Alien, film score
2	End Title Jerry Goldsmith	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	03:51
Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act
3	Intermezzo Pietro Mascagni	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	03:22
Raiders of the Lost Ark, film score
4	Raider's March John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	05:28
Blade Runner, film score
5	End Titles Vangelis	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Mark Ayres	04:46
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, film score
6	Adventures on Earth John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	10:53
Once Upon a Time in America, film score
7	Deborah's Theme Ennio Morricone	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	04:45
Back To the Future, film score
8	Main Theme Alan Silvestri	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:26
Witness, film score
9	Building the Barn Maurice Jarre	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:40
Aliens, film score
10	Main Theme James Horner	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:50
Nuovo cinema paradiso, film score (aka Cinama Paradiso)
11	Unspecified excerpt Ennio Morricone	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:34
Glory, film score
12	Charging Fort Wagner James Horner	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	03:01
Dances with Wolves, film score
13	The John Dunbar Theme John Barry	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	02:33
14	Claudia's Theme (from movie The Unforgiven) Clint Eastwood	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	06:20

Track Listing - Disc 4

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
The Piano, film score
1	The Heart Asks Pleasure First Michael Nyman	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:45
Schindler's List, film score
2	Main Theme John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:03
Braveheart, film score
3	End Credits James Horner	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	07:04
Titanic, film score
4	My Heart Will Go On James Horner	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	05:02
Saving Private Ryan, film score
5	Hym to the Fallen John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	06:04
American Beauty, film score
6	Any Other Name Thomas Newman	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Rick Clark	03:51
Gladiator, film score
7	Now We Are Free Lisa Gerrard / Hans Zimmer	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:24
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, film score
8	The Fellowship Howard Shore	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feat: Crouch End Festival Chorus	05:52
Girl with a Pearl Earring, film score
9	Grief's Theme Alexandre Desplat	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	04:22
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, film score
10	Suite Klaus Badelt	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	07:33
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, film score
11	Suite John Williams	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	07:00
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, film score
12	The Letter that Never Came Thomas Newman	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:57
Finding Neverland, film score
13	Impossible Opening Jan A.P. Kaczmarek	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:38
The Incredibles, film score
14	Overture (Road Trip / The Glory Days) Michael Giacchino	City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	03:32

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