Tribute to E.W. Korngold

On this CD:

1. Juarez, film score
Composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Sedares

2. Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The, film score Main title
Composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Sedares

3. Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The, film score Fanfare and Essex March
Composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Sedares

4. Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The, film score End Title
Composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Sedares

5. Sea Wolf, The, film score
Composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Sedares

Tracks:

Juarez: Main Title
Juarez: Trip Through Mexico
Juarez: French Battle Montage
Juarez: Guerilla Warfare
Juarez: Carlotta Weeps
Juarez: Diaz Arrival
Juarez: The Child And The Adoption
Juarez: Farewall: La Paloma
Juarez: Juarez Walks Through
Juarez: Mad Scene
Juarez: The Dream
Juarez: Maximillian's Surrender
Juarez: Marche Funebre
Juarez: Church Bells
Juarez
Juarez: End Title
Elizabeth And Essex: Main Title
Elizabeth And Essex: Fanfare And Essex March
Elizabeth And Essex: End Title
Sea Wolf: Main Title
Sea Wolf: The Fog
Sea Wolf: The Shipwreck
Sea Wolf: Larsen's Book
Sea Wolf: Blood Transfusion
Sea Wolf: Doctor Is Closer
Sea Wolf: Love Scene
Sea Wolf: Cookie And The Shark
Sea Wolf: Escape And Storm
Sea Wolf: Johnson Is Gone
Sea Wolf: Love Scene
Sea Wolf: Finale
Sea Wolf: End Title

Customer Reviews:

Good, but it could have been much better.......2007-07-16

At the moment this CD was issued, it was a real novelty, because it included for the first time music that had never been re-recordeed before. But, nonetheless, there were many critics to the recording.

In connection with JUAREZ, the recording includes 27:25 minutes of the score. Up to date it is still the most complete re-recording. Before that there existed only the re-recording of the Overture that E.W. Korngold himself assembled (Marco Polo, 1995, The Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rechard Kaufman), which is indeed a BEAUTIFUL self-contained piece of classical music, plus two different versions of the love theme "Carlota", recorded by Charles Gerhardt for RCA "Classic Film Music" Series. But Koch's recording is unfortunately far for complete, and in my opinion does not include the most lyrical aspects of the score, representing mostly atmospheric music (more material related to Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota might have added another more melodical dimension). Also, the music does not seem assembled in a continous suite, but in many unconnected small movements. As a musical experience, it is not the best effort of James Sedares and the NZ Symphony Orchestra. There is no point of comparison with the GREAT re-recording of Miklós Rózsa's EL CID. Thus, in summary, Koch's JUAREZ fills in a gap, but obviously will not be the deffinitive and final re-recording of this beatiful score, in which I have personal interest: my mother was Mexican, and my ancestors and relatives were mostly supporters of Maximilian, so I have knowledge of the musical material used (quite adequately) by Korngold in connection with Mexico. In summary, for Korngold's fans, this CD is a must, associated with Marco Polo's recording of the Overture.

In connection with THE SEA WOLF, this recording (27:01 minutes), has turned outdated by Chandos' complete re-recording (2005, BBC Philharmonic conducted by Rumon Gamba), which contains 55:04 minutes of music plus 4:40 minutes of the trailer. I am not certain if the sound quality of Chandos' recording is my favourite one, but certainly Chandos surpasses Koch's recording, which, as in the already mentioned case of JUAREZ, does not represent a continous single symphonic movement. But, in order to deffend the value of this re-recording, we must remember that before its appearance only Charles Gerhardt's suite (7:28 minutes) existed. But, the sound and recording quality of Gerhardt's recording is MUCH BETTER than the newer and more complete re-recordings.

Regarding ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (6:02 minutes), I cannot understand the reason why it was recorded. Maybe some additional CD minutes might have improved both JUAREZ and THE SEA WOLF. At that time there were already some recordings of Korngold's Overture (especially Gerhardt's, with 7:18 minutes), and, moreover, Varese Sarabande's extended re-recording (65:35 minutes), with Carl Davis conducting The Munich Symphony Orchesta.

In summary, for JUAREZ, this recording is STILL a must. For THE SEA WOLF, it can be replaced. For ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, it is senseless.

A "must" for EWK enthusiasts; a "maybe" for others........2000-01-31

This much delayed (it was recorded in March of 1997!) and slimmed-down (originally to have four rather than 2.2 film "suites") CD is of the goldilocks genre--not great, but not bad either. Going to the numbers: four (out of five stars) for orchestral performances; three for sound quality; five for choice of selections (except for Elizabeth and Essex which barely rates a "one") and the proper ordering thereof; and two for the CD booklet "liner notes"--more on this later. The miking/recording/mixing suffers greatly from the coal-mine cavern syndrome (CMCS) which, sadly, is all too common in modern recordings of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's (EWK) film symphonies. Listeners are confined to the cheap seat at the rear of the hall rather than being intimately surrounded by the orchestra. The Juarez tracks comprise the most extensive of all extant modern recordings of this film symphony--it's almost half an hour long. Unfortunately, more is not necessarily better; tracks sound like a rough sampling (emphasis on the "rough") of the film symphony and often lack inter-track suite cohesiveness (rather inexcusable for an abridgment of the full film symphony). Transitions between tracks usually sound like film jump-cut editing looks. Elizabeth and Essex (the film is also known as "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex") is pleasant, but out classed by several other modern recording (the listener will probably be left with questions like "With a duration of only six minutes, why bother?" and "What's the point?" Beats me!). As for The Sea Wolf, it too is the most extensive of modern recordings released to date of this film symphony--also almost half an hour long--and the real "star of the show." Although the CMCS distracts, the orchestration and performance is flat-out riveting ("wow" seems to be the operative word here). A nonacoustic disappointment is the CD booklet. Nothing new or particularly interesting is presented about EWK, but way, way too much is written about a whole bunch of other folks. This is especially surprising, since Mr. Brendan Carroll (the author of the recent, definitive biography of EWK) is a contributor (albeit a secondary one) to the "liner notes."

Music Review:

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Condensed (Finest Filets 1997-2002)

Classica

Cowell: Music for Strings

Inner Circle

Gundam W Operation V.3 [Import]

Homenaje (Canta Kelman Nunez)

Ennea/Pure Music

Elliot Humberto Kavee

Fortuna (Sanremo 2003) [Import]

Edition Hermann Abendroth, Vol. III - conducts Richard Strauss: Don Juan Op. 20 (recorded 1952); Death and Transfiguration Op. 24 (recorded 1949); Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks Op. 28 (recorded 1950)

Explorations [Import]

Cuban Carnival

Electronica: Headstrong Tripno Funk

Celibidache [Box Set]

The Best of Liza Minnelli