Paul, you asked how the stereo LP compared with the FSM CD.
Well the first pressing of the stereo LP was mastered directly from the stereo album masters.
As for the FSM Treasury, FSM acknowledged that...
"the true stereo album masters had gone missing—and remain lost to this day. The true-stereo master had, however, been released on commercial open-reel ¼-inch tape by MGM Records at the time of the film’s release, and thanks to the generosity of Rózsa Society members Mark Koldys and Herb Norenberg is presented on disc 12 newly mastered from their personal copies of that now-scarce open-reel release."
Open-reel tapes were copied from a "slave master" which, in turn, came from an "open-reel master" supplied by MGM Records to Ampex. The latter, in turn, was at least one generation away from MGM Records' "master tape."
Thank you. I was very disappointed in the sound from the Treasury as the mono lp was clean sounding and very crisp. Your stereo version must be the best of the lot. And for some reason the performance even sounds fresher than what's on the Rhino. Don't mean to beat a dead horse but I never expected to hear new versions of Ben-Hur and KoK. Many thanks James for making this all possible.
I don't know whether James will decide to re-record bonus LP versions of
(1) the "PRELUDE" (with its uncut introduction and concert ending), (2) "THE HOLY OF HOLIES" (with its unique-to-LP extension of the Elder's Theme with added woodwind counterpoint), (3) "PONTIUS PILATE'S ARRIVAL INTO JERUSALEM" (with its faster tempo and brass concert ending), (4) "THE VIRGIN MARY" (with its revised orchestration and coda), (5) "THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST" (with its tightened revision and the addition of a mixed chorus that was not heard in the film version), (6) "JOHN THE BAPTIST" (with its slight revisions), (7) "SALOME'S DANCE" (Rozsa's full version as he had originally composed it), (8) "MOUNT GALILEE and THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT" (with its choral opening and subsequent choral Beatitudes) and (9) "THE PRAYER OF THE LORD" (with its full choral biblical text).
Of the above, (7) and (9) are absolute musts for completeness.
Because of the strange hassles editing KoKs, the score is very jumpy. A piece leaps from John the Baptist's theme to Christ's to Mary's and back again. Rozsa tried to make something more concert friendly with his LP, but the short span and simplifications mean it's not fully representative. It's a snapshot album.
KoKs is a score which I think needs a different approach. Pieces re-sequenced (as with the Decca Quo Vadis?) to create a work of art worthy of the subject matter. I know this'll not be popular here. The score is one of his best, and the themes are indescribably apt.
There are though, pieces in KoKs that just aren't right, wonderful score though it is. In one scene we hear Ponty Pilate's march tune in a sort of quiet soap-opera segue to a scene in the palace. That's a terrible idea for example.
Rozsa also improved pieces for the album, 'Pilate's Arrival' is double-timed and jaunty and given added bass and piano ostinato, and cheeky doubling of the punctuation fanfares. If only that could be used rather than the plodding thing on the OST. You could still add the well music afterwards. 'Holy of Holies' is an extended version of 'The Scrolls', and he really captures something authentically Hebraic with that final coda using unison woodwinds etc.. Not in the film. And look at the extended liturgical composition for 'Sermon on the Mount' and the LP Lord's Prayer.
It needs a real think-through.
Be advised that the Rhino notes are not free of cock-ups. Somebody tried to take Rozsa's sleeve notes and relate them to the OST tracks. This was a mistake, since Rozsa reinterpreted the pieces in his notes. He cared more about the concept than the film. 'Virgin Mary', an exquisite little piece, relates to Nazareth and childhood, not to Xmas or 'Road to Bethlehem', and consequently the Rhino notes place it at the wrong track, and describe the orchestration wrongly. That's because (a) Rozsa moved the interpretation in his notes, and (b) the compilers didn't listen to the actual piece! 'John the Baptist' from the LP relates not to the Jordan but to the 'John's Message' prison scenes. So that's wrong too. And 'Temptation of Christ' becomes embarrassingly 'Last Temptation of Christ'. No way was that Rozsa! So the notes on the Rhino just weren't proofchecked. And the original production ballyhoo will please the nostalgists but nobody much else.
It's a very fine 2CD though, and actually sounds very good.
Interesting, but I expected more love for the Rhino. I tend to be more forgiving of the sound though, it's probably just my heart leading my ears.
I do dearly love this score, though.
The Rhino was absolutely thrilling for most of us when it was initially released. Most of us have accepted its limitations. Having heard FSM's crisp and superior remastering of BEN-HUR, we (perhaps) could have expected a similar remastering of KING OF KINGS. But with a new Tadlow recording we will get an all new loving treatment of the score.
One more thing, and I hope James takes notice of this.
There is a YouTube feature on Jeffrey Hunter that features an extended version of the film's RESURRECTION and FINALE not found on the Rhino (from 2:56 to 5:12). I do not know the source of this, but it is authentic and majestic.
Interesting, but I expected more love for the Rhino. I tend to be more forgiving of the sound though, it's probably just my heart leading my ears.
I do dearly love this score, though.
The Rhino was absolutely thrilling for most of us when it was initially released. Most of us have accepted its limitations. Having heard FSM's crisp and superior remastering of BEN-HUR, we (perhaps) could have expected a similar remastering of KING OF KINGS. But with a new Tadlow recording we will get an all new loving treatment of the score.
I think FSM Ben Hur Complete basically proved what could be achieved in audio when the proper care is given. I still get knocked out by the sound on that box, and not just because it was recorded over fifty years ago. That box was a total triumph...I still haven't gotten around to the other discs, because the first two sound SO good: as you mentioned crisp and at time wonderfully clear, powerful. I was knocked out enough by the Anno Domini from the Diamond Blu Ray an Tadlow...getting the Complete set after those amazed me by being great enough to still leave a resoundingly positive impression on me.
I also think Ben Hur is a great example of re-recordings and remasters done right, and ample proof of the just how vitally important to art (and more importantly, to people) the best film scores are. That they more than deserve new editions.
Fascinating reading the liner notes for KoK about the dutiful process of recording score to an epic film. What bothered me was that upon glancing at it MR was chastised for writing too many themes for it. Gladly he ignored this and continued to make glorious musical themes with Ben-Hur and subsequent others. Makes my Rhino cd even more precious to own, regardless of the very minor flaws, but now curious in what Tadlow has to offer completists.
Fascinating reading the liner notes for KoK about the dutiful process of recording score to an epic film. What bothered me was that upon glancing at it MR was chastised for writing too many themes for it. Gladly he ignored this and continued to make glorious musical themes with Ben-Hur and subsequent others. Makes my Rhino cd even more precious to own, regardless or the minor flaws.
That's really interesting to me about the maestro being chastised for one of the best things about his compositions imo. All the wonderful themes in his best scores...one of the most important parts of his style, right? He was a terrific theme writer imo.
I listened to Red House (the Intrada) again last night...having so much there and so well done makes it worth repeated listenings. That's also what tends to single out some of the best Rozsa from the not so great: I know this won't be popular, but scores like Spellbound kind of beat that one theme to death. It would have been yet another sensational effort had he done what it seems he was more wont to do: add more themes....
In the case of Spellbound in particular, I feel there was still motivic potential to be introduced and explored among the separate characters. I feel there was missed opportunity...however, a lot of that might have been limited due to Hitchcock's egomania. He probably would have felt a more thematic, motivically rich score would have been even more in the way of his overbearing direction.
I listened to Red House (the Intrada) again last night...having so much there and so well done makes it worth repeated listenings. That's also what tends to single out some of the best Rozsa from the not so great: I know this won't be popular, but scores like Spellbound kind of beat that one theme to death. It would have been yet another sensational effort had he done what it seems he was more wont to do: add more themes....
Totally agree that one of Rozsa's great strengths is his seemingly inexhaustible ability to come up with themes (combined with his ability to vary and develop them). Not sure that Spellbound beats to death one theme though. If you listen to the Spellbound Concerto in the full 22 minute version you find it's a very well rounded score with many themes, such that most composers would be extremely envious. In fact I never really understood the hate against Spellbound the score as opposed to the film. (I don't care for the re-recording as it suffers from a bad case of the slows, but that's a separate issue). Take a listen to the full Spellbound Concerto and see what you think.
P.S. Just checked and unfortunately it's out of print, highly expensive and not even available on YouTube. Could be ripe for re-release.
I listened to Red House (the Intrada) again last night...having so much there and so well done makes it worth repeated listenings. That's also what tends to single out some of the best Rozsa from the not so great: I know this won't be popular, but scores like Spellbound kind of beat that one theme to death. It would have been yet another sensational effort had he done what it seems he was more wont to do: add more themes....
Totally agree that one of Rozsa's great strengths is his seemingly inexhaustible ability to come up with themes (combined with his ability to vary and develop them). Not sure that Spellbound beats to death one theme though. If you listen to the Spellbound Concerto in the full 22 minute version you find it's a very well rounded score with many themes, such that most composers would be extremely envious. In fact I never really understood the hate against Spellbound the score as opposed to the film. (I don't care for the re-recording as it suffers from a bad case of the slows, but that's a separate issue). Take a listen to the full Spellbound Concerto and see what you think.
P.S. Just checked and unfortunately it's out of print, highly expensive and not even available on YouTube. Could be ripe for re-release.
Actually I think you're talking about the Intrada Spellbound, and that (besides in the movie) is the only one I know. Sounds to me as though I should try another recording, because the Intrada puts me to sleep.
I'm far from hateful re Spellbound. It's Rozsa, so hate doesn't exist in my vocabulary for his music. He and Bernard are tied for fifth place in my rankings of overall composers (not just film). Even scores I don't like as much by him I still revere. Same with Bernard and (slowly but surely gaining) Alfred Newman.
Totally agree about Rozsa's pedigree composing of writing scores for the epics and an impressive list too: KoK, Julius Caesar, El Cid, Ben-Hur, Quo Vadis!
The temptations are by far my favorite part of the score. The sinister and repeated downward plodding towards Hell finally overcome by Christ's admonishment and the majestic buildup towards the KoK theme!
The two-piano version of the full Spellbound concerto is available on Spotify, part of the Varese Centenary collection. I love this version. And especially the album it come from, one of two conducted by Elmer Bernstein in the 80's. (The whole album is scattered through this collection.)
Paul, you asked how the stereo LP compared with the FSM CD.
Well the first pressing of the stereo LP was mastered directly from the stereo album "disc masters."
As for the FSM Treasury, FSM acknowledged that...
"the true stereo album masters had gone missing—and remain lost to this day. The true-stereo master had, however, been released on commercial open-reel ¼-inch tape by MGM Records at the time of the film’s release, and thanks to the generosity of Rózsa Society members Mark Koldys and Herb Norenberg is presented on disc 12 newly mastered from their personal copies of that now-scarce open-reel release."
Open-reel tapes were copied from a "slave master" which, in turn, was copied from an "open-reel master" supplied by MGM Records to Ampex. The latter, in turn, was at least one generation away from MGM Records' "master tape."
Paul, you asked how the stereo LP compared with the FSM CD.
Well the first pressing of the stereo LP was mastered directly from the stereo album "disc masters."
As for the FSM Treasury, FSM acknowledged that...
"the true stereo album masters had gone missing—and remain lost to this day. The true-stereo master had, however, been released on commercial open-reel ¼-inch tape by MGM Records at the time of the film’s release, and thanks to the generosity of Rózsa Society members Mark Koldys and Herb Norenberg is presented on disc 12 newly mastered from their personal copies of that now-scarce open-reel release."
Open-reel tapes were copied from a "slave master" which, in turn, was copied from an "open-reel master" supplied by MGM Records to Ampex. The latter, in turn, was at least one generation away from MGM Records' "master tape."
I think those KING OF KINGS album masters might have "gone missing" in England in the early 1970s when MGM/Polydor released a series of MGM soundtrack reissues under the banner "Silver Screen Soundtrack Series." Their reissue of KING OF KINGS sounded fantastic! It was pressed on really quiet vinyl, and had amazing clarity. I own both the MGM stereo LP box and this British reissue. As far as audio, the reissue wins hands down on all fronts. I would find it difficult to believe this LP was not produced from the original album master tapes.
After that brilliant 1970s British stereo LP reissue, only terrible things arrived. The MCA 1980s LP reissue was in mono and the 1990 British EMI CD (coupled with THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD) was in simulated stereo re-created from a mono source.
Later, of course, the great Rhino set arrived, but then we are talking about the original tracks and not the re-recording done for the MGM LP.
