Yeah, I'm largely in line with your old opinion of Steiner (and certainly Stothart, most Tiomkin, and even a lot of Victor Young for the same reasons). There are certainly exceptions -- I greatly enjoy Tribute's recording She and since childhood have loved The Flame and the Arrow. But so much of his work sounds like talented hackery to me...but your opinion changed so I guess there's hope for mine to as well...
Yes, the shark motif from Jaws appears virtually note for note in Franz Waxman's score for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), and is used to indicate menace as Hyde stalks his victim. Waxman's amazing score needs a new complete recording in modern sound.
Yes, the shark motif from Jaws appears virtually note for note in Franz Waxman's score for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), and is used to indicate menace as Hyde stalks his victim. Waxman's amazing score needs a new complete recording in modern sound.
At the risk of naming names, Ray Faiola (sp?) has commented that the master tapes for HELEN and KING RICHARD have gone missing. It may not be possible to have a release of the original score, but I'd love a Tadlow or Tribute rerecording of the score.
Warner gave HELEN a big push back in the fifties, and I've always been amazed that there wasn't a soundtrack album for it.
I don't think you made a comment on the recent OBSESSION thread. I believe that you were in charge of the Pioneer Special Editions laserdisc that presented the score on an isolated audio track. In your opinion, are the tapes for the OBSESSION score still within reach, if a label wished to release a CD of Herrmann's complete score?
Basil: Re: "I've also always been amused by the battle scenes where Max invented the 2-note shark motif John Williams used in 'Jaws'."
And I always thought that John Williams got it from Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring"!
No. I remember reading that Stravinski's "Rite of Spring" was 50 years ahead of its time, which would place it seven years after Helen of Troy.
Just for those innocents here who may have misunderstood your jest and assumed that you were correcting me, Stravinsky finished his "Rite of Spring" by 1913.
If my memory serves me well, I read that Stravinski might have had the idea as back as 1907-8, and after it was developed in 1913 for the Ballets Russes Paris season.
I did not have them at that time- but consider, since then, Sony remixed the entire film for true stereo in 5.1 I think. Complete stereo tapes were in the Herrmann collection at USC Santa Barbara.
