It was a most happy coincidence that the arrival
of my review copy of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s splendid Robin
Hood score, gloriously reconstructed by John Morgan, should coincide
with the film itself being screened here in Dallas at the Magnolia
Theatre (our finest Art House). So, after first having a listen
to the disc, I decided to run off to the theatre and enjoy the
music in its authentic setting. And enjoy it I did.
For the first time, we have a complete recording
of Korngold’s brilliant 1938 score. In twenty-five numbers and
seventy-eight minutes, the Moscow Philharmonic gives us a most
excellent account of music, which although created to heighten
the screen drama, works extremely well as an absolute listening
experience. There is, of course, much to be admired with the craftsmanship
of the great Korngold, who ranks certainly amongst this writer’s
very favorite composers. The composer captures the essence of
both the legendary Robin Hood stories themselves, while at the
same time, creating music that is worthy of the Technicolor screen
spectacle.
The film itself is a masterpiece. Of course,
it is an idealized fairy tale of good triumphing over evil, and
none of the true hardships and entanglements of medieval life
are realistically portrayed, but for a sixty-plus year old film,
it has barely dated, and then in only the most charming of ways.
This recording is years overdue, and for many
film music fans, is sure to be a very welcome addition to the
catalog. As program annotator Rudy Behlmer gives account, soundtrack
recordings were simply unavailable in the golden age of Hollywood,
and since there were neither television reruns nor home video
equipment at the time, a fan of film music had only the time in
which the picture was running in the local cinema to enjoy the
score. Heretofore only about half of the nearly eighty minute
score was available on record.
There are many singable tunes here, especially
the main theme with its flashy brass fanfare-like march. Also
of note are the delightfully swashbuckling action sequences that
underscore the big fight scene in Sir Guy’s castle, Robin’s dramatic
escape from the gallows, and the final defeat of evil Prince John’s
forces.
As with any good film score though, I highly
recommend that you view the film between listenings to
this disc. I promise that it will greatly enhance your enjoyment
of both the film and the music when you can put the two together
in your mind.
Marco Polo have assembled one of the very finest
and most informative booklets that I have ever seen for a recording.
The twenty-seven pages are packed with wonderful information,
not only about the history of the film itself, but of Korngold
and his life and work. In addition, there is an excellent listening
guide to help enhance your experience even more. For any lover
of great symphonic music, this is a sure winner. Add to it the
first-rate performance and above-and-beyond production values;
I can confidently say that no serious collector should pass this
one by.
Kevin Sutton
see also double
review by Rob Barnett and Ian Lace
Moscow Symphony Orchestra