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Cinema Classics 2007 – Classical Music Made Famous In Films
1. Scoop: Grieg: Morning Mood from Peer Gynt, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, cond. Bjarte Engeset (from 8.557017) [4:01]
2. Rocky Balboa: Verdi: La donna è mobile from Rigoletto:Thomas Harper (tenor), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Michael Halász (from 8.550497) [2:19]
3. The History Boy: Rachmaninov: Adagio from Piano Concerto No. 2, Bernd Glemser (piano), Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Antoni Wit (from 8.550810) [11:03]
4. Marie Antoinette: Rameau: Overture to Castor et Pollux, Aradia Ensemble, cond. Kevin Mallon (from 8.660118-19) [4:03]
5. The Queen: Verdi: Libera me from Requiem,Elena Filipova (soprano), Hungarian State Opera Orchestra & Choir, cond. Pier Giorgio Morandi (from 8.550944-45) [5:54]
6. Casanova: Handel: Bourrée from Music for the Royal Fireworks, Aradia Ensemble, cond. Kevin Mallon (from 8.557764) [3:06]
7. The Departed: Dvorak: Song to the Moon from Rusalka, Jana Valaskova (soprano), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Johannes Wildner (from 8.553166) [5:54]
8. The Prestig:e Chopin: ‘Butterfly’ Étude, Idil Biret (piano) (from 8.554528) [1:10]
9. All The King’s Men: Mozart: Una donna a quindici anni from Così fan tutte
Priti Coles (soprano), Capella Istropolitana, cond. Johannes Wildner (from 8.553172) [4:12]
10. Factory Girl: Mozart: Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21, Jenő Jandó, piano with the Concentus Hungaricus, cond. András Ligeti (from 8.550434) [6:44]
11. The Gigolos: Bizet: Duet from The Pearl Fishers, Janez Lotrič (tenor), Igor Morosov (baritone), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Johannes Wildner (from 8.555797) [5:50]
12. V For Vendetta: Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra
cond.Theodore Kuchar (from 8.555923) [15:33]
NAXOS 8.556834 [70:56]

As usual Naxos has been quick to capitalise on releasing a disc of music used in a number of 2007 cinema hits by raiding their own catalogue and hopefully encouraging punters to buy the complete records. I hope they do for they could do a lot worse as many of these discs are well worth the small investment required from Naxos. While it’s perfectly true that hardcore classical fans will have much of what is detailed here already most who have seen the films will not and I cannot think of a better, cheaper and more accessible way to introduce some fabulous music to the masses. I for one had not got a recording of Verdi’s “La donna é mobile” and now I have and it will help remind me of when I had to mime it to Placido Domingo’s recording on stage when I played in Ronald Harwood’s play “Quartet” about 4 retired opera singers in a home. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto will always remind me of the film “The Seven Year Ich” rather than “The History Boys” even though I only saw that recently whereas how many years can it have been since I saw Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell … Suffice to say that I bought one of my first ever LPs on the strength of hearing the music in that film. There’s no doubt about it that music is an extremely powerful way of rolling back the years and bringing back memories. One of my favourite songs of all time is “Song to the Moon” from Dvořák’s Rusalka and the recording here is very lovely and, again, I had not got it until now. Those of us “of a certain age” will forever associate the andante from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 with the film “Elvira Madigan” in which that music played such prominent role. I shall always link the duet from “The Pearl Fishers” with my first ever experience of opera that my mother took me to and I still have a very soft spot for it for that reason. I also remember another of the first records I ever bought was the 1812 overture which used real cannon, and the recording here is just as exciting. All in all I enjoyed this trip down my own musical memory lane and hope it does similar things for legions of others.

Steve Arloff

 

 

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