Jerome MOROSS
The Big Country
The Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Tony Bremner
SILVA SCREEN FILMCD 724
[54:57]. (Reissue: recording made in 1988 Remastered in HNCD and Surround
Sound with a newly recorded Main Title performed by the City of Prague
Philharmonic conducted by Nic Raine.)
Jerome Moross seems destined to be remembered for this score alone such was
the huge impact it made at the time but, of course he wrote many other memorable
scores, The Cardinal for instance and SILVA promise us an album soon that
will redress this balance.
This recording was one of the first that SILVA SCREEN issued way back in
the late 1980s. The recording then was a vast improvement on the original
LP which sounded thin and as if it had been engineered in an echo chamber.
I well remember being blown out of my seat by the sheer impact of the epic
sweeping Main Title when I saw this film on its release in 1958. This score
has it all the thunderous charge and tension of ‘The Raid and Capture’
and ‘The War Party Gathers’; the humour of ‘Old Thunder’
and the romance of ‘Courtin Time’ plus the dances from Major
Terrill’s party.
A welcome return of a major classic western score; one that new students
of film music should really get to know.
Reviewer
Ian Lace
