Author
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Topic: SFT in need of assistance...
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SFT
OscarŽ Winner
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Okay, I´m currently considering buying the following scores:The Portrait of a Lady (Kilar) Mimic (Beltrami) The Agony & the Ecstasy (North) Who´s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (North) The Misfits (North) Viva Zapata! (North) Spartacus (North) The Sound & the Fury (North) Basic Instinct (Goldsmith) What do you guys think of these scores? Any advice? Give me lots of insightfull insights, great reviews and thoughtfull comments, THANKS! SFT NP: Taxi Driver, Bernard Herrmann *****/*****
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posted 02-08-2000 12:01 AM PT (US) ip
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Mark Hatfield
OscarŽ Winner
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Hi!
You MUST PURCHASE the score for THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY! I assume that you're considering the recording presided over by Jerry Goldsmith (it is the one that I have, and the only one I know about that is currently available). This is absolutely stunning work, composed by North when he was obviously at the top of his game. Would that I were more musically educated -- I would love to deconstruct it for you, but am firmly ensconced in the "Uh, LIKE/Uh, DON'T LIKE" School of Music Appreciation, Imbecile Division.
Let me give it a try (filed under Game Effort, Insightful Comments):
The recording itself seems to me to be crisp and exhibits a great degree of dynamic range. I suspect that with Goldsmith conducting this piece was given much care and performed with passion. Even to a dunce like me, the piece itself is a marvel....stunning in its drama through the first listening; then revealing thematic complexity with each subsequent experience. How's that? 
Last disclaimer: I have stated repeatedly my adoration of well-executed bombast in film scoring. If that is not for you, you may end up passing on THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY. While there are wonderfully melodic (and quite beautiful) passages in this, the score seems (to me, anyway) to find its fullest expression in its most dramatic moments.
All gibberish above is IMHO, of course. NP: AMERICAN BEAUTY 5/5*
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posted 02-08-2000 12:31 AM PT (US) ip
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Cole
OscarŽ Winner
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I second The Agony and the Ecstacy. It is a wonderfully composed score and the above review is very accurate. Technically and compositionally it is stunning and the recording/performance do the work justice.
Other works that I recomend are The Portrait of a Lady and Basic Instinst. Both are very dramatic and well written (which for me - a composer - is a must.) Portrait of a Lady has great themes that are very maturely written. It is a very English sounding score; plus some works by Schubert which are wonderfull (I love the Death and the Maiden - too bad you only get the second movement here.)
Basic Instinct is just a great score - that's all there is to it. It is eerie and mysterious and sexy; and one of Goldsmith's best (imo)
Mimic is a really good score with some larger orchestral stuff than on Beltrami's scores to the Scream movies
I am always one for never buying more than one score by the same composer at once so that's why I suggest one by each even though there are some other great selections by North on your list (All of those North scores are amazing but I just picked one that I thought would be a great intro to his work)
[This message has been edited by Cole (edited 08 February 2000).]
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posted 02-08-2000 02:41 AM PT (US) ip
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Will
OscarŽ Winner
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Well, don't repeat my mistake, and get Basic Instinct! It was really cheap during Tower Records sale 2 years back and I DID NOT BUY IT!!Get it.
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posted 02-08-2000 05:42 AM PT (US) ip
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Jeron
OscarŽ Winner
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SFT, I'm offended you'd even question a Goldsmith score. You should be able to buy a JG score without even thinking about it, as if it's a bodily function. =)Jeron
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posted 02-08-2000 06:14 AM PT (US) ip
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JoeInSanDiego
OscarŽ Winner
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I cannot second Basic Instinct strongly enough...GET IT!!!!I just got Portrait of a Lady and I find it to be a beautiful peice of work, with a couple of Schubert tracks thrown in. It is very "classical" in style, with loads of strings in the Kilar fashion (think of Dracula, just more subdued...allegro as opposed to andante...hehehe...) I also second AGONY AND THE ECSATCY. Wonderful, if not a tad different...North being his eclectic best. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? is another one of those quiet, laid back scores that really hits the characters on the head. An excellent score. [This message has been edited by JoeInSanDiego (edited 08 February 2000).]
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posted 02-08-2000 09:44 AM PT (US) ip
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robin4
OscarŽ Winner
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The only two I've heard, Mimic and Spartacus, are excellent.
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posted 02-08-2000 03:22 PM PT (US) ip
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robin4
OscarŽ Winner
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The only two I've heard, Mimic and Spartacus, are excellent.
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posted 02-08-2000 03:24 PM PT (US) ip
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Dr.Evil
OscarŽ Winner
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Basic Instinct?
I thought everybody in the world own this score!!Buy also Mimic, is a great exaple of new composer, you being an Elfman fan will enjoy it.
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posted 02-08-2000 04:02 PM PT (US) ip
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PeterD
OscarŽ Winner
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SFT,I'd also strongly recommend "Spartacus." I don't know how many versions of this soundtrack are out there, but I started out getting the original MCA CD, which was fine as far as it went, but only included a fraction of the entire score. I then supplemented this with the Tsunami "More Music From Spartacus" CD, with an additional 79 minutes of music, none of which duplicates the MCA release. I didn't know what to expect for the sound quality, and was pleasantly surprised to find it was pretty decent -- at least to my non-expert ear. I don't know whether these CDs are still readily available or not . . .
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posted 02-08-2000 09:37 PM PT (US) ip
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Scorro
OscarŽ Winner
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Portrait Of A Lady:
I became interested in this score after Kilar was chosen for LOTR, and I'm really glad I bought it. Some of the more passionate music has a definite Eastern European sound (to my ears). There's a lot to like about this score for those into slower tempo, beautiful, thoughtful music.
Sc_
NP: The Black Stallion Returns (Delerue), 5/5
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posted 02-08-2000 11:39 PM PT (US) ip
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SFT
OscarŽ Winner
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Well, I´ve pretty much made up my mind about getting The Portrait of a Lady, Mimic and Basic Instict. Now, about Alex North, I´m thinking The Agony and the Ecstasy and Who´s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for starters. Okay? SFT NP: Wolf, Ennio Morricone *****/***** [This message has been edited by SFT (edited 08 February 2000).]
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posted 02-08-2000 11:55 PM PT (US) ip
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PeterD
OscarŽ Winner
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. . . and "Spartacus."Seriously, though, if you've never heard this music, and if you have cable TV, and if you get Turner Classic Movies, "Spartacus" is being shown on TCM this coming Sunday at noon, Eastern time (letterboxed!!). Take a listen; I don't think you'll want to pass up this score . . . [This message has been edited by PeterD (edited 09 February 2000).]
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posted 02-09-2000 12:29 AM PT (US) ip
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robin4
OscarŽ Winner
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Ditto to PeterD
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posted 02-09-2000 03:22 PM PT (US) ip
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Lou Goldberg
OscarŽ Winner
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Yeah, I don't think a collection should be without SPARTACUS.
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posted 02-11-2000 03:19 AM PT (US) ip
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H Rocco
OscarŽ Winner
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Nobody's mentioning VIVA ZAPATA, which I think is one of North's more accessible scores. VIRGINIA WOOLF, however, I traded. Nothing WRONG with it, it just didn't grab me. Most of North's scores, in all honesty, do not.And BASIC INSTINCT is a basic must.
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posted 02-11-2000 12:12 PM PT (US) ip
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