While so much bellyaching is going on about the current batch of music, this is one CD worth owning! I've got to find a way to explore the other titles in this series too by less familiar composers, but this latest Korngold disc is just fabulous.

Though I like the stuff Korngold did in the 1940s, this is probably the last in a stream of superb scores. It's not "Robin Hood" (which has a suite on this disc) or "The Sea Hawk" but it is equally as great!

Yes Stromberg recording of "Adventures of Robin Hood" is also very good. And this Chandos disc is even better than that!

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Originally posted by Incanus:
Why not buy the Marco Polo version of Adventures of Robin Hood? It is a complete score and what I hear the music is better performed than on the Varese CD. I own it and it is great. I have the Varese Sea Hawk CD as well and that is really great. Swashbuckling was never better

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Well, I enjoy the Kojian recording of the Star Wars Trilogy and I see nothing but good reviews of the Kojian-Korngold recordings. I have excerpts of both on a Varese sampler disc...What is the general consensus? is The Adv. of Robin Hood a score where the Complete score is the one have? There are some instances where I prefer the shorter CDs.

Both the Morgan/Stromberg and the Kojian recordings are worth having. And Korngold's own original recording, which has an iso score track on the DVD.

Avoid the Previn CD unless you're familiar enough with Korngold to listen to somewhat odd (i.e. very slow) interpretations. It's not bad, but not my first choice, and it might frighten you.

I do NOT like the ELIZABETH AND ESSEX re-recording -- really muddy. Might be a great performance, but I can't hear it due to a big blur of strings and brass and echo.

And almost all of Sedares' recordings are just so damn laid-back. The film noir by Rozsa is such a waste of great playing because it's just so darn devoid of excitement, especially if you compare to Rozsa's own re-recordings and the original soundtracks. Some of Sedares' stuff is great to have (like Rozsa's "Symphony") because it's not available elsewhere. Kind of reminds me of those four Waxman collections from Australia. One score sounds just like the next, with most being only on "6" or "7" in terms of drama when they needed to be "10." Where was Nigel Tufnel when we needed him?

But because a lot of the Korngold IS available elsewhere, don't go for the Sedares recordings unless you're a Korngold completist. Don't want anyone getting turned off by these great composers' music because the performances are lacking all the drama of the originals. Don't even get me started on the Herrmann recording of THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER...

For anyone starting to listen to this music for the first time, you are facing those who want the music to sound exactly as it did when it first was recorded to picture. The thought that there could be alternative interpretations to anything is anathema to some.

If you can find it, get the 2-disc Korngold set on Rhino. You will have to put up with some poor source sounding material and mono sound which gives these a dry acoustic. Then pop on any of the recordings you hear mentioned above and you will be thankful that someone is recording this music. You favorite will depend on your personal choice.

I like the Previn recording for what it is a collection of cues arranged in a suite form that hits the highlights. I can't imagine Korngold would believe that his music would ever get played by the likes of the LSO after his death.

You're right; it isn't bad, it's awful.

And the sound on the 2-CD Rhino "Korngold at Warner Bros." is truly atrocious, all the more unforgivable because the audio on the more-or-less complete copies of the scores represented in the compilation that I have in my collection sound wonderful.

Didn't anybody listen to the stuff before they mastered that CD?