Captain Blood and Other Swashbucklers – Naxos Film Music Classics CD

• UPC: 747313270422
• Product Type: Music CD
• Brand Name: Naxos
• MPN: 8.557704
• Genre: Film and TV Music
• Style: Golden Age Film Scores / Orchestral
• Composers: Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Miklós Rózsa, Max Steiner, Victor Young
• Conductor: Richard Kaufman
• Orchestra: Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Potsdam
• Release Year: 2005

Product Features

• Format: Audio CD, Single Disc
• Playing Time: 65:16
• Recording Type: DDD (Full Digital Recording)
• Recording Venue: Jesus Christ Church, Berlin (Dahlem), Germany
• Recording Dates: 14–16 April and 15–21 June, 1994

Overview

Step back into the "Golden Age" of Hollywood with this thrilling collection of swashbuckling film suites from Naxos. This release features world-premiere recordings of meticulously reconstructed scores from some of cinema's most legendary composers. From the high-seas adventure of Korngold’s Captain Blood to the romantic intrigue of Young’s Scaramouche, these scores defined the heroic sound of the 1930s to the 1950s.

The performances by the Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra under Richard Kaufman capture the energy and zest of these classic tales. This album is a tribute to the European émigré composers—such as Steiner and Korngold—who brought the traditions of 19th-century Viennese opera to the silver screen, effectively inventing the modern symphonic film score.

Interesting Facts

• The Invention of a Genre: Korngold’s score for Captain Blood (1935) is widely credited with practically inventing the musical language of the Swashbuckler genre. It was his first fully symphonic film score and launched the career of Errol Flynn.
• Tight Deadlines: Korngold wrote an enormous amount of music for Captain Blood in just three weeks. Due to the extreme time pressure, he was forced to borrow a few minutes of music from a symphonic poem by Franz Liszt for one of the battle scenes.
• First of Many: Captain Blood marked the first of 20 symphonic scores Korngold would compose for Warner Bros., a studio that eventually served as a sanctuary for him and his family fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe.
• Oscar Winners: Max Steiner won an Oscar for The Informer the same year he composed the music for The Three Musketeers (1935). Victor Young also received a posthumous Oscar for Around the World in 80 Days.
• Meticulous Reconstruction: Because many original scores from this era no longer exist, these suites had to be painstakingly reconstructed by experts like John Morgan, Christopher Palmer, and William Stromberg using original piano reductions and by listening to old film soundtracks.
• Historical Venue: The album was recorded in the Jesus Christ Church in Berlin, a venue famous for its exceptional acoustics and used by the Berlin Philharmonic for many of its legendary recordings.

Track Listing

Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995)

1. The King's Thief (Reconstructed by Christopher Palmer) – 7:37

Victor Young (1900–1956) Scaramouche (Reconstructed by William Stromberg) – 18:44

1. Main Title – 1:34
2. Vanished Merchant – 2:06
3. The Tomb, André and Aline – 3:46
4. Why? – 1:48
5. Pavane – 2:19
6. André Escapes – 1:37
7. The Big Apple – 1:23
8. The Magic Box—Roses and Napoleon – 3:25
9. End Cast – 0:46

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957) Captain Blood (Reconstructed by John Morgan) – 19:50

1. Main Title – 2:49
2. Slaves—Arabella and Blood – 6:57
3. Tortuga – 1:45
4. Port Royal—Island of Magra—English and Pirate Ships – 5:07
5. Pirates' Flag – 1:39
6. Finale – 1:32

Max Steiner (1888–1971) The Three Musketeers (Arranged by John Morgan) – 18:50

1. To Paris—Fencing demonstration – 3:46
2. Love Theme – 4:08
3. Fight behind Palace – 2:06
4. Night Time—Pigeons – 2:56
5. Carriage Ride – 2:45
6. Finale – 3:08

Publishers

• Label: Naxos
• Producer: Klaus Bischke
• Executive Producer: Klaus P. Hanusa
• Engineer: Gert Puhlmann
• Design: Ron Hoares

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