Credits:
Track 1,2: Muir Mathieson Conducting The London Sinfonia
Track 3-7: Arranged and Conducted by Ray Heindorf
Track 8: Arranged and Conducted by Arthur Greenslade
Produced for compact disc by Rod McKuen
Digitally mastered by Steve Hoffman
Executive Producer: Brad Pressman
Producer: Ford A. Thaxton
Album cover & design: Wolfgang Fenchel
Reviews:
Gone With the Wind is without doubt one of those all time classic films, with one of those all time classic scores,
or perhaps I should say themes. I'm thinking of "Tara's Theme" of course. Sonic Images has released a re-
engineered version of a recording done back in 1961 - a recording which was approved by the composer. Now, if
you're thinking "Hey, I don't want an ancient recording with crappy sound...", I can tell you that there's certainly
nothing wrong with the sound, you won't hear it's an old recording.
The music is arranged into two different suites. Now, the idea with continuous music is very good, but it would
have been better to divide the suites into several tracks. That way it's much more easy to skip parts you don't
like, or listen to parts you really like.
For the epic film Gone With the Wind Max Steiner created a wonderful timeless score, packed with wonderful
themes (I especially like Tara's theme and another very pastoral theme, that sounds like it could be taken
directly out of Beethoven's 6th Symphony), motifs and lush orchestrations; sweeping strings, powerful brass
and soft woodwinds. The music never gets boring or tedious. This score is essential in any film music lovers
collection.
Included on the CD are also six cues from other classic film scores, such as Manos Hadjidakis' score for
America, America and Miklos Rozsa's Spellbound. All having one thing in common - it's great timeless music
written by great timeless composers. Rating: *****
Andreas Lindahl
SCORE! SOUNDTRACK REVIEWS
August 1998
Gone with the Wind almost needs no review, for who hasn't seen the movie and been swept away by the
magnificent theme for Tara? Max Steiner's Gone with the Wind is one of the most celebrated icons of film music,
alongside Star Wars and Psycho. The music defines the concept of an "epic" score: supreme strings,
resounding brass, colorful layers, large orchestra, and a spacious panoramic canvas. Steiner used the leitmotif
method to write an individual theme for each main character, saving the grandest one of all for Tara, the
plantation. The score is a tapestry of themes for Scarlett, Rhett, Melanie, Ashley, Belle, Bonnie, as well as music
for specific scenes such as "The Oath," and "Bonnie's Death."
The popularity of the score meant numerous re-recordings over time. The Sonic Images release is the 1998
digitally mastered version of the 1961 composer-approved recording conducted by Muir Matheson with the The
London Sinfonia. The liner notes comment, "This authentic recording of the complete score was authorized by
the composer." Max Steiner had originally written over three hours of music for the lengthy epic, though not all of
it was used in the film. Although 148 minutes of the score is available in a 2 CD set released by Rhino Records,
Steiner had originally selected about 38 minutes of music to represent the score's major themes for soundtrack
release. It is these 38 minutes that are on this album. Die hard collectors may prefer the longer complete score,
but in truth, the 38 suite Steiner wisely chose allows listeners to enjoy all the major themes and developments of
the score in a rather reasonable amount of time. (There is another BMG/RCA release that is about eight minutes
shorter. It has all the same tracks, except for the theme for "Return to Tara" and "Belle Watling.")
The quality of the sound on this album is commendable. The only drawback of the album is that the score suite is
divided into only 2 tracks. The score flows smoothly, and without track pauses, it is rather hard to identify where
one motif ends and the next begins. Of course, it also makes it hard for the listener to skip to hear a particular
theme or the monumental "Return to Tara" finale over and over again.
There are six additional tracks of classic film music representing five scores (America, America; For Whom the
Bell Tolls; Spellbound; The Cardinal; and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) tacked onto the end of this album.
These excerpts are sensational. Quite in keeping with the same mood and style of Gone with the Wind, these
cues are prodigious and eloquent. Classic film music fans get to keep yet more keepsakes of golden years past.
Helen San
Cinemusic
August 14, 1999
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