Review by Amer Zahid
Bernard Herrmann was an extraordinary film composer who wrote music for extraordinary films. Likewise Herrmann's reportoire was equally extraordinary which ranged from a career ranging from Citizen Kane to Taxi Driver. There are many eras in Herrman's career and if you have to find the best then the Hitchcock era is judged one of his best. and this album highlights that era. If you are new to Herrmann then this album is the best choice to sample with.The compiltaion begins with a thunderous performance of the Prelude from The Man Who Knew Too Much and quickly moves to Herrmann's classic Psycho. This is an all string black and white composition. The suite provided is a longer 18 minute version performed in a more reflective mode then the fast paced tempos of the Joel McNeely recording. Nevertheless this suite is well handled.
Moving forward the intoxicating suite from Marnie is presented in very much the same way as was done by Herrmann for the Phase Four London CDs. One of the real highlights is the stunning fast rendition of Herrman's fabulous fandango from North by Northwest. The super charged Overture is presented wonderfully as a percursor to the equally mesmerising suite from Vertigo. Unfortunately, the performance of the Prelude is slow and mellow when compared to Joel McNeelys version but the intoxicating Scene d'Amour is rhapshodic and warm. The Prelude from Torn Curtain kicks back with a gusto performance (another highlight). The rest of the score music in the suite is well handled. If you are new to Herrmann then you should know that Torn Curtain marked the part of ways for Herrmann and Hitchcock after the latter fired Herrmann on the spot after listening to the powerful prelude. Apparently, Hitch had asked Herrmann to write a lighter based composition and the furious Prelude was not what he required. It appears that Hitch was under pressure from the studio executives to have Herrmann bend towards a pop oriented music and these instruction were inappropriate for Bernard Herrman. Thus ended the 10 year collaboration of Herrmann and Hitchcock much to Herrmann's dismay. It is interesting to note that Hitchcocks other films were never quite the same without Herrmanns music.
One of the other great collaboration was with French film director Francois Truffat for whom Herrmann composed a wonderfully moving score to the Ray Bradbury classic Fahrenheit 451. Salonen's performance of the suite is more moving and thrusting than the performance by Joel McNeely on the Varese rerecording of the same suite. It is interesting to note that Herrmann recycled the finale into the Garden cue in The Battle of Neretva in 1971. Rounding of the album is a short suite presentation of Herrmanns last score from Taxi Driver in arrangement by the late Christopher Palmer.
Overall the album boasts a spectacular sound recording and superb packaging with a rather Psycho-esque picture of conductor Esa Peka Salonen on the cover with a rather nicer picture of Herrmann inside booklet which also showcases an excellent introductory article by Alex Ross. After the Gerhardt compilation this album comes highly recommended.