In the annals of famous film themes, Nino Rota's contributions to Francis Ford Coppola's classic films are certainly up there with the most easily recognised. In fact, both the main theme - the almost lonely, but infinitely proud trumpet solo - and the gorgeous love theme are both extremely popular. This collection from Silva Screen features suites from each of the films performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic and the Crouch End Festival Chorus.
The original two scores don't have terribly good sound quality and so this is an excellent way to experience Rota's wonderful music for those films. Along with the more traditional orchestral passages, there's the jazzy piano of The Pick Up and a few rustic dances. These were actually composed by the director's father, Carmine (Francis Ford Coppola never one to shy away from giving jobs to his family). I know that many people are disappointed by Coppola Snr's contributions, but while they aren't in the same league as Rota's music, do add a requisite amount of local colour to the source music and fit in remarkably well.
Perhaps the highlight of the album is the terrific choral finale to the original film which fleshes out the main theme to almost operatic levels. As far as I know, this piece hasn't featured in any previous Godfather albums and so its inclusion is most welcome. The performances in this instance are excellent and the star of the album is undoubtedly Rota's music, but the other compositions do function admirably as companions to the main body of the music. The tone of the music lends itself to flow between the films so the listening experience is generally of the highest order. Another excellent compilation from Silva Screen worth picking up for anyone wanting to start building up a collection of Rota's works.
Rating ~ The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part III
Total Time ~ 52:04
The Godfather