Landmark Archival Release from FSM Celebrates Elmer Bernstein's Film Music Collection

By: Karl Schneider
Date: Monday, June 26, 2006

Between 1974 and 1979 Elmer Bernstein took it upon himself to re-record a selection of classic Hollywood film scores. Funding the project himself, Bernstein recorded in England, mainly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and released the recordings through mail order. These recordings have been something of a talking point for fans and collectors over the years and they are finally available on CD from Film Score Monthly. Entitled Elmer Bernstein's Film Music Collection, the thirteen original album recordings are spread across eleven discs, with a twelfth disc that showcases a brand new recording of Bernstein's never-before released 1963 score for KINGS OF THE SUN. Recorded in 2003 with the City of Prague Philharmonic, KINGS OF THE SUN marked the composer's last recording session before his death.

The eleven albums showcase scores by the likes of Max Steiner (HELEN OF TROY, A SUMMER PLACE), Franz Waxman (THE SILVER CHALICE), Bernard Herrmann (THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, TORN CURTAIN), Miklos Rozsa (MADAME BOVARY, THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD, YOUNG BESS), Dimitri Tiomkin (LAND OF THE PHAROAHS, GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL, THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, SEARCH FOR PARADISE), Alfred Newman (WUTHERING HEIGHTS) and Alex North (VIVA ZAPATA!, DEATH OF A SALESMAN). Bernstein of course re-recorded a small selection of his own works and they include TO KILL A MOCKINGIRD, THE MIRACLE and TOCCATA FOR TOY TRAINS.

The majority of the recordings have been remastered from the original tapes, though a small number were sourced from sealed LP recordings, due to the masters being destroyed.


The set is a limited edition of 2000 copies and is sure to sell out soon, despite the hefty $199.95 price tag. Elmer Bernstein's Film Music Collection is available from www.filmscoremonthly.com and www.screenarchives.com shipping on July 10th.

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