August round-up
It was with the LA Phil that John Williams made his public conducting debut in the late 1970s, an association of which they’re very proud. Celebrating John Williams is something of a love letter to the composer from the orchestra and its conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who is himself now a friend and collaborator. The two-disc set follows what is now an annual celebration concert of Williams’s music at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and showcases iconic works in a glorious live recording that doesn’t miss a beat. From his 1984 Olympic Fanfare and Theme to the Superman March, it’s a winning selection. (DG 483 6647 ★★★★★)
From full orchestral forces to refined chamber arrangements, as Cinema Morricone – An Intimate Portrait reframes some of the Italian maestro’s great themes for flute and piano. No stranger to film music, Los Angelesbased flautist Sara Andon has performed on many score recordings and in film music concerts in the US, UK and Europe. Hers is a rich, full-bodied sound that soars above Simone Pedroni’s perfectly-balanced piano lines. It’s a simple concept that allows to shine not only the performers – which they do, and brightly – but also Morricone’s seemingly effortless gift for melody. (Sony Classical 19075928602 ★★★★)
Sticking with Italian masters, The Fellini Album – The Film Music of Nino Rota, marks the 40th anniversary of the composer’s death. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Filarmonica della Scala in a magical selection that takes in the very best of Rota’s effervescent creative partnership with director Federico Fellini. This includes glittering suites from Amarcord, Otto e Mezzo, I Clowns, La Dolce Vita and Il Casanova, films that seem impossible without Rota’s infectious and memorable music. It’s plain from the performances here that both conductor and orchestra understand and, indeed, love the music and the man. (Decca 483 2869 ★★★★★)
Gamers the world over are being exposed to more and more orchestral music, which is fantastic, and the calibre of many of today’s game scores is extremely high. Gaming in Symphony – a Blu-ray release – offers a thrilling insight into the world of game scores.
The performance by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Choir was filmed at Copenhagen’s DR Koncerthuset in August 2018 in front of a, frankly, delighted audience. Eímear Noone, herself a highly respected game composer, conducts an impressive selection including themes from Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy and Halo. The electric atmosphere in the hall, replete with dry ice and lighting effects, is captured well. (Euro Arts 2067704 ★★★★)
With such a lot of great new small screen drama being made for TV and streaming, it’s no wonder big-screen composers are being lured into longer-form projects. Emmy-winning composer David Arnold follows his popular scores for Sherlock with the Bbc/amazon Studios’ show Good Omens. Based on Terry Pratchett’s book, the tale of angels and demons on earth is darkly humorous and Arnold’s wideranging score matches it with gothic horror and comic swagger. The main title theme, a bounding waltz, is wonderfully tongue-in-cheek and a far cry from the composer’s brilliant and ballsy Bond scores. A rollicking trip to hell and back on two discs. (Silva Screen SILCD1593 ★★★★)