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Citizen Kane:
2. Prelude: Xanadu; Snow Picture (3:17)
We move now into less ferocious territory in the form of the album's
title suite. For the opening, featuring Kane's death and mumbling
of "Rosebud," Herrmann has quiet, uneasy chords perfectly depicting Kane's
lonely state, as well as the winter scene depicted in the snow globe he
holds. Later in the cue, the tone lightens up for a while, having
various twinkling percussion and bells.
3. Theme and Variations (Breakfast Montage) (3:26)
This is one of the most ingenious segments of the movie, showing Kane's
gradual alienation to his first wife as his quest for the best newspaper
overcomes him. The thematic material is first stated, a graceful
and elegant waltz powered by strings. Later, the brass come in and
state some more of the waltz material. For one of the final scenes
in the montage, the waltz becomes exclusively played by brass and changed
into a minor key. Finally, as the couple begins to read different
newspapers, the strings play an even more disquieting minor key statement
of the waltz.
4. Aria from Salammbo (4:16)
Another of the most ingenious sequences ever put down to celluloid
is Kane's second wife foundering in the extremely difficult opera aria.
For this disc, Gerdhart got a capable soprano (Kiri Te Kanawa) to perform
the virtuoso composition, and this becomes one of the main highlights of
the disc. The aria itself is written in the style of Wagner combined
with some classic modernism, and it's one of Herrmann's best compositions.
If only he'd written an entire opera on this material...
5. Rosebud and Finale (2:41)
Now we back down into familiar territory. The opening of this
recalls the desolate prelude, but as we see the Rosebud sled, which ties
the entire movie together, Herrmann literally throws the principal theme
at us in permutations by both the strings and brass. The finale ends
on a perfect cadence.
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef:
6. The Sea; The Lagoon (4:41)
This is completely unlike anything in Citizen Kane. It's a joyous
tone poem characterizing the sea with harp glissandi and trumpets giving
us the main theme. "The Sea" seems to have made a great influence
on John Williams' JAWS scores, particularly the second one. Later
the strings and woodwinds get their turn at some of the thematic material,
but always accompanied by the gargantuan harp section.
7. Descending (1:51)
One of the more atmospheric tracks comes next, written exclusively
for harps. Basically they all play a giant 2-octave arpeggio, always
on different notes. This segues into:
8. The Octopus; Homecoming (4:54)
After some murky low brass coupled with harps Herrmann gives us the
first real action cue on the album. The octopus is characterized
by cymbals and dissonant low brass/timpani glissandis, as well as harps
(so what's new?) and trumpets. The tone turns positive, restating
some of the themes from track 6, as well as a new string theme.
Hangover Square:
9. Piano Concerto "Macabre" (11:57)
This remains my favorite track on the album. For Herrmann's only
piano concerto, he wrote in the combination modernist/Romantic fashion
typically found in some of Franz Lizst's last works, particularly the last
few Hungarian Rhapsodies. The piano itself is put through several
cadenza sections, and most of its parts rely on the extremely low register.
The prelude has the melody in the piano, characterized by playing one of
the principal themes in the right hand while the left drones on in the
lowest octave. Later, the orchestra introduces a despairing horn
call, followed by a fuller statement of the main theme in the piano with
the left hand doing arpeggios. Herrmann expands the theme in the
strings, which is the most joyous part of the composition. Meanwhile
the piano does octave runs. The theme exhausts itself, ending with
the horn call. Piano does some more meanderings, setting the stage
for the massive orchestral climax. The material here is a downbeat
version of the orchestra's previous part. More low, dissonant material
follows, finally climaxing in the introduction of a macabre scherzo in
6/8 time. Typical of Lizst, this includes a few scale runs while
the left hand continues with the ostinato. The orchestra joins in,
and the piano and orchestra play off each other for a while. The
scherzo continues to get more and more out of hand, finally tapering off
and leading into the horn call. It is this and the main theme that
set up the rest of the concerto. The piano's usual left hand arpeggios
are joined by the right hand, and the orchestra plays the main thematic
material. As the major key section enters, the accompaniment in the
woodwinds and piano becomes more and more complex, finally climaxing in
a giant chordal crescendo, which backs down into darkness. The orchestra
completely abandons the piano for the rest of the concerto, and it plays
some dissonant, desolate, despairing, and demented variations on the thematic
material, returning to the lower register constantly. Surprisingly,
this warhorse of a concerto ends on a major chord in the piano, only to
be swallowed up by a final pounding bass note.
White Witch Doctor:
10. Talking Drums; Prelude: The Riverboat; Petticoat Dance; The Safari
(3:57)
Perhaps the wierdest and most unlike Herrmann section of the album
is for this jungle movie. Several percussion instruments open the
track, followed by a giant main title utilizing the Chinese Pelog scale.
Herrmann used this a few times in 7th Voyage of Sinbad, as well.
Another of the principal motives is a small flute flourish based on this
scale.
11. Tarantula; The Lion (1:28)
Imagine a jungle version of the Citizen Kane prelude. This introduces
an obscure ethnic instrument called the serpent, which basically sounds
like a sick trombone. It produces a raw guttural sound, and was also
used in Jerry Goldsmith's Alien score.
12. Nocturne (3:47)
For once everything is completely subdued. This is a calming
pastoral melody completely unlike most of the other music on this compilation.
It perfectly conjures up images of a tranquil jungle night, as its name
implies.
13. Abduction of the Bakuba Boy; The Skulls (1:56)
Another action cue comes next, opening with low mumblings, which segue
into another virtuoso action segment. The Skulls consists of a dissonant
brass chord (not entirely unlike one of the main themes in Vertigo) and
low serpent wailings.
14. Lonni Bound by Ropes; Departure (2:28)
Now we get a march founded on timpani and other percussion, while the
low brass play the thematic material. "Departure" replays quietly
the thematic Pelog scale parts, ending on a giant cadence.
In conclusion, this is probably one of the very best Herrmann albums
I have, and definitely the best compilation I've ever bought. We
get a sampler of some of his earlier work played by a virtuoso orchestra
under an awesome conductor. Who could ask for anything more?
Buy it! BUY IT!
| Music Rating | 10/10 |
| Packaging/Liner Notes | 9/10 |
| Orchestral Performance | 10/10 |
| Sound Quality | 9/10 |
| Length | 10/10 |