Intrada Soundtrack Forum

This movie had a great score by a relatively unknown composer George Antheil. The movie itself was mostly forgettable aside from it's three main stars. The score was released on LP and on CD at some point coupled with "The Agony and the Ecstacy". I think a reissue with the complete score would be really nice.

Are you kidding? Antheil is one of the most famous American composers of the 20th century, a really 'big name'! Maybe it so famous for his film music but I'd argue this particular score is an exception and quite beloved due in part to its LP album, reissued on CD not too long ago by Kritzerland in a twofer (a reissue which I think did pretty well). The original film recording is sadly lost but at one point James Fitzpatrick was contemplating a complete rerecording on Tadlow. Maybe it'll happen one day...

Yavar

Antheil is certainly not obscure to general classical devotees, but perhaps less so for film music fans as he sadly didn't write too many movie scores. Yet I'm sure if he'd have written something like, say, ROCKETSHIP X-M (scored by Ferde Grofe), he'd be better known. It's not just the score, it's the genre itself. Sadly there are more interested in horror/fantasy/science fiction scores than for others. (This is a generalization, and I'm prepared to be 'shot down'. But it does reflect a view which Robert Townson made some years ago. I disagree in that the aforementioned genre does inspire wonderful work, but this doesn't mean that scores for 'serious' movies should be overlooked either.) THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION would make a wonderful subject for a new recording by Tadlow or Prometheus. But sadly, as with the scores for Nascimbene's THE VIKINGS and Cordell's KHARTOUM, I doubt it will happen. Please prove me wrong!

I'd hardly say Antheil is "one of the most famous of the 20th century". A bit notorious perhaps but he's hardly in the same company as Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Copland, Prokofiev, Barber, Britten, etc etc