INTRADA Announces:
GEORGE WASHINGTON
Composed and Conducted by LAURENCE ROSENTHAL
INTRADA Signature Edition ISE 1041
For composer Laurence Rosenthal, composing the score for an eight-hour miniseries about George Washington was a dilemma -- what kind of music should it be? For miniseries such as Mussonlini and Peter the Great, Rosenthal was able to soak up the ethnic, historic surroundings of those epics. But that didn't quite work for 1984's Washington. What emerged from his pen was something much more straightforward.
"I felt the need for a kind of purity and simplicity. No heady European cocktails, just clear, cold water. I was reminded of what Virgil Thomson called 'the 'beauty of the commonplace.” The melodies were diatonic, direct, and seemed to radiate a feeling of hopefulness and affirmation, as well as suggesting, even in their simplicity, the remarkable intelligence, refined elegance, and nobility of spirit which characterized the founding fathers of our nation. Even given their flawed humanity, these men were in fact anything but commonplace," comments Rosenthal.
Rosenthal composed two themes for Washington. The first is an emblem, beginning with a simple, rising triadic trumpet call, suggesting his heroism, the strength of his will and power as a leader. The second is a stately, reassuring melody relating to his steadfast nature and abiding faith, returning often to the tonic harmony, as though touching earth. The themes for the women are contrasting: Sally’s is full of passion and yearning, reaching for the unattainable, while Martha’s is more grounded, redolent of constancy, security, tenderness, and familial warmth.
Laurence Rosenthal wrote nearly two hours of music, most of it is included in this 2-CD set, marking the first ever release of this rich and varied soundtrack, scored for large orchestra. To present this CD, Intrada located the original surviving full track (mono) reels of the complete score.
Aired in three parts, the first part of George Washington begins decades before the Revolutionary War (1743-64), with George Washington (Barry Bostwick) a young man of modest means, living with his widowed mother. The second part (1765- 76) covers the rising tensions between the American colonists and their British masters. George is at the forefront of the conflict, speaking out against the injustices of English rule. The concluding chapter (1776- 83) finds the American army in rout, disheartened, and disbanding. But Washington successfully rallies the troops, international support and public opinion, surviving a series of decimating battles and a brutal winter in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
This Intrada Signature Edition is limited to 1000 units.
INTRADA Signature Editions ISE 1041
Retail Price: $24.99
SHIPS 7/6/2010
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.6045/.f
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