Intrada Soundtrack Forum

INTRADA Announces:



GORKY PARK
Composed and Conducted by JAMES HORNER
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 289

For the 1983 film Gorky Park, composer James Horner brilliantly blended orchestral and synthesized textures, wielding an impressive array of stringed instruments (including balalaika, mandolin, guitar, oud, harp and cimbalom), and featuring such distinctive textures as accordion, the piercing otherworldly tones of Nyle Steiner’s EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument) and the cavernous groanings of Craig Huxley’s Blaster Beam. The miasma introduced during the main title is both brooding and clamorous, evocative of the institutionalized corruption that follows. During the film’s frequent chase sequences the music shifts gears, becoming a churning machine that drives the action relentlessly forward. The contrast between agile drum kit, serving up a funky urban vibe, and a weighty motif in fortissimo low brass—a potent combination of unison trombone, contrabass trombone and tuba—is particularly striking. This material builds on Horner’s score for 48 Hrs. and anticipates later works such as Commando, although each of these retains a unique palette and energy. In stark contrast to the score’s bleaker and more corrosive elements is Horner’s theme for Irina, an aching minor-mode melody that emerges from a dreamlike mist of vibraphone and shimmering strings.

To present James Horner’s complete music for Gorky Park, Intrada had access to the original recording session elements vaulted by MGM, including both 2˝ and ½˝ rolls of tape. Remixing was critical in that previous releases featured a unique anomaly. The array of gentle instruments such as the harp and vibraphone playing lengthy, exposed pianissimo passages (with long pauses built into the phrases) resulted in a noticeable degree of background noise, easily removed now, but not back in 1983 when the master was prepared. Perhaps in compensation, the original “stereo” mixes for these cues were essentially mono mix-downs with high strings (violins, violas) and low strings (cellos, basses) panned dead center. Some of the nuances— such as harp and vibraphone—were also focused in the center. The tracks played back with less noise, but lost almost all of their stereo separation as a result. With this new presentation, James Horner's score can be heard in beautiful, crisp stereo sound -- and the release features over twice as much music as the previous albums including additional music, alternates and film versions.

When three faceless bodies are found in Moscow’s Gorky Park, the case falls into the lap of Arkady Renko (William Hurt). The detective attempts to ditch the case when his old KGB nemesis Pribluda (Rikki Fulton) begins sniffing around, but their mutual superior Iamskoy (Ian Bannen) insists that Renko follow the investigation wherever it may lead. But things grow complicated when he encounters William Kirwill (Brian Dennehy), a bullish American detective out for vengeance, and a beautiful dissident named Irina Asanova ( Joanna Pacula). All roads converge on Jack Osborne (Lee Marvin), an American sable fur mogul whose powerful connections may prove to be the end of Renko.


INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 289
Retail Price: $19.99
Available NOW
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.8971/.f

Wow, I did not expect a jam-packed CD.

I am looking forward to this definitive edition with its full-bodied sound.

Expanded Horner
ORDERED
Thank you Intrada

I am so glad you guys have released this right! I did not buy the Kritzerland release since I own the Varese release. I was not tempted when it included the same music twice on the same CD, just to give it a different feel or was it basically just to fill up the CD? Glad you took the time to locate the additional cues and in stereo no less! Thanks again, this is going to sound amazing!

Excellent releases this week! Thank you to Mr. Horner, Mr. Legrand, MGM, UMG, Intrada, and all involved in making these possible. This truly is the best label on Earth.

Excellent release! I hope you do the same with RED HEAT (1988).

It was upon ripping this CD that I realized I may have gone a tad overboard with my James Horner collection in recent times. Not including score duplicates of some prior releases, I have over 3 days, 10 hours worth of Horner music.

Some pruning may be sensible at this point.

Received Gorky Park within my packet from the Intrada store today.

The sound is phenomenal and it's a complete re-discovery to listen to this score!

Thank you so much all involved!

_________________
Rame Tep! Rame Tep! Rame Tep!

I am a bit late to the party on this score, but I decided to go for it after I found myself revisiting the score repeatedly after this release was announced.

This is one of those scores where one either loves it, or not.

I find myself loving this more and more on every listen of the OST, and given the fact that it was remastered to great acclaim, and the score has been massively expanded, I just had to do so.

Looks like Amoeba will be gaining a copy of the Varese CD fairly soon, in exchange for store credit.

I'm in the "love it" category. GORKY PARK and BRAINSTORM were my first own Horner LPs (a friend of mine had ST-II at the time, so I was already familiar with that score, and I had seen WOLFEN, which was not released back then).
Horner was the hottest new voice in film music back in those days.

Just a quick chime in on this release.

Thank you Intrada for such an awesome release, and a really great remastering.

The stereo imaging works amazingly, and this release has been getting significant playtime.

Any plans for a reissue?