Intrada Soundtrack Forum

INTRADA Announces:



IVANHOE
Music Composed by MIKLÓS RÓZSA
Conducted by BRUCE BROUGHTON
Performed by the SINFONIA OF LONDON
INTRADA INT 7160


Intrada announces a new set of releases focused on high-resolution (hi-res) masters available for digital streaming and downloading. With the advent of hi-res distribution, Intrada can now offer several of its Excalibur recordings in this format. The 24-bit, 96kHz hi-res format allows for a dramatic improvement in detail and depth in the quality of music over what one can hear with the the more common 16-bit, 44.1kHz CD format. Ivanhoe, Intrada's first Excalibur release under the baton of Bruce Broughton and recorded in 1994 with the Sinfonia of London, is the first release in this new digital series. Intrada has produced the album from the unedited digital session masters made by Mike Ross-Trevor.

To commemorate this release, Intrada is also making Ivanhoe available for a limited time in a newly packaged CD. Since every release is being completely remastered with new editing, level adjustments and EQ, Intrada will also make a limited number of CDs available. While the physical discs can't exploit all the benefits of hi-res technology, listeners will still notice a marked difference between this new edition and the previous release. This CD release will only be available for 45 days and goes off sale 1/15/2021 or when supplies run out. After that, the title will live on in the hi-res digital format.

Ivanhoe is one of Rózsa's most heroic scores, composed for large orchestra, expanded percussion and brass sections and features a plethora of themes. The siege segment was such an ambitious composition that he had to record it in nine sections, all designed to be assembled into a final, two-part massive action sequence. It is perhaps one of his most complex compositions.

As noted in the liner notes by author Tony Thomas: The screenplay follows the outlines of the Sir Walter Scott novel. It begins with Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) making his way home to England after serving with King Richard in the Third Crusade. Richard has been held captive by the Austrians and Ivanhoe discovers in which castle Richard is held. In England he vows to uphold Richard’s cause in the face of a Norman plot to put his treacherous brother Prince John on the throne.

INTRADA INT 7160
Barcode: 720258716002
Retail Price: $19.99
Starts Shipping 12/1/2020
Note: Due to local restrictions related to the pandemic, shipping time may be slower than usual
For track listing and sound samples, please visit http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.12306/.f

No comments so far, so I'll start.

Thanks Intrada for this remastered release. I have your previous release, along with the Rhino release, and it's one of my favourite Rozsa scores. Placed my order.

Well done, Intrada.

The 96/24 download is now available on Qobuz and perhaps other places, and for only 13 bucks.

On Qobuz, make sure to scroll all the way down or sort by "most recent" when doing a search for it. The older, CD-quality version of the album is still listed as well and is currently the first result of a search for "Ivanhoe".

I haven’t done a close A/B comparison, but is it just me or does the new CD sound really really nice? Broughton and the Sinfonia always pleased me — this was one of the first of Intrada’s CDs I picked up many moons ago when record stores existed and things like this just magically presented themselves to you in the racks, waiting to be purchased. As I say, I always loved the original release — am I biased or did this scrub up well?

_________________
Karl Morton IV

"Enjoy every sandwich."
-- Warren Zevon

The new master does indeed sound really really nice, a great benefit to this brilliant and invigorating recording. Very glad to have it in high-resolution.

I had been hoping for a remaster release instead of seeking out the previous release. Glad I waited.

I also bought the high resolution download from HD tracks. It really sounds excellent when compared to the original CD. My only gripe with this - as with other downloads out there - is that there is no digital booklet. I wish there was one as I am slowly starting to turn over to digital only.