JERRY GOLDSMITH'S "FIRST KNIGHT"- COMPLETE??

Gordon Pym · **Posted:** Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:04 am

Jerry Goldsmith himself admitted to Daily Variety, shortly after the movie's release that he had wanted to write very modal, Vaughan Williams inspired music rather than the more Korngoldian sound one usually associates with this kind of film scores.

The Ben Cross character's music often shares similarities with RVW' Symphony nÂ°6.

And the love theme also a rather folklike tinge to it. The many variations around it are beautiful indeed.

But the result is 100% Jerry Goldsmith. And although by the mid-90s his style had become fairly streamlined, there's no mistaking the composer's imprint in cues like Ambush.

This score deserves a proper presentation to be fully enjoyed. Maybe, someday?

Paul MacLean · **Joined:** Sun May 28, 2006 4:02 pm **Posts:** 294

I have to be honest -- First Knight was a disappointing score for me. How could you go wrong with Jerry Goldsmith scoring a King Arthur movie? But, astonishingly, Goldsmith delivered a disappointingly simplistic and (by his standards) clumsy effort. To me it sounded like someone trying imitate Goldsmith rather than Goldsmith himself. Lionheart in contrast had far more thematic variety, more energy, and to me more passion and nobility than First Knight. (The only problem with Lionheart is that Goldsmith was saddled with a mediocre orchestra.)

I don't think First Knight is an awful score -- Goldsmith on a bad day was still better than most others -- but it isn't one the of the crown jewells of his career. I much prefer Lionheart, or The 13th Warrior.

Eh Tar · **Posted:** Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:42 am

Paul MacLean · **Joined:** Sun May 28, 2006 4:02 pm **Posts:** 294

I've seen Lionheart and First Knight. Lionheart wasn't great...but it was a better film than First Knight.

For me tho, the film doesn't color my perception of the score. I don't like Twilight Zone: The Movie as a film, but the score is one of Goldsmith's best. Conversely I thought LA Confidential was an excellent film, but Goldsmith's score was only fair compared to much of his other work.

Gordon Pym · **Posted:** Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:55 pm

I also have to add how I've loved the Lionheart score, ever since those two VarÃ¨se CDs were released. At the time, it was quite a marketing coup from VarÃ¨se to release this score as two separate volumes. And it looked at the time like the Goldsmith score was the main attraction in there !

Although the performance - as Paul rightfully pointed out - is sometimes embarassing (the brass, in particular hit quite a few wrong notes and intonation errors), it has much more variety than First Knight. Oddly enough, the Hungarian State Symphony seemed to perform better on Islands in the Stream. And I've really never been able to quite figure out why...

But... First Knight - as simplistic or streamlined as it may sound sometimes - has a certain grandeur and panache Lionheart sometimes lack, I feel. It's more claustrophobic than the open space sound of First Knight.

Camelot Lives is still quite an impressive epilogue.

It all boils down to a matter of tastes, I guess...

NP: SWEENEY TODD

AndyDursin · **Joined:** Sat May 13, 2006 9:12 am **Posts:** 27

Lokutus · **Posted:** Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:31 am

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JERRY GOLDSMITH'S "FIRST KNIGHT"- COMPLETE??

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