"Ralph Vaughan Williams, 49th Parallel - The Complete Music Written for the Film"
Ralph Vaughan Williams composed in a wide
variety of genres, and film music became a significant part of his output in
the latter decades of a long and distinguished career. He viewed film scores as
more than just ephemera, seeking to “intensify the spirit of the whole” in
wartime productions such as “49th Parallel” (CDLX7405).
Dutton Epoch presents the world premiere
recording of the complete score. “49th Parallel” (aka “The Invaders”) has
been constructed from the original manuscripts by Martin Yates in 2022. This
new recording by The BBC Concert Orchestra is conducted by Martin Yates and
offers a soaring re-birth it has long deserved.
It all began in 1940 when conductor Muir
Mathieson approached Ralph Vaughan Williams about writing the score for this
film. The movie was part of the government’s wartime policy to use cinema to
rally up the support from the nation. The patriotic Vaughan Williams was only
too happy to oblige, and the score became his first of eleven for film.
Originally, The London Symphony Orchestra, (conducted by Mathieson and George
Stratton), were used to record Vaughan Williams’ music for the production.
The music, of course, remains a stirring and
remarkable achievement. The Prelude is the first piece of music heard in the
film, and has remained perhaps the most popular piece from the score. The marrying
of strings and brass set up the score perfectly as a repeated theme which is
peppered throughout the soundtrack - but is delivered in its full glory within
the Prelude. Vaughan Williams’ provides a rich and varied score, which makes
good use of timpani rolls, bold brass and a variety of comforting woodwind.
“49th Parallel” is, and will quite
probably remain, a quintessentially British classic. It has the ability to be
both uplifting and emotionally charged. As one who has attended the odd concert
of Vaughan Williams music, I can honestly say that there is almost a collective
intake of breath amongst the audience once they are alerted to the opening
chords of “49th Parallel” – and there’s not many pieces of music which
command that degree of attention and general awe.
Spread over 23 tracks, the production team of
Neil Varley, Emma Syrus and Executive producer Michael J Dutton have delivered
perhaps the most comprehensive edition of Williams’ masterful score. The CD is
also boosted by a super 12-page booklet which features detailed notes and
photos – all of which is edited by Oliver Lomax. As with any of the Dutton SACD
Hybrid Multi-Channel CD’s, all tracks are also available in stereo and playable
on any standard CD player.
Charles Gerhardt National Philharmonic
Orchestra – “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Star Wars”
In recent years, Vocalion
have been instrumental in the remastered reissues of the highly enjoyable Charles
Gerhardt albums of the Seventies, most of which were released on the RCA Read
Seal label, a quality and highly respected label back in the day. Vocalion have chosen wisely in picking up and renewing
these titles, often popular with budding young soundtrack collectors, they also
retain a nostalgic, childhood charm and many original LPs can still be found in
various collections. Vocalion’s latest offering in their SACD Hybrid series is
the wonderful 1978 album “Charles Gerhardt National Philharmonic Orchestra –
Close Encounters of the Third Kind And Star Wars” (CDLK4642).
Recorded in London’s Kingsway Hall on December
23, 1977, the album proved to be a very popular with fans of both films and
were quite happy to welcome this piece of vinyl to sit alongside their original
John Williams LPs. Some 45 years on from that original release, Vocalion’s Michael
J. Dutton has remastered and remixed the recording in quadraphonic form from
the original analogue tapes, and it’s a glorious piece of work.
I initially wondered if this particular
release would be worth the upgrade. I still own the RCA Red Seal CD (RCD 13650)
from 1983, and despite its gathering years, I always maintained the view that
it still sounded rather good. However, popping this newly polished edition into
the CD drawer, it soon became apparent that there was in fact a world of
difference. The audio is much more expansive and completely envelopes you with
a newly found level of richness, clarity and warmth. The CD sticks to its
original sequencing of 6 tracks from “Star Wars” (totalling some 33 minutes)
and is followed by the “Close Encounters” suite at 21-minutes. It’s great that Vocalion have again stuck to the original album art, a
feature that collectors certainly respect and goes a long way in cementing
their memories of enjoyment and nostalgia. The 8-page booklet contains Charles
Gerhardt’s original (and quite extensive) liner notes and is illustrated nicely
throughout.
“Charles Gerhardt’s Close Encounters of the
Third Kind and Star Wars” is an impressive release and well worth the upgrade
if quality ranks high on your list of priorities. Vocalion seem to have a
reliable knack of delivering on quality and they appear to do it with a
justified sense of pride – long may it continue.
https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk
(Darren Allison is the Soundtracks Editor for Cinema Retro.)