Most of the releases in RCA’s classic film score series consisted of short extracts or suites from the complete scores, but here we have an entire album devoted to a single film, and for good reason. Max Steiner’s work on Gone with the Wind represents a landmark in the history of film music, a score not just perfectly matched to the visuals, but one that truly contributed to the story’s epic sweep and larger-than-life drama. Indeed, the famous “Tara” theme is so well known that it has taken on a life apart from the movie, a fact that gives some indication of the quality of Steiner’s work.
Beyond the quality of the themes themselves, the film offers a huge range of opportunities for music: the ballroom scenes, battles, love music, the devastation of war, and the stunning landscapes. Steiner takes advantage of all of them, which is why his work deserves to be heard as here, in the form of an extended suite (45 minutes out of a total two and a half hours of music actually used in the film). As with all of the other releases in this landmark series, the performance under Charles Gerhardt is magnificent (it was approved by Steiner himself), the sonics sumptuous even by today’s best standards. This on-demand release, available from Arkivmusic.com, is a treasure. [6/24/2008]
