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Georges Delerue Commented Discography Film Music 1 |
A - C |
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A Walk with love and Death See Walk with Love and Death, A |
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Agnes of
God
U.S.A CD Varèse Sarabande VSD-5368 Original soundtrack from a 1985 drama by Norman Jewison, starring Jane Fonda. Music performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Elmer Iseler Singers. Academy Award nomination for best score. While the original album presented the music in two suites, Varèse Sarabande opted here for a 12 tracks division, but without titles. It wouldn't have been very useful anyway, as far as I am concerned. Despite all my good will and unlike many fans of the composer, I cannot really enjoy this mono-thematic and unvaryingly slow paced score. The nice main theme for flute, oboe and choir is nearly spoiled by a legion of heavy cellos and basses. Its repetitions offer only a few variations and they alternate with boringand badly edited suspense cues.
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Amazing
Stories Vol.1
U.S.A. 2 CD Intrada Special Collection Volume 32 The mini score for The Doll relies mainly on the glockenspiel, the harp and the strings. It includes a music box tune conjuring up childhood innocence, as one might have expected from Delerue. At times, we hear echoes of Our Mother's House, minus the consistency and the originality. The more dramatic cues are heavy with a too large section of cellos and double-basses : a common pattern in the late Delerue's efforts. Without Diana also left me rather unsatisfied. The main title is pure jazz. The next pieces, dominated again by the glockenspiel, woodwind instruments and long harp glissandos, recall Steel Magnolias in embryo, a score written at about the same period. The two last pieces have a discreet guitar part with harp accompaniment. In fact, the latter one seems to play the bass chords for the guitar. These passages lack consistence and they recall inevitably Rich in Love, the last work recorded by Delerue. In short, as it is often the case with television, these modest scores are not memorable. They don't have much to offer when listened apart from the picture. The same remark applies to the rest of the program of this double album.
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An Almost
Perfect Affair
U.S.A. CD Varèse Club VCL 0306 1049 Original soundtrack of the comedy directed by Michael Rithchie in 1979 starring Virna Lisi and Keith Carradine. Dominated by a great waltz in the Vienna style and a melancholic piano theme, this minor opus for an unsuccessful flick is still a welcome addition in the composer's discography. In terms of quantity and quality, you get nothing more than the original LP but nothing less either.
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Bandes
originales des films de François Truffaut:
Les Passions Amoureuses
France CD Milan 887 974 Excerpts from the original soundtracks Jules et Jim, La Peau douce, Les deux Anglaises et le continent (Two English Girls), La Femme d'à côté (The Woman Next Door) with two others using re-recorded music by Maurice Jaubert: L'Histoire d'Adèle H and L'Homme qui aimait les femmes. This generous compilation has extensive liner notes in French and English and fine stills. All these classic soundtracks have been reissued on CD, sometimes in a more complete form. However, this release remains an excellent introduction to the long Truffaut-Delerue collaboration. Jules et Jim was taken directly from the original EP and is below today's technical standards. |
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Bandes
originales des films de François Truffaut:
Récits d'Apprentissage et d'Amour
France CD Milan 887 975 Excerpts from the original soundtracks La Nuit américaine (Day for night) and Le Dernier métro plus five others by Maurice Le Roux (Les Mistons), Bernard Herrmann (Fahreinheit 451), Antonio Vivaldi (L'Enfant sauvage) and Maurice Jaubert (L'Argent de poche, La Chambre verte). Again, the excerpts from the two Delerue soundtracks can be found elsewhere in a more complete form. The same applies to Fareinheit 451 by Bernard Herrmann. More valuable here are the re-recorded suites of music by Maurice Jaubert that Truffaut used for two long features. The 14 minutes from La Chambre verte are especially impressive. One can feel the influence he had on Delerue himself and other important composers of the French New Wave. |
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Bandes
originales des films de François Truffaut:
Les films noirs
France CD Milan 887 976 Excerpts from the original soundtracks Tirez sur le pianiste (Shoot the Piano Player), Une Belle fille comme moi and Vivement dimanche! (Confidentially Yours), plus two others by Bernard Herrmann (La Mariée était en noir) and Antoine Duhamel (La Sirène du Missisipi). This compilation includes the most complete CD version of Delerue's first score for a Truffaut film, Tirez sur le pianiste, and the one for Vivement dimanche! is nearly complete. However, these scores don't rank among the most interesting music that Delerue has written for this important director. |
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Best Original
Film Music Scores Vol. 1
France CD Milan CD-319 Original soundtracks excerpts from L'Important c'est d'aimer, Mona, Un Monsieur de compagnie, Les deux Anglaises et le continent, La Peau douce, Quelque part quelqu'un, Heureux qui comme Ulysse, Le Mépris. This early and alas very short compilation includes the nearly complete soundtrack from Le Mépris and bits of other classic. All the content has since been reissued on various compilations in France, but they do not always sound as good as this one. If both volumes (see below) had been reissued on one CD, it would have been a lasting winner. |
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Best Original
Film Music Scores Vol. 2
France CD Milan CD-320 Original soundtracks excerpts from Police Python 357, Jamais plus toujours, Compte à rebours, L'insoumis, Tendre poulet, Josepha, La Passante du Sans-souci, Garde à vue. Contains only a couple of excerpts not available on any other CD release: Police Python 357, Jamais plus toujours and Josepha. The two volumes on LP had different stills on the covers but Milan preferred to keep the same one for the CD releases. However, the second Delerue portrait tused on the LP cover is included on last page of the booklet of both volumes.
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Black
Robe
U.S.A. CD MCA SD-10533 Original soundtrack from the Bruce Beresford drama that takes place in the province of Quebec, Canada, starring Lothaire Bluteau and August Schellenberg. Music recorded in Sydney, Australia. The popularity of Black Robe helped the sales of the CD, but it is far from being one of my favourites. The thematic material is poor, too repetitive and slow paced. As in Agnes of God, it relies mostly on a large and opaque strings section, dominated by cellos and double basses. The simple love theme, played at the recorder, is reminiscent of a folk tune. The brass and percussion for the dramatic scenes are rather clumsy. Libera Me, the final five minute long choral track, featuring a soprano boy, sounds more like an imitation of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem (and other religious classics of the same kind) than a personal composition.
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Black
Stallion Returns, The
Belgium CD Prometheus 151 Original soundtrack from the 1982 adventure drama by Robert Dalva, paired here with The Black Stallion composed by Carmine Coppola and Shirley Walker. This Delerue score offers a good balance between action scenes in open spaces and lyricism. With only two principal themes, it is nevertheless a thrilling listening experience thanks to the rich, colourful and at times exotic orchestrations. The resulting CD sounds exactly like the original LP, which is a pretty good result, although I expected something more punchier, especially in the bass tones. (The Black Stallion score has a more experimental approach and, with five composers credited in addition of Coppola and Walker, lacks unity.) |
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Borgias,
The
Belgium CD Prometheus PCD-109 Original soundtrack from the 1980 BBC TV serial played mostly on period instruments with a male chorus for religious pieces. Features many English Medieval and Renaissance like dances and fanfares. Except for the fine Lucrezia's Theme, played alternately on recorder, lute and bass viola, this long score has not much personal writing to offer. However, it is very well produced by the BBC. Too bad Prometheus relied on a comic strip style for the illustrations. |
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Calmos
France CD Universal 013472-2 Paired with Les Valseuses by
Stéphane Grapelli Original soundtrack from the 1975 comedy by Bertrand Blier. Relies almost exclusively on a jazz quartet featuring the humming bass Slam Stewart. Perhaps true jazz lovers will enjoy this repetitive music that seems to have been mostly improvised. For me, I simply cannot. Delerue would contribute to another movie for this controversial director, the Mozart like Préparez vos mouchoirs. |
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Cartouche
Belgium CD Prometheus PCD-104 Original soundtrack from a 1963 swashbuckling drama by Philippe de Broca, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Claudia Cardinale. First compelete release of this large orchestral baroque score. Has a lot of music not included in the final edit of the movie. An exhilarating and funny score with a lot of romance. The martial main theme comes back often but you can't really get tired of it. Unfortunately, the mono sound quality is very poor by today's standards. |
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Cent mille
dollars au
soleil
/ Paul Gauguin
Belgium CD Prometheus PCD-101 Original mono soundtrack from the 1963 Henri Verneuil French movie, paired with the 1974 original stereo soundtrack from a French TV serial on painter Paul Gauguin. This was the first release by Prometheus at a time when technical facilities for remastering were not as accessible as today. Cent mille dollards au soleil is very repetitive and has a harsh archival sound. The Paul Gauguin suite, a minor but pleasant work, is nearly audiophile in comparison.
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Chouans!
France CD Carrère 96538 Original soundtrack from the Phillippe de Broca historical drama, starring Philippe Noiret and Sophie Marceau. This symphonic score remains one of the most impressive from the late Delerue. The martial main theme sustained by brasses and strings alternates with lighter, dance oriented cues, typical of the Baroque area.
Canada CD Disques Cinémusique DCM 108 Canadian release of the original soundtrack from the Phillippe de Broca historical drama, starring Philippe Noiret and Sophie Marceau. Completely re-mastered from the digital recording with new packaging and liner notes. The producer of this CD is also the author of the present page. |
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Cinéma
de Philippe de Broca, Le - Musiques de Georges
Delerue 1959-1968
France CD Universal Jazz 980984-4 Excerpts from the original soundtracks Les Jeux de l'Amour, Le Farceur, L'Amant de cinq jours, Cartouche, L'homme de Rio, Un Monsieur de compagnie, Les Tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine, Le Roi de coeur, Le Diable par la queue. The 20 page booklet has many illustrations and features an extensive interview with director Philippe de Broca. The de Broca/Delerue collaboration extended over 17 feature films and represents about ten hours of music. At least half of it has been released on records (LPs or EPs). To sum up such a production with only two 70 minute CDs was a big challenge. Only Universal Jazz in France could undertake it because they control the Sido Music catalog, which includes a majority of the original soundtracks composed by Georges Delerue in Europe. This first volume of two is disappointing. There is only one 1:30 minute excerpt from Les Jeux de l'Amour, while the EP contained 11:30 minutes. There are only 3:37 minutes from Le Farceur, when at least 8:30 minutes, once available on vinyl, could have appeared. For the second time in two years, Universal used a substantial portion of Cartouche, but still cannot issue all of it in a decent sound quality. In Un Monsieur de compagnie, the sparkling Générique is missing, as is La Fuite d'Antoine played with the mandolin. As for the Thème d'Isabelle (played by Catherine Deneuve in the movie), it is presented here in an extended, saccharine version that puts the emphasis on the strings instead of the piano. The short suite from Le Roi de coeur ( King of Hearts) is spoiled with the Thème de la Joie de vivre deprived of its introduction, and clumsily followed by Retour à l'Asile at the piano - which is so stretched out that it becomes boring. The nearly a quarter-hour of Le Diable par la queue remains the best part of the disc, although the composer obviously found much of his inspiration in Bach and Vivaldi.
France CD Universal Jazz 980988-5 Excerpts from the original soundtracks Les Caprices de Marie, Chère Louise, L'Incorrigible, Julie pot-de-colle, Tendre poulet, Le Cavaleur, L'Africain, Chouans ! The 20 page booklet has many illustrations and features an extensive interview with director Philippe de Broca. The second volume appears to be much more satisfying than the first one. The fact that most tracks are in stereo allows the listener to better appreciate the different nuances of the music. This volume includes clever and well sequenced selections from all the scores, the heartfelt and highly melodic Les Caprices de Marie and Chère Louise being the highlights of the program. The inclusion of the brutal but short Meurtre cue in Tendre Poulet is the only minor misstep. In short, a true homage to the director and the composer as well, and an essential CD which is sure to please to everybody. |
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Comme un
Boomerang
Italy CD CAM CSE-032 Original soundtrack from a 1976 French drama by Jose Giovanni. Besides a typical Delerue main theme with kantele and strings this score includes some easy listening pieces and percussion solos for the party scene. An average score for a minor movie. The cocktail lounge or party mood rooted in some pieces make it more suitable for background listening. This is the only complete Delerue soundtrack issued on CD by CAM, a major film music label primarily devoted to the Italian repertoire. |
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Complot, Le
(To Kill a Priest)
France CD Virgin 30639 Original soundtrack from the Agnes Holland drama. Consists of short dramatic orchestral cues and five equally short sources pieces (waltzes, polkas, etc.), which are wisely regrouped at the end. Features a song co-written and performed by Joan Baez. Despite the heroic main titles song having typically lush strings and background choral parts by Delerue, it remains too similar to the songs Joan Baez previously delivered for the Italian hit Sacco and Vanzetti. The instrumental score is just okay - not very melodic or lyrical. |
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Conformist,
The - A Bernardo Bertolucci double feature
U.S.A. CD DRG 32901 Original I soundtrack from Il Conformist by Bernardo Bertolucci paired with A Man's Tragedy, composed by Ennio Morricone. The first CD release was on CLSC in Japan. This minor score for an important Italian movie consists nearly exclusively of source music. I have the feeling that Ennio Morricone, my second favourite composer, could have done a better job here. |
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Corniaud, Le
/ Le Cerveau
France CD Universal Jazz 0171812 Original soundtracks from two comedies directed by Gérard Oury, starring the legendary Louis de Funès. Also contains excerpts from the score composed by Georges Auric for another movie by Oury. The best excerpts from Le Corniaud had already been reissued on CD in 1988 by Milan on a excellent compilation entitled Les plus belles musiques des films de Louis de Funès. The additional material here does not add much. Delerue used a similar pop style in Le Cerveau (The Brain), but this time seems to be on automatic pilot. (Same disappointment with the contribution by the great Auric.) |
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Crimes of the
Heart
U.S.A. CD Varèse Sarabande VSD-47278 Original soundtrack from the Bruce Beresford comedy, starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissi Spacek. Most pieces are for saxophone, piano, xylophone and flute with strings. The last track proves to be only a different take of the main title, so the soundtrack is actually 41 minutes long. Still, a very substantial one. I find the flute theme reprises and the Granddaddy's trumpet tune becomes a bit tiresome, but the rest of the score remains magical. The musicians deliver a warm and sensitive interpretation. Sound engineer Eric Tomlinson surpassed himself and the sequencing is perfect. Still the best Delerue release in the United States and a desert island item. |
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Curly Sue
U.S.A. CD Giant 24439-2 Original soundtrack from a comedy by John Hugues starring James Belushi, Alisan Porter and Kelly Lynch. The instrumental score by Delerue features a nursery rhyme like theme.The original compositions alternate with various pop songs. It sounds like the composer lapsed into second childhood here. There are only slight variations in his bittersweet music, but it never becomes tiresome : graceful and touching from the beginning to the end. A score which improved considerably this not so funny movie. Had this soundtrack release benefited from a better mastering and the original tracks been grouped together, it would have become one of my top favourites on CD. The German edition proved has a crisper sound than the American one. |
