Veröffentlichung Quartet veröffentlicht SUNFLOWER 2CD (Henry Mancini) und HAREM (Philippe Sarde)

[Handstand]

Wie schon vor ein paar Wochen angekündigt, sind bei Quartet Records ab heute zwei neue Titel erhältlich. Darunter ist Quartets 100. Veröffentlichung, eine Doppel-CD mit Henry Mancinis SUNFLOWER.

 

 

 

Henry Mancini

SUNFLOWER (1970)

Quartet Records

 

€21.95

 

World premiere release of the unfogettable Henry Mancini score, one of his most romantic scores.

In 1970, legendary actor-director Vittorio De Sica and famed producer Carlo Ponti joined forces to make Sunflower (also known by its original Italian title, I Girasoli). Set mostly in the wake of World War II, the film follows an Italian woman named Giovanna (Sophia Loren) as she searches across Russia for any trace of her vanished husband, Antonio (Marcello Mastroianni). What she discovers will change her life forever. The film received notable praise for the impassioned performance of Sophia Loren (who won a David di Donatello Award in Italy for Best Actress) and its breathtaking, Oscar-nominated score from composer Henry Mancini.

At the time he was asked to score Sunflower, Henry Mancini (1924-1994) was a legend in his field. His unforgettable melodies for director Blake Edwards, in particular, had brought him internacional renown. The composer was specially sought after by De Sica and Ponti—who agreed on little but that Mancini was the perfect choice for their film. Mancini fully justified their confidence by producing one of his most beautiful and dramatic scores. Its twin love themes, capturing the rich flavors of both Italy and Russia, are exquisitely balanced between romantic longing and painful melancholy; while powerful themes for the characters’ journeys add depth and pathos. Sunflower earned Mancini an Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Original Score, and inspired the hit song “Loss of Love,” with lyrics by Bob Merrill. It was especially successful in Japan, where Mancini’s celebrity rose to new heights.

Although Sunflower was a very famous score and the LP released at this date was an incredible success (having been reissued several times on CD, though always in Japan), this is the premiere release of the complete score, including every note written by Mancini for the film (even several cues that ultimately were not included in the final cut of the film). For this definitive presentation we have included the complete score written for the film on disc one, carefully mastered by Claudio Fuiano from the first generation mono tapes -the film was mixed in mono- recently found in Italy. On disc two we have included the remastered album version in full stereo, from its original sources courtesy of Studio Canal. The package includes a 20-page full color booklet with liner notes and track-by-track analysis by film music specialist John Takis.

Enjoy one of the most radiant and melodic works of Henry Mancini, it is also our 100th release!. And many more on the way…


DISC ONE
THE COMPLETE FILM SCORE
    
01. Main Title (2:29)
02. Love in the Sand** (4:30)
03. The Wedding Night* (4:20)
04. Last Memories (0:32)
05. The Retreat (5:13)
06. The Photo of Antonio (0:37)
07. The Search** (5:04)
08. Son of the Search (0:56)
09. The Cemetery (0:33)
10. Tu sei Italiano? (1:25)
11. Without Hopes* (1:16)
12. Masha* (2:12)
13. Masha Finds Antonio (3:39)
14. The Station (2:04)
15. The Broken Photo (0:43)
16. Giovanna's New Life* (0:59)
17. The Visit of the Mama (1:31)
18. Antonio's Flashback* (0:47)
19. New Home in Moscow (1:15)
20. Masha and Antonio (1:57)
21. The Appointment (1:20)
22. The Invitation* (2:08)
23. The Parting in Milan (3:27)
24. End Titles (1:10)
25. Love Theme From "Sunflower" – demo (Piano: Henry Mancini) (1:45)
26. Loss of Love (Vocal) (3:22)

Total Disc One: 55:41

**Does not appear in the film
**Contains previously unreleased material
    

DISC TWO
THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM

01.  Love Theme From "Sunflower" (2:29)
02.  Masha's Theme (1:59)
03. Giovanna (1:58)
04. The Search (4:22)
05. Love in the Sand (3:04)
06. New Home in Moscow (1:22)
07. Two Girls (2:11)
08. The Retreat  (5:11)
09. The Invitation (2:07)
10. Masha Finds Antonio (3:37)
11. The Parting in Milan (3:22)

Total Disc Two: 30:01

 

 

 

Philippe Sarde

HAREM (1985)

Quartet Records

 

€16.95

 

Quartet Records proudly presents the premiere release of Philippe Sarde’s score for the 1985 romantic drama Harem.

Starring Nastassja Kinski and Ben Kingsley, Arthur Joffé's Harem takes audiences into the exotic world of the Orient. Diane is a Wall Street broker who gets kidnapped from her stressful life and is transported to the Harem of a charismatic sheik named Selim. The girl initially feel uncomfortable, but she eventually surrenders into a more relaxed lifestyle with many comfortable moments. Her first meetings with Selim are filled with tension, but the two soon warm up to each other and the sheik is forced to surpress feelings that are very alien in his culture...

The score by legendary French composer Philippe Sarde (Tess, Les choses de la vie, Uncovered) is a passionate work of contemporary and Oriental influences performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, The Ambrosian Singers and pianist Warren Bernhardt. The soundtrack also features the theme song 'Hey, Stranger' by Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Sommerville.

The album contains the entire score specially edited by the composer himself for optimal listening experience. The richly illustrated 12-page booklet contains liner notes by Gergely Hubai, discussing the film and the score based on original interviews.


01. Hey Stranger!* (2:57)
02. New York (6:26)
03. Diane (3:44)
04. Escape (2:20)
05. The Beach (3:33)
06. A New Wife (2:23)
07. Car Promenade (3:52)
08. Hamman (3:15)
09. Captive Days (3:14)
10. The Bag (2:11)
11. The Desert (2:53)
12. Freedom (2:39)
13. Harem (6:21)
14. Selim (3:18)

Total Disc Time: 49:37

* Original song performed by Jimmy Sommerville
  Music by Philippe Sarde
  Lyrics by Jimmy Sommerville

[peter-anselm]

Sunflower ist nett aber bitte nicht auf zwei CDs

[Handstand]

Ich habe mir nun alle Samples von SUNFLOWER auf der Seite von Quartet Records angehört. Wie von Peter ja schon liebevoll angedeutet, ist der Score auf Disc 1 im Wesentlichen monothematisch. Das melancholische Hauptthema erinnert dabei vom Grundklang her etwas an Francis Lais LOVE STORY. Mein erster Eindruck, um jetzt noch einen dritten Komponistennamen ins Spiel zu bringen: Das ist sicher was für Barryfans, vor allem, wenn sie auch mit dem späteren Barry, insbesondere mit seinem SOMEWHERE IN TIME anfangen können.

 

Das alte Soundtrackalbum (Disc 2) scheint ein kleines bißchen vielfältiger zu sein.

 

Ich werde diese Quartet-Ausgabe sicherlich eher früher als später kaufen, zumal ich bislang lediglich das Hauptthema in Mancinis eigener Neuaufnahme habe.