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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 12:18amSanction this postReply
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Two things I want to say here:

1) This is the only article from the current FreeRad that will be published online for the foreseeable future. Those wanting to read the rest of the articles, including the Rand centenary ones, must still subscribe to the hard copy.

2) It's Chris's birthday today. Readers may wish to add birthday felicitations to their plaudits for this splendid article. Allow me to be the first to say - Happy Birthday, Diabolical! :-)

Linz

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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 1:05amSanction this postReply
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Very good Article, although I must say that I praise next to all of Chris' article ;)

And by the way, Happy Birthday Chris :)


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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 1:15amSanction this postReply
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I haven't known Chris as long as some of the others who frequent this site, however he's become one of my major intellectual influences, impacting my views on everything from philosophy to foreign policy to progressive music (though I should add that we don't agree on every issue!); as well as a counsel through various personal matters and above all a friend.

Thank you Chris, and happy birthday!

MH

PS Great article - I know very little of Rozsa, but this was a marvellous introduction :-)


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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 3:56amSanction this postReply
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Hmmmmm - it would appear that my LP of 'Ben Hur' is the only way can hear the soundtrack, as it isn't on CD? or did my clicking miss somewhere?

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Post 4

Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 5:16amSanction this postReply
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Thanks for the kind words and birthday greetings.

Robert:  The most complete CD release of the "Ben-Hur" soundtrack is by Rhino.  Here's info on it:

http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=72197

And it is also available at amazon.com (where you can find audio clips):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000033OC/102-9669799-3007353?v=glance

Ironically, one of the selections from the soundtrack is my "Song of the Day" today.   How predictable. :)


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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 6:05amSanction this postReply
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I'd like to echo MH in saying that I didn't know of Rozsa but this is a great introduction.  I just read it last night in Free Rad and it made me want to attack the vinyl stores here in search of the soundtrack!

And Happy Happy Birthday, Chris! 

Jason

(Edited by Jason Dixon on 2/17, 8:03am)


Post 6

Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 7:46amSanction this postReply
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Beautiful article, Chris. And thank you for highlighting such an unjustly overlooked composer. Rozsa's Spellbound Concerto alone sets him apart as a true romantic at a time when few composers were interested in melody.

Good on you, too, for mentioning poor old neglected Korngold - a man whom Puccini rightly called a genius.

And a final thank you to your parents for having spawned you, my friend - Happy Birthday!!!  


Post 7

Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 5:32pmSanction this postReply
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Chris, what a beautiful article! Your writing is wonderful, as always, and the content fascinating.

I especially loved: "Rozsa admitted to being 'old-fashioned enough also to maintain that no art is worthy of the name unless it contains some element of beauty.'" Amen and bravo!

I wish you the happiest of birthdays, dear friend, this year and every year.

Barbara

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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 9:20pmSanction this postReply
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I am ordering Rozsa CD's after I finish this post, as I meant to when I read this in the FR, but got distracted. I also love Korngold. And what can I say about our sharing of Alfredo Arnoldo Cocozza? You know, Freddy Squash? Marco Polo? What the hell was the name he ended up with? Oh, yeah. Mario Lanza.
Chris, one of the highlights of 2004 for me was getting to know you, if only by way of email to date. You are a great and original thinker, a true gentleman, and, most of all, a treasured friend. Happy birthday. May Methusala envy your longevity!

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Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 9:43pmSanction this postReply
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Chris, I enjoyed your article and now have a better understanding of why so much of the best music in recent decades has come from film scores (the recent mention of the Titanic soundtrack on a thread is a case in point). Rozsa was clearly a master and pioneer of the field.

Warmest happy birthday salutations to you, my good friend.


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Post 10

Friday, February 18, 2005 - 5:13amSanction this postReply
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Thanks to old friends and new, for your kind words and praise and good wishes.

In your selection of music by Rozsa, just be open to a variety of experiences:  Remember that there are distinctions not only between his concert works and his film scores, but among these works themselves.  You may fall in love with one piece, or one score, and dislike others.  Especially in film scores, the content of the film will often dictate the character of the music; Rozsa wrote for everything from film noir to Biblical epics and there are great differences among his works.  And he is not unlike other great composers of the genre.  Bernard Herrmann, for example, could compose the poignant romantic soundtrack to "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," and the sharp screaching slasher sounds of "Psycho."

Clearly, however, there is a huge treasure-chest of material in Rozsa and in other modern composers of symphonic music and film scores that is long overdue for a good listen and a grand appreciation.  I hope to author shorter pieces in the coming months for The Free Radical that will spotlight other great film score composers.  Lots more to come...

Cheers to all.


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