Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(6 customer reviews) 23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Of breathtaking beauty,
April 29, 2000 M. van Hasselt (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Greatest Story Ever Told: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] (Audio CD)
I was at first apprehensive to buy this set, as I own the original LP, which -as beautiful as it is- is a re-recording in mono. This set I feared would just be a polished digital version of that LP, augmented with some laserdisc/DVD-soundtrack derived cues (people who own a copy of the ALdebaran Productions 3+ hours soundtrack CD set of Ben-Hur will know what I'm talking about: it's very disconcerting to have a sudden stereo-to mono shift in mid-track...not to mention truly barbaric fade-outs, cut-ins and cut-offs...and I also paid a LOT of money for THAT one).However, I was pursuaded by the review below to try this set anyway, and OH MY GOD! It's worth EVERY PENNY! It contains not only the originally released soundtrack (the afore-mentioned re-recording) in glorious stereophonic sound, but two (TWO!) discs containing the original movie soundtrack cuts never ever heard before (as far as I know). These were apparently saved by famous Hollywood choral director Ken Darby (a...Read more
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
An Alfred Newman Masterpiece! Praises to Ryko!!,
August 30, 1998 By A Customer
This review is from: The Greatest Story Ever Told: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] (Audio CD)
Finally, we have Alfred Newman's beautiful score for GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD on CD. And not only do we have a reissue of the soundtrack as it appeared on a United Artists LP in 1965, but we also have on two extra CDs the score as Newman envisioned it, complete with his wonderful Hallelujahs. As most readers may know, George Stevens butchered Newman's score by cutting and recutting the film, asking for rewrites, and insisting on the inclusion of Verdi's "Requiem" and Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus." Poor Newman was in declining health and yet had to endure this kind of desecration of his artistic creation. The selections on Discs 2 and 3 have floated about for years on tape among collectors, and there was even a 2CD set released as a bootleg (horribly distorted but very valuable for collectors). Now, however, we may rejoice in these pristine recordings. Along with the Rhino edition of Miklós Rózsa's masterpiece, BEN-HUR, this is one of the...Read more
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Alfred Newman's Final Masterpiece! Great restoration!,
April 2, 2000 Joe NY - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Greatest Story Ever Told: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] (Audio CD)
Although Alfred Newman would go on to score other movies (and win a final Oscar for CAMELOT), THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD is perhaps his last great effort. This great RYKO set includes 3 CDs, One features the original LP soundtrack released by United Artists records, which was in itself a re-recording (about 40 min). Two other CDs contain Newman's actual movie soundtrack recordings (totaling some 95 min). Newman's recordings were often tampered with, and in some cases, replaced by Director George Stevens. This set presents Newman's music as he recorded it. It is a magnificant, moving work which no movie music lover should be without. One small complaint, as with other RYKO releases,the booklet is actually a large fold out, cumbersome to read. I prefer liner notes which are presented in "book" form. Regardless, this is one of the top soundtrack restorations of recent years. It should be supported by all movie music fans. A high water mark in movie soundtrack...Read more
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