Victory at Sea

 (36 customer reviews)

Although Richard Rodgers will always be remembered for his brilliant musical theater collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, particularly with the latter (South Pacific, The Sound of Music), he also had a successful career as a composer of incidental music, and Victory at Sea is perhaps his best-known orchestral score. Rodgers composed 13 hours' worth of music for "Victory at Sea," NBC-TV's 26-episode documentary which premiered in 1952 and was a staple of the pre-cable late night hours on independent televisions such as WCIX-TV in Miami. Each episode ran for 30 minutes and focused primarily on the U.S. Navy's participation in the then-still recent Second World War, from the fight against German U-boats in the North Atlantic to the fierce struggle for domination of the Pacific between American and Japanese fleets. Renowned conductor and arranger Robert Russell Bennett's name has forever been linked with Rodgers' Victory at Sea score, for it was...Read more

This CD contains selections from the 1950's television series by the same name. The music was not only perfect for the series, it is just as spectacular by itself.Rodger's score is strong, demanding, and ever changing. The first track, "The Song of the High Seas," is a perfect example of a diverse style blended perfectly. The track begins strong, then hits hard, and ends with a very solid but noticeably lighter ending. It is a good track to show off the talent of every section of this orchestra. It has been said that this CD is all march. That statement would be in error. "Guadalcanal March" is a good example of Rodger's ability to compose marches. However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, "The Magnetic North" is nothing like a march. That track ends with one of the most quiet, controlled endings that one might hear in modern music. There is a wide variety of styles on this CD. Technically, the CD was recorded before...Read more

Richard Rodgers has successfully captured the tragedy of defeat and elation of victory in this album.His passages not only tell a story, they convey powerful emotions, best felt by those who were there. The recurring themes vividly identify the elements in the passages.I loved the Victory At Sea score as a kid, and I still do today. It is truly a contemporary classical masterpiece.