Search - Dublin Screen Orchestra :: Quiet Man

Luck of the Irish

G. Hill | Dublin, Ireland | 04/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Quiet Man has over the years become a major favourite with movie fans. The film while deeply rooted in a stage Irish vein delivers a simple tale of love in a cold climate (yes folks the forty shades of green does not come from constant sunshine!)and it appeals to all ages. It's a good humoured piece of whimsey that always brings a smile to your face no matter how many viewings.

Extremely pleasant too is the wonderful soundtrack, a mixture of traditional Irish folk tunes and a wonderfully sentimental score by the great Victor Young. There was a single side of an LP recording made many years back devoted to the score which was rereleased by Varese sarabande on a CD in 1994. this suite however concentrated mostly on the folk tunes. This recording by Scannan (an Irish based label) contains the complete score for the first time and was produced with passion by Joe Doherty and painstakingly reconstructed and orchestrated by Philip Lane. The score is ably delivered with panache by the Dublin screen orchestra under the baton of Kenneth Alwyn. I had the pleasure of attending part of the recording sessions and was impressed by the level of enthusiasm and professionalism of all involved.

Victor's score once again shines, its amazing how the music just exudes the feeling of the film. This recording gives you the chance to hear how the composer approached the subject and gave it it's heart.

There may be detractors as all re-recordings garner but I can assure you that you will be surprised how authentic to the original recording that this really is. A noble effort and a rewarding listen.

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