Search - Coles, Elms :: The Film Music Of Mischa Spoliansky

At last!

VALENWORTH | HAYWARD, CA United States | 05/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Got this for THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES--the 9 minute suite is superb, but does not include the haunting main-title theme. Also, the sound level is very low; but the performance is AOK"

Fans of Erich Korngold and John Williams, listen up!

Tym S. | San Francisco, CA USA | 11/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mischa Spoliansky escaped to London from the Nazis in 1933. Germany's loss was again England's gain, as this overview of his film scores proves.



The BBC Concert Orchestra surveys nine of them in multiple suites. "North West Frontier" is big, grand, and dynamic; fans of John Williams' golden era of STAR WARS/ SUPERMAN/ INDIANA JONES will surely enjoy these dramatic and melodic anthems. Spoliansky was blessed to do two scores featuring the great Paul Robeson, "Sanders of the River" and King Soloman's Mines", which each get vocal suites here. As daunting as Robeson's bass was, Mark Coles does a fine job emulating his timbre, but is especially effective with supple grace on the delicate 'Congo Lullaby' from "Sanders". 'Wagon Song' from "King Soloman's" sounds like a spiritual by way of Copland, a melody that is then lifted into a subtly jazzy manifesto in 'Moderato'. The throwaway noir film "Wanted For Murder" was favored with 'Voice In the Night', a dark delirium propelled by intense piano runs into surging, almost majesterial swells. There is a spritely ecstasy to the tracks from "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" and "The Happiest Days of Our Lives", particularly the latter's 'Galop' which sounds like a happy Sousa scoring a Looney Tunes romp. Rounding it out is a solo organ piece from "St. Joan" that is as epic, beneficent, and bitterweet as its heroine; John Wright is particularly notable on this seraphic closer."