Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores on Phase 4

Bernard Herrmann recorded this series of seven albums on the Decca Phase 4 label between 1968 and 1975. They quickly became legendary in audiophile and film music circles because of their special combination of music and sound. Phase 4 recordings were almost invariably spectacular sonic showcases, but some classical critics did not approve of them because the extreme multimiking interfered with normal or traditional orchestral balances. But Herrmann’s highly original and personal orchestration was ideally suited to the Phase 4 multimiking that showcased his unique use of solo instruments and sections of the orchestra that were often obscured by more conservative classical miking techniques. The Phase 4 engineers provided an appropriate emphasis on Herrmann’s orchestration that has never been matched anywhere. Given Herrmann’s popularity, these recordings rank perhaps second only to the RCA Classic Film Score Series in importance to both film music fans and audiophiles.

Five of the seven CDs contain exclusively Herrmann’s music. There is a collection of Hitchcock film scores including the best arrangements of suites from Vertigo and Psycho, and an electrifying Main Title sequence to North by Northwest. Music from Great Film Classics is highlighted by excerpts from Citizen Kane, and a suite from Jane Eyre which will be a revelation for anyone interested in the juxtaposition of Herrmann’s style and a floridly Romantic Golden Age score.

The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann (Music from Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Fahrenheit 451) and The Mysterious Film World of Bernard Herrmann (Mysterious Island, Jason and the Argonauts, The Three Worlds of Gulliver) are the sonic highlights of this series. Journey to the Center of the Earth demonstrates Herrmann’s orchestral wizardry. It is scored for five organs, and emphasizes the lower frequencies including bass clarinets, contrabassoons, tubas, and an instrument called a serpent. Fahrenheit 451 presents a totally different sound world with harps, percussion, and strings. The Three Worlds of Gulliver illustrates how spectacular and colorful Herrmann could make a large, conventional orchestra sound.

Obsession is a longer suite that served as the film’s soundtrack recording. The music is clearly by Herrmann (which will be enough for many listeners), but this was not one of his great scores.

Music from Great Shakespearean Films (Shostakovich: Hamlet, Walton: Richard lll, Rózsa: Julius Caesar) and Bernard Herrmann Conducts Great British Film Music (Lambert: Anna Karenina, Bax: Oliver Twist, Benjamin: An Ideal Husband, Walton: Escape Me Never, Vaughan Williams: The Invaders, Bliss: Things to Come) offer plenty of fine and interesting music, though Herrmann’s conducting is not quite as animated as it is in his own music. Lambert’s Anna Karenina Suite will be especially attractive to anyone interested in full orchestral, melodic, British music, but Bliss’ Things to Come does not compare to the great sounding EMI version conducted by Charles Groves.

The remastered sound is excellent. For example, Journey to the Center of the Earth has amazing fine inner detail not audible on previous versions of the recording. Don’t miss these definitive examples of Herrmann conducting music from many of his finest scores.