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Composed, Orchestrated, and Co-Produced by:
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David Bergeaud
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Conducted by:
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Allan Wilson
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Co-Produced by:
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Robin Esterhammer
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Release Date:
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January, 2003
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Availability:
Promotional release, with only 1,000 copies pressed. Available through the label or soundtrack specialty outlets only.
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Sorry, there are no commercial ordering options for this title. However, you can
search for this title at the soundtrack specialty outlets listed on the Filmtracks Links Page. |
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you are a Prince Valiant reader or fan of campy
adventure scores, and want to hear the comic's orchestral representation in
harmonic excellence.
Avoid it... if your ears are finely tuned to only accept only real
symphonic action music on a large scale, and don't want to spend extra money
to hear otherwise.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Prince Valiant (Prinz Eisenherz) - 1997: (David Bergeaud)
Harold R. Foster's Arthurian comic strip has remained popular for more than
half a century, and has inspired both live-action and animated adaptations
onto the screen. The 1954 Fox film, with an impressive cast and budget, was
for a long time the only Prince Valiant representation on film. The
1990's brought new life to the comic with the animated series that became a
staple of The Family Channel. As could be predicted, the renewed attention
to the series caused more interest to rise for the prospect of another
live-action film. In 1997, director Anthony Hickox, who had envisioned a
Valiant-gone-James-Bond kind of twist on the story, ended up producing in
Germany a more traditional rendering of the tale. In English, the film was
quick in production, short on money, and creative in its special effects
solutions. The task was just as fluid for composer David Bergeaud. Known
best for his work on the television shows Earth 2 and The Outer
Limits, Bergeaud was originally challenged to produce a Prince
Valiant score that melded traditional orchestral elements with modern
rock instrumentation. Yet, as the production of the film focused more on a
straight, non-Bond portrayal of Valiant, Bergeaud eventually dropped the
rock elements and produced a solely orchestral and similarly synthesized
score. Given the film's dramatic post-production edits, the score's mere
existence in its current form serves as testimony to Bergeaud's editing
effort.
Producing low budget scores often causes lesser-known
composers to become masters of editing, layering, looping, and remastering.
For Prince Valiant, Bergeaud worked with a string orchestra and
several specialty instruments, including a harp, hurdy-gurdy, penny whistle,
recorder, viola de gamba, hand organs, and an array of percussion. Also
recorded separately were the synthesized brass and keyboarding. Recreating
brass on a machine is a tricky prospect, because it often doesn't mesh well
with live string sounds. In this case, though, Bergeaud used an effective
technique of re-recording all of these elements from speakers that were
playing the sections of the orchestra as if the orchestra was actually
positioned that way in the room. The result is a strong sounding and robust
medieval action/adventure score with excellent reverberation and a real tone
that may fool many listeners into believing that the score was recorded with
120 players. Another strength of the Prince Valiant score is
Bergeaud's consistent use of romantic, large-scale themes and harmony. A
very pleasant score to enjoy, Bergeaud's work is strong in the heroic and
driving in its rhythms. The themes pay homage to some of the best, including
Jerry Goldsmith's dreamy subtheme for Star Trek V, but Bergeaud
remains fresh enough in his approach to keep this score distinct. It is a
fantastic example of a low budget success, proving that creativity and
talent can defeat obscurity and the lack of a large performing group. On
album, Prince Valiant is an initial release of Perseverance Records,
with a pressing limited to 1,000 copies in a promotional format. This score
is both a campy and epic tribute to Foster's comic creation, and if you are
an adventure fan and have some extra cash to spend, this one shouldn't be
missed. ****
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Main Title (2:02)
• 2. Arctic (2:41)
• 3. The Tournament (3:28)
• 4. The Joust (3:30)
• 5. Leaving Camelot (1:24)
• 6. Rainy Night (4:57)
• 7. The Castle (2:58)
• 8. The Duel (2:39)
• 9. Rescuing Gawain (2:11)
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• 10. The Beach (1:12)
• 11. Tavern #1 (0:36)
• 12. Tavern #2 (3:18)
• 13. The Obelisk (1:39)
• 14. Pechet's Launch (1:13)
• 15. "I Want to Be a Knight" (1:28)
• 16. Final Confrontation (3:09)
• 17. Back to Life (1:50)
• 18. King Arthur's Blessing (1:33)
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The insert includes vast details about the score or film, written by author Paul Tonks.
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