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Conan the Barbarian
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(1982)
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1984-2003 Milan/Warner |
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Composed, Conducted, and Produced by:
Orchestrated by:
Greig McRitchie
Performed by:
Members of The Orchestra and Chorus of St. Cecilia and The Radio Symphony of Rome
2010 Album Produced by:
James Fitzpatrick
2010 Album Conducted by:
Nic Raine
2010 Album Performed by:
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
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LABELS & RELEASE DATES
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ALBUM AVAILABILITY
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The 1984, 1992, and 1999 Milan Records pressings originated in
France but are the more readily available albums on the market. An identical
product was re-issued by Warner International in 2003 for $12. The expanded 1992
Varèse Sarabande album is completely out of print and has been seen in
the used marketplace at prices over $90. The 2010 2-CD set is not a limited
product and was made available through soundtrack specialty outlets for $25.
The 2012 3-CD set from Intrada is a regular commercial release priced
initially at $30.
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AWARDS
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None.
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ALSO SEE
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Buy it... if you seek one of the most powerful, robust fantasy
adventure scores in the history of film music, especially on the
incredibly faithful and resounding 2010 re-recording that will exceed
your highest expectations.
Avoid it... on all the pressings of its original recording if
archival sound quality and questionable performances outweigh your
already marginal interest in the fantasy adventure genre, though the
comprehensive 2012 Intrada set is as polished as any presentation of the
score could be.
BUY IT
 | | Poledouris |
Conan the Barbarian: (Basil Poledouris) "And on to
this Conan..." When director John Milius and his college buddy
Basil Poledouris collaborated to produce their first fantasy adventure
film, little did they know that they would be catapulting their own
careers, as well as that of emerging muscleman Arnold Schwarzenegger,
into the bright lights of both cult and mainstream attention. Hollywood
was hitting the peak of its "sword and sorcery" phase (which some
instead termed the "swords and steroids" phase) when Conan the
Barbarian hit the theatres in 1982, and producers and directors
struggled to create authentic representations of a fantasy mould of
Earth from the Middle Ages on limited budgets and do so during a time
when audiences were being awed by the special effects of stories of
galactic proportions. The story of a boy's ascension from slave to king
during the Hyborean age was the creation of pulp writer Robert E.
Howard, and the concept was greeted on screen with enough enthusiasm to
warrant a sequel (albeit frightfully inferior) a few years later. Film
scores were also undergoing a renaissance in the early 1980's, pointed
by John Williams' orchestral adventure works back towards large,
symphonic representations of the fantasy genre. The producer of Conan
the Barbarian, Dino De Laurentiis, was an advocate of experimenting
with pop scores in the epic fantasy genre, and he recommended such an
approach for this film. Milius and Poledouris were on a different page,
though; the friends were so loyal to each other that the composer would
turn down the assignment of Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves to
score the director's Flight of the Intruder. The two men
recognized that a rock/pop score would not function for Conan the
Barbarian because of the production would rely on the music and
cinematography to take the place of dialogue in painting the correct
canvas for the film's depiction of the Hyborean age. De Laurentiis, of
course, would take his pop score ideas to Dune instead, with a
surprisingly effective result. Nothing but Poledouris' heavy symphonic
and choral approach would function for Conan the Barbarian,
however, and the composer would have to dig deep into Middle Age musical
construction (abandoning modern, lyrical strategies) in order to achieve
a convincing pre-historic score.
The result of Poledouris' efforts is a complex score that
sounds surprisingly primitive and brutal, and the composer reinforced
this approach by utilizing the sheer, awesome power of a huge orchestral
and choral ensemble. He employed players from two separate orchestras
and combined them with a chorus for a recording of monumental
proportions in Rome. Unlike other modern composers, Poledouris
successfully took Milius' suggestion of adapting the sounds of Carl
Orff's "Carmina Burana" (already popularly utilized in Excalibur)
and the Gregorian chanting of "Dies Irae" and provided similar emotional
constructs without allowing the score to sound like a cheap and
unaccomplished imitation. Thrown into the mix, of course, is Poledouris'
own knowledge of ancient folk music, a style that would inform his
subsequent score for Flesh + Blood to an even greater degree. He
accomplishes a consistent Middle Age atmosphere by utilizing powerful
arrays of brass and percussion throughout several different memorable
motifs that carry the film along as though it were a concert piece with
several distinct parts. First, the film begins with the theme that many
associate with Conan incorrectly; rather, "Anvil of Crom" is meant as a
representation of the period in time and its primitive human behavior.
It follows the prologue in the film with a powerful performance by
timpani drums and 24 French horns. In the string interlude of that title
theme, Conan's true theme is introduced. This more heroic idea is also
developed during the "Riddle of Steel" cue and would accompany Conan on
his journey of revenge throughout the film. The third theme utilized by
Poledouris is the Orff-inspired "Riders of Doom" composition to
represent the evil Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) during his attacks
through the land to collect slaves and followers. This stunning piece,
while bothering some listeners with its Orff-like qualities and often
performed poorly in concerts by undersized performing groups, is a
continuation of unabashed percussion and brass, with a Latin chorus
providing an intriguingly melodic sense of horror. A monumental solo
sequence for the timpani in this cue (at 4:25) is extremely engaging.
This theme, tracked artificially for the "Orgy Fight," returns in
different arrangements but with equal force during the climactic battle
between Conan and Doom's warriors near the end of the film, and a
disappointingly shallow and fragmented version of the idea would carry
over to Conan the Destroyer.
For Thulsa Doom's more hauntingly pleasant side,
Poledouris worked with a simple theme inspired by the musical tinkering
of his young daughter, Zoe, for "The Orgy," a basic, but effectively
rolling representation of the barbaric sexual environment of the
villain. The love theme for Conan, sometimes included as a passage
within Conan's own similarly rendered theme, is performed with an
appealing, lush heart by woodwinds, instruments that often act as the
soul of the characters in the film. Among the smaller motifs are the
relentlessly grinding rhythms of "Wheel of Pain" and the light-hearted,
percussively festive "Civilization" theme that accompanies Conan's
Mongol friend and flourishes in grandeur as Conan is rescued from "The
Tree of Woe." To finish a commentary about Conan the Barbarian by
suggesting that these are the only superior ideas in the work would be
an insult to Poledouris, because nearly every cue contains an equally
effective motif of some kind, culminating in the harmonically lovely and
chorally lamenting "Orphans of Doom" at the conclusion of the film.
While the score is never completely integrated so that all of the themes
come together in a suite format (outside of artificial editing of
sequences in the film to collect the best portions for multiple uses),
Poledouris does manage to restate most of his ideas consistently
throughout the film, providing the perfect musical canvas for the rather
predictable characters. The score is rich in exotic percussion,
heart-pounding rhythms, and mesmerizing instrumentation, proving what
level of magic can result when a composer and director work towards a
common goal with a massive ensemble of performers collected from two
orchestras and a broad, expansive scope in mind from the outset. Because
most of the constructs in the score maintain accessibility through their
common, harmonic foundation, Conan the Barbarian translates very
well to album, where the music has had another storied history. A very
early CD was issued not long after the identical LPs hit stores in 1982.
Most of the early Milan/MCA Records pressings were sold outside the
United States, with the only CD representation for many years being a
Milan album originating from France. This album contains the rather
silly and disjointed (but still inexplicably cool) spoken prologue from
the film by the Mongol wizard (Mako), the classic text of which you can
view at the bottom of this review page. Featuring about 48 minutes of
score, the Milan album has been reprinted several times (in 1992, 1999,
and 2003), and all of these products feature identical contents at a low
retail cost for casual listeners.
In 1992, following Milan's initial offering,
Varèse Sarabande released the scores for both Conan the
Barbarian and its less impressive sequel, Conan the
Destroyer, on their own CDs, with the album for the first score
adding 20 minutes of previously unreleased material to the contents of
the preceding CDs and LP. Among the extra cues are the fantastic "Tree
of Woe" and "Recovery" back to back, both of which featuring strong
extensions of the civilization and love themes that are not to be
missed. Also added are lengthy cues from the latter half of the film,
including the orgy scene and Doom's classic head-rolling execution by
Conan. Unfortunately, these Varèse albums for the franchise fell
completely out of print and hit $100 apiece in value on the used CD
market. All the early CDs, largely assembled from unsatisfactory tapes
held by Poledouris himself, exhibit the archival sound quality to be
expected for the era, reflecting the same consequent harshness in brass
that is typically heard in James Horner's early recordings. The
Varèse release of Conan the Barbarian, although it is
unfortunately missing the catchy prologue, features slightly more
dynamic sound quality and an excellent 20 minutes of extra score, and
this product was for a long time considered highly preferable. In 2012,
Intrada Records finally obtained the studio's original tapes and
produced a 3-CD set of the complete score with newly-released alternate
takes, many of which raw and interesting in their revelations about the
score's evolution. While this presentation suffers from the inclusion of
the lengthy source-like usage of solo percussion and oboes, it's a
tremendous treat for any enthusiast of the score. Be aware that the new
mix of the score by Intrada may sound awkward at first to those very
familiar with the previous albums, and a fair amount of archival sound
issues inevitably remain. That said, it is a classic album for a classic
score, presenting the early highlight of a career sadly cut short just
two decades later. When Poledouris was nearing the end of his battle
with cancer in 2006, he set his focus on traveling from America to a
film music conference in Ubeda, Spain, in July of that year. Despite his
scars from brain tumors and the effects of chemotherapy, he managed to
miraculously make the trip so that he could conduct a significant
portion of reconstructed music from Conan the Barbarian (albeit
transcribed for a smaller orchestra) for adoring fans. Upon returning to
the United States after that successful and widely publicized concert,
the composer ceased his chemo and passed away within months. This score
stands, therefore, as not only a highlight of Poledouris' career in a
technical sense, but also as a tribute to his own spirit of
adventure.
One of the only lingering elements of serious
dissatisfaction involving Conan the Barbarian that will forever
haunt its original recording is its uncorrectable issue of sound
quality. That problem was compounded when many ensembles failed to
capture the score's brutal tone in re-recordings of individual cues.
Poledouris himself had never been pleased with how his score was
performed and preserved, fueling long discussions about reconstructing
the score and re-recording its entirety in vibrant digital sound.
Through a partnership between James Fitzpatrick and Luc Van de Ven in
2010, Tadlow Music and Prometheus Records were able to give this
monumental score a second life. The assembly of the score included the
use of Poledouris' original manuscripts and a precise, careful assembly
of the right instrumentation, including percussive effects not rendered
as intended in the original recording, to constitute the City of Prague
Philharmonic (joined by its usual choral supplement). The Eastern
European tone of the 100 singers of the chorus was an additional fortune
given the weightier force of sound they could naturally supply to the
Latin texts. The reconstruction of the actual lyrics used by Poledouris
was another painstaking detail not overlooked for the recreation. This
ensemble, conducted by Nic Raine, consists of veterans of many film
score recreations, and their recordings are well known for their
outstanding balance between detail and a wet ambient mix that gives the
impression of a live performance. All of the best attributes of the
group's top efforts through the years, from their memorable performance
of John Barry's Raise the Titanic to their rousing rendition of
Jerry Goldsmith's theme from Capricorn One, are matched for
Conan the Barbarian. It is often said in reviews of music from
the fantasy renaissance of the 1980's that a precise re-recording of the
full scores would be their own form of fantasy, and Conan the
Barbarian has always been among such deserving candidates. To
actually hear such an endeavor executed so well is stunning in a
practical sense, not only from the technical performance aspect, but
also given how expensive such prospects are. Thankfully, the 2010
re-recording of Conan the Barbarian is everything you could hope
it to be. It's a rare case in which your high expectations are actually
exceeded, with perfect execution across the board and a collection of
extras on the second CD of its set that includes a fantastic hidden gem
in the form of seven minutes from Conan the Destroyer. To hear
over two hours of Poledouris' music for the franchise in this fashion is
the kind of treat that every film score should greet with an open
wallet. Simply put, no better film score album debuted in all of 2010.
Between the albums from Intrada and Prometheus, now is the time to
appreciate the music of Aquilonia.
@Amazon.com: CD or
Download
- Music as Written for the Film: *****
- Music as Heard on the Milan/Warner Albums: ****
- Music as Heard on the Varèse Sarabande Album: *****
- Music as Heard on the Intrada 3-CD Set: *****
- Music as Heard on the Re-Recorded Prometheus Album: *****
- Overall: *****
| Bias Check: |
For Basil Poledouris reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.54
(in 35 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.3
(in 36,807 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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Faith Purchase Expand >>
Will - November 18, 2010, at 9:04 a.m. |
4 comments (3718 views)
Newest: August 23, 2023, at 10:38 a.m. by
Jabber |
Bernard Herrmann Expand >>
NN - October 12, 2007, at 12:44 p.m. |
2 comments (5547 views)
Newest: October 15, 2007, at 6:22 a.m. by
NN |
Audio Samples
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• 1984-1999 Milan Albums:
• 1992 Varèse Album:
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| 1984-2003 Milan/Warner Albums Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 49:05 |
• 1. Prologue/Anvil of Crom (3:39)
• 2. Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom (5:38)
• 3. The Gift of Fury (3:50)
• 4. Column of Sadness/Wheel of Pain (4:09)
• 5. Atlantean Sword (3:51)
• 6. Theology/Civilization (3:14)
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• 7. Love Theme (2:10)
• 8. The Search (3:09)
• 9. The Orgy (4:14)
• 10. The Funeral Pyre (4:39)
• 11. Battle of the Mounds Pt. 1 (4:53)
• 12. Orphans of Doom/The Awakening (5:32)
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| 1992 Varèse Sarabande Album Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 67:52 |
• 1. Anvil of Crom (2:34)
• 2. Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom (5:36)
• 3. Gift of Fury (3:50)
• 4. Wheel of Pain (4:09)
• 5. Atlantean Sword (3:50)
• 6. Theology/Civilization (3:13)
• 7. Wifeing (Love Theme from "Conan the Barbarian") (2:10)
• 8. The Leaving/The Search (5:59)
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• 9. Mountain of Power Procession (3:21)
• 10. The Tree of Woe (3:31)
• 11. Recovery (2:11)
• 12. The Kitchen/The Orgy (6:30)
• 13. Funeral Pyre (4:29)
• 14. Battle of the Mounds (4:52)
• 15. Death of Rexor (5:34)
• 16. Orphans of Doom/The Awakening (5:31)
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| 2010 Prometheus Album Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 121:54 |
CD 1: (60:13)
• 1. Prologue - Film Version/Anvil of Crom (3:38)
• 2. Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom (5:23)
• 3. The Gift of Fury (3:25)
• 4. Column of Sadness/Wheel of Pain (4:09)
• 5. Pit Fights* (2:45)
• 6. Prologue - Original Version (1:03)
• 7. Atlantean Sword (4:00)
• 8. Wolf Witch* (3:21)
• 9. Theology/Civilization (3:04)
• 10. The Street of Deviants*/Hopefuls at the Tower of Set* (1:28)
• 11. The Tower of Set*/ Snake Attack (Las Cantigas de Santa Maria)* (5:21)
• 12. Infidels* (1:03)
• 13. The Tavern* (1:51)
• 14. The Wifeing (2:20)
• 15. In the Court of King Osric* (1:13)
• 16. Conan Leaves Valeria/The Search (6:03)
• 17. The Mountain of Power/Capture* (4:00)
• 18. The Tree of Woe/Recovery (6:04)
CD 2: (61:41)
• 1. The Kitchen/The Orgy (6:23)
• 2. Orgy Fight* (2:53)
• 3. Funeral Pyre (5:15)
• 4. Battle Preparations/Battle of the Mounds, Part 1 (5:59)
• 5. Battle of the Mounds, Part 2* (2:11)
• 6. Battle of the Mounds, Part 3/Night of Doom (5:56)
• 7. Head Chop* (0:53)
• 8. Orphans of Doom/The Awakening (6:30)
• 9. Epilogue/End Titles* (5:13)
Bonus Tracks:
• 10. Theology/Civilization - Alternate Version (3:27)
• 11. The Tower of Set - Alternate Cues* (3:37)
• 12. Battle of the Mounds, Part 2 - Original Version* (2:11)
• 13. Chamber of Mirrors from Conan the Destroyer (7:16)
• 14. Riders of Doom - Orchestral Version (4:05)
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* previously unreleased |
| 2012 Intrada Set Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 187:17 |
CD1: (56:32)
The Complete Score:
• 1. Prologue/Anvil of Crom (3:39)
• 2. Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom (5:40)
• 3. Gift Of Fury (3:51)
• 4. Column of Sadness/Wheel of Pain (4:10)
• 5. Pit Fights (2:40)
• 6. The Discipline of Steel/Freedom Council (1:38)
• 7. Atlantean Sword (4:01)
• 8. Warm Welcome (2:06)
• 9. Wolf Witch (3:10)
• 10. Theology/Civilization (3:14)
• 11. Street of Deviants (0:29)
• 12. Hopefuls at the Tower of Set (2:22)
• 13. The Tower of Set (5:38)
• 14. The Snake/Infidels (2:01)
• 15. The Tavern (1:14)
• 16. Wifeing (Theme of Love From Conan the Barbarian) (2:11)
• 17. Indulgence/Mettle (1:15)
• 18. The Hall of King Osric (1:18)
• 19. The Leaving/The Search (5:58)
CD2: (78:41)
The Complete Score (Continued):
• 1. The Mountain of Power Procession (3:22)
• 2. Capture (0:52)
• 3. Tree of Woe/Recovery (5:46)
• 4. Warpaint (1:10)
• 5. The Kitchen/The Orgy (6:30)
• 6. The Defilers (5:16)
• 7. Funeral Pyre (4:32)
• 8. Battle of the Mounds Part I (4:52)
• 9. Battle of the Mounds Part II (2:16)
• 10. Battle of the Mounds Part III (Revised)/Night of Doom (5:36)
• 11. Head Chop (0:57)
• 12. Orphans of Doom/The Awakening (5:33)
• 13. Conan the King/End Title (5:28)
The Extras: (26:41)
• 14. Prologue (First Version) (0:46)
• 15. Anvil of Crom (First Version) (2:31)
• 16. The Tower of Set Part 1 (First Version) (3:46)
• 17. Battle of the Mounds Part II (First Version) (2:16)
• 18. Battle of the Mounds Part III (First Version) (3:03)
• 19. Orphans of Doom (Orchestra and Solo Voice) (1:22)
• 20. Orphans of Doom (Chorus and Harp)/The Awakening (First Version) (6:45)
• 21. Las Cantigas de Santa Maria (The Snake) (6:01)
CD3: (52:06)
The Original 1982 MCA Soundtrack Album:
• 1. Anvil of Crom (2:35)
• 2. Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom (5:38)
• 3. Gift of Fury (3:51)
• 4. Wheel of Pain (4:10)
• 5. Atlantean Sword (3:51)
• 6. Theology/Civilization (3:14)
• 7. Wifeing (Theme of Love From Conan the Barbarian) (2:11)
• 8. The Search (3:09)
• 9. The Orgy (4:16)
• 10. Funeral Pyre (4:30)
• 11. Battle of the Mounds (4:54)
• 12. Orphans of Doom/The Awakening (5:32)
One Last Extra:
• 13. Prologue (Wtih Narration)/Anvil of Crom (3:39)
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The Milan Records/Warner International insert includes no extra information
about the score or film, but the early Milan albums were pressed on solid
gold-colored CDs. The out of print Varèse Sarabande album, like Conan
the Destroyer, had detailed notes about both the score and film. The insert
of the 2010 set contains detailed analysis of the film, composer, and score. A
video of the 2010 recording sessions was available at Tadlow's website at the
time of their album's release. In the notes of the 2012 Intrada set, documentation about
the technical aspects of the release is abundant, but cue-by-cue analysis is slim
and residents of Vashon Island near Seattle may not be pleased. The dialogue as heard
in the track "Prologue" on the Milan/Warner albums is as follows:
"Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of
Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And on to this Conan... destined to wear the
jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who
alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!"
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