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Review of Alfred Hitchcock Presents... Signatures in Suspense
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you are a devoted fan of Alfred Hitchcock's films and
seek one of the most balanced presentations of original recordings and
more recent performances representing the music from his works.
Avoid it... if you are deterred by archival sound quality for several of the earlier entries, in which case you should investigate the Silva Screen label's superior compilations of Hitchcock-related re-recordings from the same year.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Alfred Hitchcock Presents... Signatures in
Suspense: (Compilation) No director has been the subject of as many
film music compilations as Alfred Hitchcock, partly due to his famous
collaboration with Bernard Herrmann during the later and more memorable
series of suspense and horror films that reached their height in the
1960's. The shelves of record stores were overflowing with albums
offering the music of Alfred Hitchcock films in 1999, mostly because
they intended to celebrate the centenary of the director's birth. Of all
the Hitchcock compilations that hit the shelves of stores during that
year, this generous offering from the just previously formed Hip-O
division of Universal Records is the most complete and interesting
presentation of original and re-recorded music. This album combines
recordings from a significant variety of sources; some are originals
that have been released (whether officially on CD or on bootleg or, in
some instances, only on LP record), while others are originals that are
for the first time available on CD due to this product. A few of the
tracks are noteworthy re-recordings that come from previously available
sources. For an album devoted to only music from Hitchcock films, the
selections are quite eclectic, but then, the man's career spanned so
many decades that any comprehensive offering will inherently wander all
over the map of different genre sounds. Also contributing to this
quality of the album is the fact that it, unlike many other compilations
devoted to Hitchcock, includes less obvious music by composers other
than Bernard Herrmann. The compilation appropriately begins with the
short adaptation of the "Funeral March of the Marionette" (used as
Hitchcock's personal theme) before diving into two Dimitri Tiomkin
selections.
Tiomkin's several contributions to Hitchcock films haven't aged as well through the years, partly due to poor archival sound of the original masters. The sound quality of these two original recordings is a bit muffled, but I Confess exhibits some brilliant piano work in its middle section for attentive ears to appreciate. The weakest selection on the album is the "Juke Box #6" track from Rear Window, which serves mostly as source music. The original recording of the "Scene d'Amour" cue from Vertigo, with its rumbling timpani leading to strings of pure fantasy, is without a doubt a classic. The tracks from North by Northwest and Psycho are also conducted by Herrmann himself, and though they work wonders in their respective films, they don't hold up as well on album as Vertigo and Marnie. The two tracks from Marnie included here are originals that had never been available on a commercial release before, with both featuring very enjoyable renditions of the score's sweeping main theme. What follows is perhaps the selling point of the album for collectors. Torn Curtain, besides being a weak film, marked the unfriendly end of the collaboration between Hitchcock and Herrmann. Hitchcock, pressured by the studio to drop his choice of composer, needed something more inspiring to a younger crowd, and you can only imagine the horror Hitchcock experienced with those unconventional recording sessions (a dreary and introverted composition was heavily dominated by brass and flute). He would be forced to turn to John Addison, whose less interesting replacement title theme from the film is included here. Three cues from Herrmann's original, rejected recordings for the film appeared here for the first time on CD. Maurice Jarre's theme for Topaz was even a further departure from the Herrmann style; its primary march, well performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic, and continues to sound like a variation right out of the Lawrence of Arabia playbook. Hitchcock rejected Henry Mancini's score for Frenzy in 1972, which actually proved to be a good move when Ron Goodwin captured the grand elegance of London very well in his score for the film. The City of Prague Philharmonic returns for another good performance, as their later Hitchcock-related endeavors tended to be. Finishing the album are Elmer Bernstein and the Royal Philharmonic's bouncing rendition of The Wrong Man, John Williams' previously unavailable harpsichord and choral titles for Family Plot, and a final dose of Herrmann in the form of a creative woodwind and brass selection from The Trouble with Harry. For fans of Williams, 1976 was a year most likely to be forgotten, and the eerie baroque tones of the harpsichord in Family Plot, mixed heavily at the forefront, are difficult to enjoy in and of themselves. Overall, the sound quality on the album suffices, but since the recordings vary in source so greatly, there's often a shift in ambience (and sometimes volume) from track to track. Otherwise, though, it's a remarkable album highlighted by its previously unreleased music, performances from talented groups of players, and a very well-rounded compilation of Hitchcock's musical side. Most importantly, the album exudes the feeling that expert Hitchcock collectors and historians compiled its tracks, infusing the product with great credibility. It's the most highly recommended collection of original recordings representing Hitchcock's career and will rival the Silva Screen Records offerings in their concurrent, strictly re-recorded products. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 62:34
NOTES & QUOTES:
The packaging is quite elaborate; the insert contains a wealth of great notes,
snippets from interviews, and numerous pictures.
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Alfred Hitchcock Presents... Signatures in Suspense are Copyright © 1999, Hip-O Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 7/29/99 and last updated 10/21/07. |
