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•	1999 Album

•	1999 Album

For the most part, it's this rather innocently retro-noble, Golden Age style that defines the score for The Sword and the Sorcerer. Whitaker emphasizes the playful and jubilant aspects of the story while downplaying the interludes of dark, brooding, and mysterious material. The majority of fully orchestral sequences, which make up a healthy portion of Whitaker's score, are fully equipped with the usual string and brass domination, a driving percussive force, and an occasional xylophone. Melodic variations on woodwinds are utilized for the softer and source-related cues. Among the brightly optimistic thematic expressions, there are few moments of mundane filler passages, with some non-thematic instrumental development at work in most cues. Not all of it is harmonious, however, which will cause some problems for listeners looking for an easy sci-fi thrill; with a plot that contains as much gore and blood as this (another common complaint about the picture), perhaps this less than tonal approach akin to Alex North's output of the era was necessary. The lack of respite extends to "Alana's Theme" and its consistently rousing love interest variations throughout the latter half of the score. The performing ensemble, the Graunke Symphony Orchestra, is that which also yielded the remarkable recording of John Scott's King Kong Lives not long after, though the balance of the group here is not always handled well and there are occasional, obvious flubs. The mix of the flutes in particular seems unsynchronized with the rest of the ensemble. On the other hand, for concept enthusiasts, these very "personality" traits of the score lend the music very well to the often flawed characteristics of the film. In the end, you can't elevate The Sword and the Sorcerer to the level of Conan the Barbarian or many of the other guilty pleasures in the genre. The dependency on old Korngold techniques and a muffled sound quality are both major detriments. The LP release of the score, oddly, offered better clarity than a limited, promotional 1999 CD from Super Tracks, though that CD did extend the running time of the score by a considerable margin. Due to track mislabeling on that CD, however, don't expect the cues to match up with what you see and hear in the film. The same contents were remastered and pressed to another limited CD by BSX Records in 2012, not long after Whitaker's death. As a listening experience in the film and on any album, The Sword and the Sorcerer serves its purpose, but the majority of film score collectors would likely be more satisfied with this work's superior peers from James Horner and Basil Poledouris.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download