BEN HUR
Rating: 
Original Review: Miklós Rózsa's score for Ben Hur is widely regarded as one of the best that came out of Hollywood's Golden Era during the thirties, forties and fifties. I will own up and admit that I bought this score more for historical value rather then the excellence of the music but, that said, I still find parts of Ben Hur beautiful and moving: The 'Overture', which encompasses all the main themes of the film, is a gorgeous track, full of lots of lilting strings. The second and third tracks, 'Of Bethlehem' and 'Adoration of the Magic' are also good cues: they both make great use of a female choir to accentuate the power and majesty accompanying the birth of Christ. 'The Galley' is a wonderfully rhythmic piece played on what I think is a double bass, underscoring a menacing brass theme that gets progressively quicker, which is played when Judah Ben Hur is a prisoner on the warship of Quintas Arrius. 'Parade of the Charioteers' is possibly the most famous track from the score - a bombastic pomp-and-circumstance cue, full of resounding brass fanfares which occurs before the legendary chariot race. After all the military pageantry of the chariot race, the final seven cues are the most emotionally charged: Judah's search for his leprous mother and sister coincides with the crucifixion of Christ and comes to a glorious head in the cue 'The Miracle' when, just as Jesus dies on the cross, a cleansing rain falls on Miriam and Tirzah, taking away their scars and lesions - and this event is marked by a joyful violin melody, followed by a solemn string section as the enormity of what has just happened sinks in. Parts of these tracks remind me of the 'You Are The Pan' cue from Hook (especially 'The Search' and 'Finale'), with the almost awe-inspiring sense of reverence and wonder that comes through in the music. One thing I must mention is the great job the people at Premier Soundtracks have done with the presentation of this score: 36 tracks and a brilliant booklet of notes accompanying the CD. Why can't every distributor be like them?
Track Listing:
- Overture
- Of Bethlehem
- Adoration of the Magic
- Prelude (Main Title)
- Marcia Romana
- Ring for Freedom
- Salute for Gratus
- Gratus' Entry to Jerusalem
- The Desert
- Exhaustion
- The Prince of Peace
- Roman Galley
- Salute for Arrius
- The Galley (Rowing of the Galley Slaves)
- Battle Preparations Parts I and II
- The Pirate Fleet
- Attack!
- Ramming Speed
- The Battle Parts I, II and III
- Rescue
- Victory Parade Parts I and II
- Arrius' Part Parts I and II
- Nostalgia
- Farewell to Rome
- Return
- Promise
- Sorrow and Intermission
- Fanfare for Circus Parade
- Parade of the Charioteers
- Valley of the Lepers
- The Search
- The Procession to Calvary
- The Bearing of the Cross
- Recognition
- The Miracle
- Finale
Running Time: 74 minutes 01 seconds
Premier Soundtracks 7243-8-52787-2-3 (1996/1959)
Music composed and conducted by Miklós Rózsa. Performed by The MGM Studio Orchestra. Orchestrations by Miklós Rózsa and Eugene Zador. Re-release album produced by David Wishart and Nigel Reese.
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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1997. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.