Search - Jerry Goldsmith, Eirian James, London Symphony Orchestra :: Christus Apollo

Goldsmith without the movie

Stephen | St. Louis, MO USA | 12/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this at first to see what Goldsmith would do without the background of the motion picture to back him up. I knew that he would be able to do it, I just wanted to see what it was like. I came out throughly satisified that he can accomplish the task.All works here are commissions. The first, as other reviewers have implied, invokes Planet of the Apes and Alex North's 2001. Very discordant and atonal, the piece will saisify anyone who loved Planet of the Apes.Christus Apollo, which forms the core of the recording, is the penultimate of his genius. With Ray Bradbury supplying the words and the lovely narration by Anthony Hopkins, the genius of Apollo is brought to life and the mind is filled with images of man striding the heavens to fulfill his destiny.The last piece is one that shows that Goldsmith can write with such beauty and poetry that can bring tears to the eye, which Fireworks did when I first heard it. It is Blue Max brought to the 90's and invokes one to think of looking to the sky and seeing what is there and what can be. Fireworks is well worth the price of the whole thing to me and is a must in any Goldsmith fans collection."

Great Goldsmith...without pictures

Brian G. Joy | Logan, UT USA | 04/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jerry Goldsmith is one of classical music's most outstanding composers of the twentieth century and a master of both abstract and programmatic music. His mastery of programmatic music has been long known from his prolific and spectacular film legacy, but his abstract music has been neglected until now. This album is a wonderful introduction to this side of his work, and now I want more.The three pieces on this disc give a good cross-section of musical styles. Although Goldsmith states that he composed "Music for Orchestra" and CHRISTUS APOLLO using 12-tone techniques, his strong lyricism and signature treatment imbue both works with an immediate accessibility seldom found in serial music. He also is able to create quite different worlds in each, the first being tumultuous and the second being devotional in nature."Music for Orchestra" was written during a time of personal distress, and Goldsmith channelled this into his composition. It is a firestorm of sound. Goldsmith's confident direction and the London Symphony Orchestra's strong playing combine to give a powerful performance.The title work of this disc is a four-movement cantata based on a text by Ray Bradbury. Written in 1969, CHRISTUS APOLLO brings Christian mysticism into the Space Age. The musings by the narrator of what a Christ would experience on another planet are answered by the chorus and mezzo soprano. This interplay of voices celebrates the universal nature of the divine. Goldsmith's music gives a sense of timelessness to the work, sounding simultaneously modern and ancient. Anthony Hopkins' smooth reading of the narrator and Eirian James' rich mezzo blend well with the London Voices' mesmerizing presentation."Fireworks" was written as a finale piece for Goldsmith's first concert series with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl-complete with fireworks, surprisingly enough. It evolved to become a celebratory work commemorating Los Angeles, his home town. The joyous nature of his feelings are readily apparent. It is an exuberant work that brings the disc to a brilliant close.This disc is a continuation of Jerry Goldsmith's tradition of great music. Whether you are a novice to his music or a die-hard fan (like me), this music will inspire. It is another reason in a long list of why Jerry Goldsmith is one of the great musical voices of our time."

Great disc. All Goldsmith fans must buy this CD!

Joseph | London United Kingdom | 05/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Music for Orchestra is very similar to Jerry's Planet of the Apes, and therefore, is quite atonal and dissonant. I personally like it, but if you haven't heard it before, you should probably listen to POTA again and decide if you like it!
Christus Apollo sounds very silly and very dated. Its similar in tone to Music for Orchestra. In my opinion, its the weakest (but also sadly the longest) piece on the disc.
And Fireworks, a fantastic 8 minute concert piece, is worth the price of the disc alone. Goldsmith calls it a celebration of his life and career, and it shows. Its not as musically complex as the first two pieces, but it is a lot more fun. Easily my favorite of the three. It strongly reminds the listener of Jerry's scores to Lionheart and Bad Girls. Its a great slice of Americana; the way Legends of the Fall was.
The performance by the LSO is absolutely flawless. Can't praise them enough, and Goldsmith's conducting is fabulous as always.
This is an essential CD for all Goldmsith fans, and makes one wish he'd written a lot more concert pieces in his illustrious career."