Search - Jerry Goldsmith :: QB VII (1974 Television Mini-Series)

Music of strength, heart and emotions

tsr@alphalink.com.au | Melbourne, Australia | 06/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jerry Goldsmith composed over two hours of music for the television drama QB VII, this CD presenting just about 35 minutes of it, with each track appearing as a distinct theme from the next. The music is superb, among the composer's most original work, with the sound quality fantastic, especially for its' age.Scoring of a diverse nature, the music is at best when sensitive, emotional and romantic. With an emphasis towards Hebrew lyrics and unusual percussion, the soundtrack has an unexpected ethnic sound. Overall, a soundtrack to be especially recommended to any Goldsmith fan, as it's among this composer's finest work."

Ethnic Music with Dramatic Impact

René van Os | Beek & Donk Netherlands | 06/21/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Jerry Goldsmith has done a lot of work for television in his long and varied career. QB VII, the television series based on Leon Uris's highly esteemed novel was made in the mid-seventies. It was given the large treatment for television at the time and the music by Jerry Goldsmith hints at this. Jerry gives us highly ethnic music, with lots of direct hints at hebrew backgrounds. The orchestra, consisting of a large brass section, strings and indigenous instruments, plays this music with enormous zeal and fervor. Although many themes are memorable, the highlight of this score is undoubtedly the dramatic choral piece: A Kaddish for The Six Million, directly indicating a prayer for those who died in the last world war. A seemingly enormous chorus aids the orchestra here, to deliver quite a punch in the noggin. Pleasant additional fact is that the range of the CD is far greater than the vynil LP's this score was released on in the seventies. (Both my copies were very flat and harsh in sound. This sound is wonderfully rich in texture and depth.) Nothing reminds one of the blockbusters of more recent years. This is one score where Jerry has gone in deeply ethnic roots and he succeeds marvelously in bringing us an entire world via music alone. Although only a few years or so later another choral score would grant him an Oscar(The Omen, as everyone surely knows), Jerry managed to have the chorus here add real depth and feeling too. Only Masada is as ethnic as this one and as wonderful to listen to and that score culminated Jerry's hebrew music arc during the seventies. It took some time getting used to this score when I first heard it in the seventies but now I rate it highly indeed."