Search - Various Artists - Soundtracks :: Sherlock Holmes: Classic Themes From 221B Baker Street (Television And Film Score Anthology)

Superb, otherwise unavailable music

01/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a soundtrack that no lover of good film scores should be without. Virtually none of the music is otherwise available. Thanks to Sherlock Holmes' affinity for the violin, much of the music here features that instrument prominently. None of the cues disappoint.There are two cues from the Granada TV series (which ran on PBS from the mid-80s to mid-90s, starring Jeremy Brett). Patrick Gowers' music is available on a CD collection, but this is out of print and becoming increasingly difficult to find.Similarly, the score excerpts from The Seven Percent Solution (Addison) and A Study in Terror (Scott) are lovely, lyrical, and melancholy. Ditto for Young Sherlock Holmes (Broughton) -- it is a crying shame that this wonderful score is not available on CD, but this cue is an excellent gloss on the best themes of the score.I am also fond of the suite from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (Rozsa); though the score is derived from Rozsa's violin concerto (which exists on a very fine coupling featuring Jascha Heifetz, with the Korngold violin concerto, and Waxman's Carmen Fantasie), it is different enough to be worth hearing on its own.The other cues are also worthwhile listening. The interruption of the Sondheim song midway through the tracks is something of an annoyance (even though I like the song itself); given that it was available elsewhere it seemed sort of pointless to include it in this collection, which is otherwise all-orchestral.Highly recommended."

Great music to accompany your favorite detective stories!

Gwyn Gwyrdd | USA | 09/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm going to say this upfront because I wish I had known it before purchasing this cd. The music on this cd is not original. In other words, a single orchestra has redone the selected pieces. For the most part, they are loyal to the originals - however, there is a difference between what you've heard in these programs or films and what is on this cd. The Granada piece, which I was most excited about, did use an annoying bass drum which, in my opinion, was a bit over the line (a bit too much of a "rock" feel, if you will), but it is very brief and used in a musical bridge. The violin part is intact and impressive. The Young Sherlock Holmes suite is nearer the original film score than anything on the cd and is very enjoyable. I could have done without the Sondheim vocal piece all together as it breaks the instrumental flow and feeling. The "aztec flute" piece (from the Woman in Green I believe) that is visted three times is slightly annoying - particularly since it is very short in a couple of places and again, interrupts the flow of the album.Surprisingly, I will say that overall, I'm pleased as a Sherlock Holmes fan and happy to add the album to my Holmes collection. It will make superb reading music when I pull out my Holmes books again this fall - granted, I may put the vocal piece on skip. However, I'm am more anxious to own the TV soundtrack to the Granada/Jeremy Brett show - as, I suspect, it is probably the superior album."