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3-CD premiere of massive James Horner WWII action score! John Woo directs, MGM presents in 2002, Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Christian Slater, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Storemare lead the cast, Joe Batteer, John Rice script. Due numerous schedule issues during production and post production editorial changes, James Horner manages to score and record some two hours of original music including alternate cues. Significantly, large amount of material focuses on action, battle sequences, more than composer typically records. Also significantly, much of this frenzied and aggressive writing did not make it onto the RCA album from 2002, offering 66 minutes of music… admittedly all strong cues nonetheless. Director Woo examines challenges Cage has in readjusting to combat after losing his squad in an opening battle sequence. Other primary story line focuses on pair of Navajo code talkers, the Native Americans being trained to transmit radio messages in codes that Japanese could not break. Key dramatic point: Should any of the code talkers be captured, they were not allowed to be caught alive. Since they become friends with the soldiers, this creates the dramatic emotional weight of the story. A sizable task for the composer to address with his music. Horner responds with incredible weighted music packed with dynamic action writing, balancing with richly emotional Americana vernacular, including numerous soaring military solos for trumpet in upper register. Main theme first appears during opening "Navajo Dawn" as bus arrives, picks up Navajos who part with family members. Interestingly, this important thematic introduction was missing entirely from RCA album that featured earlier version of cue which went quickly into combat material instead. Both versions appear on Intrada restoration of complete score, mastered from two-track stereo session masters made by Simon Rhodes at Todd Scoring in Los Angeles across July and August 2001, with rescoring sessions held in January and February 2002. Numerous action cues appear in this release for the first time but also several warm, sensitive cues underscoring emotional underpinnings of powerful film. After some two hours of music plays across discs 1 & 2, original 2002 album plays on CD 3. Informative booklet notes by Frank DeWald plus dramatic graphic design work by Kay Marshall complete exciting package. Orchestrations by J.A.C. Redford, James Horner, Randy Kerber, Steven Bernstein, Carl Johnson. James Horner composes, conducts. Intrada Special Collection 3-CD set available while quantities and interest remain!
- Intrada
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