Max Steiner - King Kong [Naxos 1999][FLAC]

[tri2061990]

This was the score that, in a sense, started it all. Certainly by 1933 writing music for movies was not new, but Max Steiner’s contribution for King Kong was more extensive, more colorful, and more musically integrated than virtually all previous examples. It was the music that took on the responsibility for creating not just atmosphere, but an entire world, and it’s no mistake that this pioneering effort occurred in the fantasy/science fiction genre, a field that would be so kind to film music composers in future. To modern ears, Steiner’s achievement inevitably pales a bit, just as, say, the thunderstorm in Beethoven’s Sixth must yield to the one in Strauss’ Alpine Symphony in terms of sheer graphic imagery. The music has a genuine period flavor, with lots of splashy percussion writing for the jungle music and for Kong himself, and true Golden Age strings for Ann Darrow. There’s plenty to enjoy, from the Aboriginal Sacrificial Dance, to Stolen Love, and the marvelous extended sequence called Kong Escapes. An essential addition to any serious film music collection, it has all been lovingly restored by John Morgan, performed with gusto by William Stromberg and the Moscow Symphony, and vividly recorded by Naxos (formerly Marco Polo).
--Review by: David Hurwitz--

Tracklist
1. Main Title (02:09)
2. A Boat in the Fog (01:37)
3. The Island - The Railing (03:32)
4. Jungle Dance (02:34)
5. Meeting with the Black Men (Punia! Casco!!) (03:26)
6. The Little Monkey Escapes (01:15)
7. Sea at Night - Forgotten Island (03:39)
8. Aboriginal Sacrificial Dance (03:49)
9. Entrance of Kong - The Sailors - Stegosaurus (07:04)
10. The Bronte (05:44)
11. Log Sequence (01:21)
12. Cryptic Shadows (01:47)
13. Stolen Love - The Cave (04:40)
14. The Snake - The Bird - The Swimmers (07:38)
15. The Return (01:29)
16. "Hey Look Out! It's Kong, Kong's Coming!" (04:50)
17. King Kong March (03:13)
18. Fanfares 1, 2, 3 (00:50)
19. Kong Escapes (04:27)
20. Elevated Train Sequence (02:04)
21. Aeroplanes (02:08)
22. Finale ("It was Beauty Killed the Beast") (03:03)

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[Cornelius&Zira]

I a fan of this Gorilla!!!.. thanks for this in FLAC!!!...

[samy013]

Thank you.

[blaaarg]

Thank you so much for this. Lost my CD copy, and have been sorely missing it.

[Stampedes]

Thanks for the lossless.

[xphile7777]

Thank you for upping this great score in FLAC!

[jmoss]

WOW! Cool! Thanks!

[matongsai]

Thanks a lot.

[gslb86]

thank you

[Misteretc]

Thanks!

[phantomman86]

Many thanks for this. I've loved the film ever since I first saw it as a child back in the 1970s on TV late one night (was allowed to stay up and watch it). Have loved the music from it also and have the above already in a very lossy format, so is nice to get in this quality :-)

[Peter Pap]

Many thanks.

[scorehunter66]

Thanks for such a great gem!