Apocalypse Cinema Choral Classics (Compilation)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Choral music, or basically orchestral music supported by choir is I guess the most requested and most demanding work of music. The moment someone reads, performed by that orchestra or that choir, people simply go nuts. Or perhaps that's me. Anyway, I adore choral music and so does the next person. And when compilations can show that on a full CD or even 2, then the buy gets most interesting. Especially when its performed by the orchestra and choir of Prague, then its gets too interesting to not go for it. Silva Screen has released many excellent compilations and there have been compilations released of pure choral music, but Silva always does it better. It received 2 follow ups but Apocalypse Cinema Choral Classics or the first tips the iceberg with its strong magnificence and perfection to the original pieces. The only detraction from this compilation is the fact that half has been released before by Silva, on their Space and Beyond compilations and that means that people will get the version of Saving Private Ryan and of Starman, and of course of the inevitable 'Duel of the Fates' of The Phantom Menace. But that doesn't stop them of repeating its excellence twice and especially considering that there are at least several very hard to get or even never heard before pieces that are also presented on this CD. And its the way everything just sounds perfect that makes Apocalypse simply mind blowing. There are just a few small things to point out, for instance Bram Stoker's Dracula of Wojciech Kilar receives a demonic display with only a slight detraction of the flute reaching so high, that it disturbs the demonic struggle of Kilar's music, but that is compensated by the pure, and I mean pure mind blowing demonic use of choir, performing an extra new set of music specially for this track. It ends literally explosive. Or there is 'Ride of the Valkyries' of Richard Wagner that receives an orchestral ravishing performance but only here the choir sounds somewhat out of place.

But the rest is fantastic, Amistad begins with 2 seconds of inspired new writing before a perfect orchestra and choir's performance guides the beauty through the play, Starman is oh so elegant and The Last Valley one of Barry's pure artistic choral movements. Saving Private Ryan as ever is a magnificent testament and doesn't over blow the emotion while the classical inspired piece of Hannibal, written by Patrick Cassidy is very true to the original. Not specifically highlights mentioned by me, but favorites of other persons nonetheless, The Ninth Gate (the vocal opening) and one of The Lion in Winter's songs were performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic before and are of course perfect. The other song of The Lion in Winter 'Eya, Eya, Nova Gaudia' is so strong the more you hear it, while James Horner's Glory is perhaps the weakest performed piece, but the choir moves as forward as it will do it the entire compilation through, meaning excellent. Highlights which sound new though are for instance The Longest Day which is more a march song then actual choral music, but its catchy and Henry V (of William Walton, not Patrick Doyle) is one of the surprises of this CD, with orchestral to the bone perfection and some great choral use, to think it was written in 1944. Toto's Dune is 3 minutes shorter then on the 2nd Space and Beyond compilation but nonetheless sounds stunning while the recently newly released Young Sherlock Holmes was before it a never released item. Anyway, its pure Carmina Burana look alike is strong nonetheless. 'Duel of the Fates' sounds even stronger then the original version and I must say, the orchestra plays this piece mind blowingly fantastic. But it ends well with Maurice Jarre's forgotten Sunshine, with a choral fantastic finisher and truly a breeze to hear it again and again. This makes simply 74 minutes of amazing choral music, with 60 topping the original and some even outdoing them. For the remaining 14 minutes, they all reach the original but just don't receive a highlight marking. Take it from me, to have or not to have of Silva, even if you own them all, Apocalypse Cinema Choral Classics enjoys like never before, meaning To Have!

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Tracks

Single Disc

Glory (James Horner) Orchestrations by James Horner

1. Charging Fort Wagner (3.03) Excellent Track

Saving Private Ryan (John Williams) Orchestrations by Paul Bateman

2. Hymn To The Fallen (6.03) Excellent Track

The Longest Day (Paul Anka) Orchestrations by Kevin Townend & James Fitzpatrick

3. The Longest Day (4.42)

Hannibal (Patrick Cassidy) Orchestrations by Patrick Cassidy

4. Vide Cor Meum (3.00) Excellent Track

Henry V (William Walton) Orchestrations by Malcolm Sargent & Muir Mathieson

5. Overture / Agnicourt Song (7.22)

The Ninth Gate (Wojciech Kilar) Orchestrations by Wojciech Kilar

6. Vocalise (3.53)

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Wojciech Kilar) Orchestrations by Wojciech Kilar

7. Bram Stoker's Dracula (4.24) Excellent Track

The Lion in Winter (John Barry) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

8. Allons Gai, Gai, Gai, Gai (1.40)

The Lion in Winter (John Barry) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

9. Eya, Eya, Nova Gaudia (2.16) Excellent Track

Amistad (John Williams) Orchestrations by John Williams

10. Dry Yours Tears Afrika (3.39) Excellent Track

Dune (Toto) Orchestrations by Toto, David Paich, Allyn Ferguson, Frank Bennett & Brad Dechter

11. Dune (6.06) Excellent Track

Zulu (John Barry) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

12. March Of Men Of Honor * (2.44)

Apocalypse Now (Richard Wagner)

13. Ride Of The Valkyries (4.30)

The Last Valley (John Barry) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

14. The Last Valley (3.37) Excellent Track

Young Sherlock Holmes (Bruce Broughton) Orchestrations by Bruce Broughton

15. Waxing Elizabeth (3.27) Excellent Track

Starman (Jack Nitzsche) Orchestrations by Mark Ayres & Nic Raine

16. Starman (4.46) Excellent Track

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (John Williams) Orchestrations by John Williams

17. Duel Of The Fates (4.10) Excellent Track

Sunshine (Maurice Jarre) Orchestrations by Maurice Jarre & Pat Russ

18. The Sonnenscheins (4.52) Excellent Track

* Traditional Piece

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